Top 10 Tips To Maintain A Refrigerator

Your refrigerator is probably the most hardworking appliance in your home. It runs 24×7 all year long and safely stores vegetables, fruits, dairy products, chocolates, juices, water, leftovers, and more. No one wants their refrigerator to break down in the middle of these hot summers (or any season for that matter). Hence, keeping the refrigerator in a tiptop condition is in your own best interest. Spending a few minutes once every few days and regularly maintaining it will help the refrigerator run efficiently and save you from sudden breakdowns and related services costs. In this article, we will teach the top 5 tips to maintain a refrigerator. Whirlpool refrigerator service center near me

Here Are The Top 10 Tips To Maintain A Refrigerator

1. Don’t forget to close the refrigerator’s door quickly.
2. Check the refrigerator’s door seal.
3. Always set the correct temperature for efficient cooling.
4. Arrange and cover items in the refrigerator properly.
5. Don’t block the vents inside the refrigerator.
6. Empty ice accumulation.
7. Avoid placing the refrigerator too close to the walls.
8. Clean the refrigerator once every few days.
9. Follow refrigerator placement guidelines.
10. Clean the refrigerator’s condenser coils.

1. Don’t Forget To Close The Refrigerator’s Door Quickly

Well, this tip sounds very obvious, but it is equally important. Once you’re done storing or removing things from your refrigerator, close the refrigerator’s door properly. This helps the refrigerator in maintaining the temperature without working too hard. If you keep the door open for a long time, the fridge loses its ambient temperature, and it has to work harder to cool things down again, which only means higher power consumption and electricity bills. If it helps, think about what you need from the refrigerator beforehand and then open the door so that you can get things done quickly and close the door as soon as possible.

2. Check The Refrigerator’s Door Seal (Gasket)

Speaking of closing the door, sometimes the door’s gasket can get deteriorated (cracked, hardened, or warped) and leak cold air even if you close the door, leading to higher energy consumption. This form of wear and tear can happen over the course of a few years or due to bad maintenance. Hence, you should periodically check the condition of the door’s gasket.

An easy way to check if the gasket is sealing the door properly is to keep a coin between the door and the compartment while closing the door in such a way that half of the coin is inside and half of it is visible. If the coin slips out easily, it means that the gasket isn’t sealing properly, and you should call a professional service engineer to get it fixed.

3. Always Set The Correct Temperature For Efficient Cooling

Most refrigerators offer a way to set the temperature, and it is essential to set and maintain the right temperature for efficient cooling. It is recommended to set the refrigerator’s temperature at 4°C, and the freezer’s temperature should be below 0°C (ideally, -18°C or -19°C if you are storing meat).

If your refrigerator doesn’t offer a proper number-based system to set the temperature, it most likely has a scale-based system. In that case, it is generally a good idea to keep the scale to its medium or normal level. You should follow the refrigerator’s manual for more details and recommended temperature settings.

4. Arrange & Cover Items In The Refrigerator Properly

You should cover the items inside the refrigerator and arrange them properly. Try to store the food and other things inside plastic containers with securely fitting tops. This helps in minimising the moisture inside the refrigerator and prevents odours from migrating throughout the compartment and creating a funny smell. Properly arranging items in the fridge will also help you store and remove them faster, which means that you won’t have to keep the door open for a longer time.

5. Don’t Block The Vents Inside The Refrigerator

There should be enough clearance between the refrigerator’s vents and things that are stored inside the fridge. This helps cool air to pass through as it should. If anything blocks the vents, it creates an inefficient environment inside the refrigerator, forcing it to work harder to keep things cool.

6. Empty The Ice Accumulation, Defrost The Freezer

If you have a single-door refrigerator, ice may accumulate in the freezer compartment every now and then. You should regularly defrost it as not doing so can cause wastage of energy.