Summer is a time of fun and sun. For the appliance repair tech it means lots of extra business, especially refrigerators.
Warmer weather, more people in the house for longer hours contribute to refrigerators working overtime.
Some things you can do as a consumer are:
1) Make sure the doors stay closed as much as possible. Every time the door is opened, cold air escapes and the refrigerator or freezer works overtime to replace it.
2) Make sure your water filter in the refrigerator has been changed recently. Old filters can restrict water flow or even burst creating a serious flood in your house.
3) Place your refrigerator in a coolest location possible. Refrigerators in garages, especially in Texas are very susceptible to compressors having “heart attacks”. Be sure there is plenty of room behind the refrigerator and you can even buy a small 8″-10″ fan and place it to blow behind the frig at the bottom to help the dissipation of heat.
4) Keep hot food or liquids out of your refrigerator until they are cooled off.
5) Keep everything covered in both the freezer side and frig side. Uncovered food can create “food dust” that circulates into the freezer compartment and can clog the defrost drain. A sure sign that your defrost drain is clogged is ice on the floor of the freezer and/or water “leaking” out onto the floor in front of the freezer.
6) Keep the freezer full. This uses less electricity to maintain the desired temperature. Don’t pack food tight. For efficient cooling and freezing, air must be able to flow between items.
7) Check your door seals. Worn door seals let cold air seep out. To test for worn seals, simply close the door on a dollar bill. If there is no resistance when you pull it out, the seals should be replaced.
The ideal temperature for a refrigerator is 38 degrees Fahrenheit, and the ideal for the freezer is 0 – 5 degrees Fahrenheit.
9) If you know how to clean the lint and dust off of your condenser then do it. If not call me and I will teach you or come and do it for you. It is one of the main reasons I offer my Service Plan, so you don’t have to worry about it. Homes that have animals are especially susceptible to hair collecting on the condenser. This one tip can save you $10 – $40 per month on your electric bill as the compressor has to work much harder to dissipate the heat when the airflow over the condenser is limited. Also, this can help prevent your compressor from failing – by far the most expensive repair on a refrigerator.
10) Please, please, please… put surge protection on your equipment. If you were my brother or sister I would twist your arm and make you do it. It really is that important! Of course you can check my Whole House Surge Protector and protect the whole house. Be sure to call and ask about my Spring Special!
Bottom line – Now is the time to check your refrigerator to prevent failure and loss of food!
Recap:
1) Keep the doors closed.
2) Change your water filter.
3) Place your refrigerator in a coolest location possible.
4) Cool off hot food or liquids.
5) Keep everything covered.
6) Keep the freezer full.
7) Check your door seals.
Frig temp – 38 degrees, freezer temp 0 degrees.
9) Keep your condenser clean.
10) Put a surge protector on your equipment!
Summer is coming – I hope you have a great one!
We want to thank Greenville Utilities from Greenville, NC for their tips page which contributed to our post!
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