Hacker News Reader

Interesting point I'd never considered until this thread...

Why not tip the freezer / fridge onto its back? So that doors open "up"?

Aware they're typically not perfectly flat on the rear face, but close enough you could support it with minimal work. And if it's unpowered, there's no need for clearance back there.

View on HN

On the one hand that would assist with the immediate problem but might cause another problem down the line. Most small refrigerated appliances use hermetically sealed compressors and you’re actually supposed to wait a bit 24hrs ish before starting them to allow the oil in the system to drain back to where it belongs. So theoretically after the power came back on and you flip it back upright you should wait to turn it back on. In reality, lots of people move freezers and fridges and window a/c units and plug them back in and use them right away with no problem. But it is possible that you might severely shorten the life of your equipment too.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com