Prevent Refrigerator Problems with These Simple Tips

The refrigerator is easily one of the most important appliances inside the house. It helps in preserving food as well as provides cool beverages. However, some problems may arise when the need for a refrigerator repair could happen. Fortunately, most refrigerator problems can be easily prevented by just spending a few minutes of your time. You can do regular refrigerator checkups to keep your refrigerator in tip-top shape.

How many minutes should be spent on this refrigerator maintenance? Just about 30 to 45 minutes bi-monthly or monthly will do and you do not need to be an expert to do refrigerator maintenance. This may come hard to believe, but the few minutes you spend for refrigerator maintenance can prevent many possible refrigerator breakdowns as well as eliminate appliance repair calls in the future.

Take these simple steps on how to prevent refrigerator problems and you will no longer need to worry about your food getting spoiled, about the time used up just to wait for the refrigerator repair people to fix your fridge, or about paying some cash for the appliance repair.

Here are some simple refrigerator maintenance steps on how you can keep your refrigerator working like new and stay trouble-free for a long time.

Avoid refrigerator appliance repair by cleaning your refrigerator’s condenser coils.

Condenser coils often to contribute to the many refrigerator repairs calls that appliance repairmen receive. However, if you will be able to spend a few minutes of your time to clean the condenser coils, you will be able to save a lot of money for repairs as well as utility bills since your refrigerator will be running efficiently.

The condenser coils of your refrigerator can be found on the back of the refrigerator or at the bottom part. These condenser coils act to cool as well as condense the fridge’s refrigerant. When these coils are clogged up with dust, dirt, fur, or other small particles, they will not be able to efficiently discharge heat. With that, the compressor will be working a lot longer and even harder than how it is supposed to work normally. It may then use up more energy as well as shorten the life of the appliance.

• Cleaning schedule: At least twice every year would do. However, you have to note that if you have pets, which are shedding, cleaning it more often is ideal since fur can clog up coils quickly.
• Materials needed: Vacuum and brush appropriate for coil cleaning. An appropriate brush for coil cleaning can be bought from stores selling appliance parts. The appropriate brush for this case must be bendable so it can effectively fit in tight areas.
• How many minutes will this take? Just about 5 minutes will do.

Prevent refrigerator problems by cleaning the condenser fan.

If your refrigerator’s condenser coils are found in the bottom section, then you must also take a few minutes to clean another part called condenser fan. Those refrigerators with condenser coils at the back need not worry about this since there are no condenser fans for such types of refrigerators. If you cannot find the condenser fan, you can look for it near the compressor.

The condenser fan works to circulate the air across the condenser coils. This process should help in cooling out the condenser coils. Aside from the usual dust and dirt, paper, mice, or spider webs can accumulate or get stuck in the fan. If this happens, it may get the condenser fan to stop working or produce noises.

• Cleaning schedule: Quarterly cleaning will be fine.
• Materials needed: Vacuum and brush
• How many minutes will this take? This should take no longer than 5 minutes.

Clean the refrigerator door gasket by wiping it down.

Gasket repairs are quite expensive. They cost more than $100 to fix. Once a door gasket is damaged, air leaks may happen. Several possible things can contribute to a damaged door gasket. These things include jelly, syrup, as well as other sticky things that may drip down on the gaskets. Once these sticky things dry up, they can glue the door gasket to the refrigerators mainframe, thereby rendering the door gasket unable to do its jobs properly. Moreover, when you open your fridge door, the gasket may tear.

Clean the door gaskets as often as you can to ensure that they will be able to tightly seal the fridge door whenever you close it. When the fridge door is shut tight, you can be ensured that cool air stays where it is needed – inside the fridge.

• Cleaning schedule: Once a month
• Materials needed: Clean sponge and warm soapy water
• How many minutes will this take? Only 2 minutes

Clean and defrost your refrigerator regularly

Doing monthly refrigerator cleaning and defrosting can help immensely in preventing refrigerator problems and repairs in the future. Always ensure that everything is spotlessly clean before you use your refrigerator again. Doing this will also allow you to detect possible issues that can be prevented early on.

• Cleaning schedule: Once a month
• Materials needed: Clean sponge and warm soapy water
• How many minutes will this take? Only 15 to 18 minutes

Other things that you can do to prevent refrigerator problems would include:

• Setting your refrigerator temperature to a minimum to extend your fridge’s life
• Avoiding freezer vents and drip openings obstructions

Doing these things may just save you a lot of money, time, and effort in the future. However, you should also note that there are still certain refrigerator problems that would require the assistance of a refrigerator repairman. These problems must not be ignored, as professional help may be needed.

• The door gaskets are damaged.
• The defrost thermostat replacement when the refrigerator is not cold enough.
• The replacement or repair of a damaged icemaker motor
• The wirings are damaged or chewed on by rodents.
• The motor of the fan is worn out.
• Defrost heater replacement
• Water leaks

If you are noticing such serious issues, call the repairman immediately to avoid further damages. Do not try to repair them yourself if you are not an expert in refrigerator repair. Nevertheless, if you do your part of maintaining your refrigerator regularly, you should not be experiencing any of the serious refrigerator problems early.