The refrigerator is a vital part of our household. It can be the storehouse for the kitchen supplies, and it is what you reach for when you are looking for a sweet dessert or the chilled water. However, nothing is meant to last forever, and it is the same for your refrigeration unit.
It is advisable that once your fridge breaks down, you get it checked immediately by a professional fridge repair service like the ASA Fridge Repairs. If truth be told the modern day fridges are built like a tank, but our expert’s advice is that that you should be prepared to replace your fridge after 15 years.
In the meantime, there are a few general good practices to follow to make sure that your fridge lasts long. It is important that every family member learns these basic and easy to follow the rules to make sure the family refrigerator runs smoothly.
Inspection of the door seals
You must get the door seals inspected periodically. It ensures that you are aware of any problem without time wastage. If the door doesn’t seal properly, then it will cause cool air to seep out which means the fridge will be working harder to bring the temperature down. It will increase the power consumption and the expenditure on utility bills.
What you can do is clean the door seals every 3 months with toothbrush and cleaning solution. You can even use baking soda and water. Always check for embedded food residue along the door seals. Try a dollar bill test on the door seal. Put a dollar bill halfway inside the door and lock the door. If it slips out easily, your door seal requires a pro repair job.
Clean the coils
Most of us clean the inside of the fridge once every year. But we almost always look over the coils. Once every year pull the fridge from the wall and vacuum clean the coils at the back. If there is a grill cover, take it off. Always unplug your refrigerator first before cleaning the coils.
Cleaning the coil is very important. The dust might cover the condenser coils entirely which will result in the fridge not running as efficiently as it should. Make sure you clean the refrigerator both from the inside as well as the outside.
Do you set the right temperature?
The fridge is not like your Air Conditioner, where you can set the temperature to your specific liking. You need to set the temperature of the fridge between 37-40 °F and the freezer at 0. That will ensure the efficient running of the fridge and even power consumption.
Keep your fridge filled up
Refrigerators work on the principle of thermal mass to maintain low temperatures. It was designed to keep a specific object mass cold, so you need to keep your fridge stocked. If the refrigerator is too big, keep it filled with jugs of water.
Understand your fridge
The refrigerator is very efficient in maintaining the cold temperature if the door is unopened. It will keep items cold up to 48 hours even with a power cut. So work with it as a team in case of such emergencies.
All you need to do is follow these simple steps to maintain your fridge properly. And when you suffer breakdowns call in an expert immediately.