Last month we discussed front-load washer tips and maintenance. This month I’d like to touch on general maintenance for your refrigerator or freezer.

Safety First. Remember to unplug, trip the breaker, and/or shut off the gas if applicable to any appliance prior to servicing. 

Refrigerators/Freezers
Keeping your condenser coils free of dust, debris, and pet hair helps the refrigerator run smoothly and efficiently. The condenser coils are at the bottom of most units. Some units such as standalone freezers have coils inside the walls of the unit and do not require cleaning. The condenser coils can be in the back or in front. Pull the unit away from the wall, remove the back lower panel and you will gain access. You may have to remove a grill located at the bottom front to get to the coils, but that usually just involves snapping off a plate or removing a few simple screws. You can buy a special coil cleaning brush or any soft bristle brush you may have around the house will work. Brush as much material off as you can, then use a vacuum with a crevice attachment to reach the tight areas. This should be performed at least once a year. It’s also a good idea to clean the front grill that is below the door occasionally to help the air circulate. You should clean the condenser fan as well. It is located at one side of the condenser coils. You can clean the fan in the same manner as coils. 

To help keep the refrigerator running well it needs air circulating around it. The owner’s manual will have specific dimensions, but a good rule of thumb is two inches away from walls in the back and the two sides. The less airflow the harder the unit must work. You should keep the settings for coldness in the middle range, i.e. if the numbers on screen or dial go to ten set the unit to five and it will run as it should. This is true for freezers and refrigerators. 

On refrigerator/freezer units, if your freezer is working well and the refrigerator is warmer than normal you more than likely have a defrosting problem. To verify this, you can manually defrost the refrigerator for a couple of hours and if it performs correctly after doing this, contact someone to repair the defrost system. Simply unplug the unit and it should defrost. This is just a simple guideline as I could write a whole article on defrost issues. One other point is don’t stuff your freezer full as it needs air to circulate inside as well to operate correctly.

If you keep your refrigerator and freezer clean and well-maintained, they can last a very long time. 

Enjoy Life, Hug Your Family, and God Bless Chillicothe.