Published by Allen Brown
You pay a large sum of money to buy a new refrigerator, and you certainly want it to last for a long time. But just after five years, a refrigerator built to last for 10 years starts breaking down. A small issue in the compressor or cooling system of your refrigerator troubles you.
It doesn’t stop there, you look for an appliance repair service and it gets repaired. With time, these incidents happen more often than you can tolerate. Ultimately, you have no choice but to give up and just buy a new refrigerator. You wonder what you could do to make your refrigerator last longer but you instead go back to your same old routine, inevitably, you experience this same sad cycle after another five years.
A refrigerator is one of the few household appliances that run continually, it is especially important to perform some simple maintenance tasks that will help your unit run more efficiently, save on energy costs, and repair bills. Proper maintenance also helps minimize wear and tear and thereby increases the lifespan of your refrigerator.
The good news is your refrigerator won’t trouble you if you maintain it well and this article is focused on teaching you how you can make your refrigerator last longer. Here, you’ll find some fridge maintenance tips you should put into practice in your home:
1. Keep it clean
How often do you clean a freezer? Do you clean it properly when you do? You should ensure that your refrigerator is clean from the inside.
- Clean inside with warm soapy water at least once a month. If your refrigerator has a bad odor, keep a small bowl filled with vinegar and lime inside the refrigerator for a day (while it’s running). This will absorb the bad smell.
- Then you should clean the exterior of your refrigerator at least 2-3 times a year. Do it more often if you keep pets in the house. Pay attention to the coil, the coil plays a major role in cooling, a dirty coil will lead to inefficient cooling and put more load on the compressor. Use a vacuum cleaner to remove the dirt from this area.
- Another thing you should take note of is the door seals. The door seals often get dirty or greasy. If you haven’t cleaned them in a long time, use warm soapy water and a cloth to gently remove the dirt and grease around the seals.
- Also, If your fridge has a drip pan, clean it regularly, as much as twice a month.
- Another important cleaning activity is defrosting. Recent model refrigerators have the auto-defrost option, however, If you have an old-style fridge that doesn’t, make sure you do this manually every once a while.
2. Don’t place it near the heat
A refrigerator should be placed in an area where there’s proper ventilation, otherwise, you stand a high risk of damage to the compressor.
You should never put near heat sources like the oven or the cooktop if possible.
Keep the fridge in a better spot in your kitchen, a place with lesser temperature and it will last longer.
3. Don’t use the top as a storage space
The top of the fridge is often a place people use for putting boxes of cereals or some food storage boxes.
Stay away from this! By storing things on top of your refrigerator, you make it hard for the refrigerator to get rid of hot air. Hot air is usually dumped through the top and back. Covering the top with tens of boxes makes the air stay trapped and negatively affects the overall cooling of your refrigerator.
4. Cover the food you store and set it to the right temperature
Food items have moisture on the surface which creates issues with the cooling of the interior. You should therefore cover the food you store in your fridge.
When storing food in the refrigerator, there are ways to do it safely using the right containers with securely fitting tops or covered tightly with foil or plastic wrap.
Always check the temperature settings. Do not set a lower temperature than you require. This is not only important for food safety but also helps the fridge run efficiently.
5. Check for signs of problems
Last but not the least, always take note of signs that indicate your refrigerator has problems. Don’t ignore them.
Check if the door shuts properly. Is your refrigerator always working or cuts too often? Ensure the door doesn’t stay slightly open. This will affect the cooling.
If you notice any of these issues, don’t ignore them until it becomes something serious. Call an appliance repair service to check and fix the problem for you.
You now know how you can make your refrigerator last longer. Hopefully, you use these tips and they help you save up some repair or replacement money which you can use on better things.