If you don’t regularly clean and maintain your fridge, dirt and dust could build up on the condenser coils, the gaskets on the door could loosen a little and as cool air would be allowed to seep into the cabinet, the temperature inside would become unstable.
This would mean that your fridge has to work a lot harder than normal and use a lot more energy than normal to chill food so it stays safe. All this can cause the life of the fridge to be shortened and mean an expensive visit from a refrigerator repair technician from a company such as adk.co.uk. In order to stop this happening or to at least do as much as you can do yourself, following these 5 maintenance tips will help you.
Clean The Condenser Coils At Least Every 6 Months
As part of your fridge cleaning and maintenance strategy, you should plan to clean to condenser coils found either underneath or behind the fridge at least every 6 months. These coils are the large things that look like radiators usually located at the back or underneath and are essentially there to remove heat from the fridge.
Before you start, make sure you unplug the fridge and pull it out or take off the grille if it is possible. Then you can use either a long handled brush or a vacuum to remove the debris, dirt and dust that has built up.
Check The Interior Temperature Regularly
At least every month you should check the interior temperature of the fridge to make sure it is at a temperature that will help it operate most efficiently. For standard fridges this is around 5 to 7 degrees Celcius. Spotting chances in the temperature early can prevent the need for expensive repairs later. Crucially, when you can, allow any leftovers you have to cool down to room temperature before storing them in your fridge. This will help reduce how much warm air is allowed inside the cabinet and interfere with the interior’s temperature.
Keep The Gaskets On The Door Clean
It is crucial in order to stop cold air from escaping the fridge cabinet to check the door gaskets or seals are clean and can close tightly. You should also check for weak spots, loose material or tears, as these can happen within a couple of years. Loose or worn gaskets can make your fridge use 2.5% more energy for every 1 degree Fahrenheit over the ambient room temperature.
This essentially means your fridge would use 25% more energy when the temperature is at 80 degrees in your home.
The easiest way to check how well the seals are working is to slide a piece of paper halfway in the fridge door. If it is easy to pull out, you should consider looking into replacing the gaskets. You should also wash them with soapy water every 3 months to remove any crumbs and spills and then paper dry.
Clean The Interior On A Weekly Basis
You need to incorporate, if you haven’t already, a weekly clean and tidy of the interior of your fridge into your weekly cleaning routine. Use soapy water to remove spills and crumbs from the walls and shelving.
When You Have Power Cuts Keep The Doors Closed
It is important if you lose power in your home to keep your fridge doors shut as much as you can and switch to using food from your cupboards until your electricity is switched back on. Food in a fridge will be safe for 4 hours if the door is not opened much.
The last bit of advice uses the old phrase “out with the old, in with the new” and therefore if your fridge is over 20 years old, it really is time to get a new one. Older models often use 3 times the energy that newer, more efficiently designed models do.