Refrigerator Care and Maintenance

The Refrigerator is probably one of the most important Appliances in your house.  The Fridge is also one of the more expensive ones too.  So why wouldn't you take the time to take care of it?  I guess if you have more money than you know what to do with then fine.  But for everybody else in the world, when you refrigerator fails, it can mess your whole day up. 

Below are a few things you can do to extend the life of your Refrigerator and keep it running Efficiently

Keeping your Condenser Coils Clean and Cool

This is probably one of the more important things to maintain on your Refrigerator.  If the coils get covered in pet hair or dust, this will cut down on the Energy Efficiency.  This will cause the compressor to run hotter than it normally would with clean condenser coils.  The extra stain on the compressor will dramatically reduce it's life and cause you a huge headache down the road. The Condenser Coils are usually located under the Refrigerator or on the Back of the Refrigerator.  Here is a page for finding and cleaning your Condenser Coils.

Using the Correct Temperature Settings

If the Refrigerator's temperature is set too low, it will have to run more to cool to a lower temperature.  That means, not only is it going to cost

you more to keep your groceries cold, but now you are adding extra run time on the compressor that really doesn't need to be there.  Place a thermometer inside the refrigerator compartment.  You want the temperature to be around 37 degrees.

Keeping your Door Gaskents Clean and Operational

It's important to keep your door gaskets clean.  If they aren't kept clean they can stick to the Refrigerator and cause cracks and tears.  If the gaskets are cracked or torn, cold air will escape.  This just adds to the run time and can cause other problems.

Keeping your Freezer Full for Better Efficiency

The more food you have in your Freezer the better your machine will maintain the proper temperature.  There will be less air inside that warms up when you open the doors.  Therefore you Refrigerator doesn't have to run as long to cool back down to the set temperature.

Don't Stand there with the Doors Open!!

Every time you open the doors to the refrigerator, warm air gets in and the cold air comes out.  That's a fact.  Nothing you can do about it. But, you can control how long you stand there and let this happen.  Go over to your refrigerator and open the door and stand there, what happens?  It kicks on and has to cool down the warm air you left in.

Replace the Light Bulbs

If you can't see in your refrigerator, you are just going to stand there with the door open longer. 

Warm Food in the Fridge  - Don't do it

Whenever possible, allow leftovers to cool to room temperature before placing them in the Refrigerator.  This will cut down on the amount of warm air inside the refrigerator and save some run time on the compressor.

Replace your Old Refrigerator - Out with the Old, in with the New

If your Refrigerator is 20 years old, it's time for a new one.  Older models can use up to 3 times more electricity then newer ones.  This could mean the difference of a few hundred dollars a year in savings.