What’s the one appliance you would never want to live without? Chances are, you said your refrigerator. It is the hub of your kitchen. It’s always running. It keeps your food fresh and your drinks cold. It keeps you from having to make trips to the store every day to get food. It makes our lives so much simpler! These five simple steps can help keep your refrigerator running like it did when you bought it.
Don’t let the cold air out.
Check the seals. Similar to window seals, if the seals on your refrigerator door are bad you’re going to lose some cold air. This makes your refrigerator work harder! Be sure the seals don’t have any food residue on them. It’s recommended to clean them, along with the interior of your refrigerator twice a year. Follow the Manufacturer’s Use and Care Guide for Cleaning, which is generally to use of a soft cloth with warm water and a mild soap. If you see rips or tears in the seals, or if you close a dollar bill in the door (half in and half out) and it easily falls out, it’s time to call a professional to check them.
Clean coils are happy coils.
You clean out the lint trap on your dryer right? Don’t worry, you only need to clean the condenser coils on your refrigerator twice a year. Those coils are collecting dust over those six months! Pull the refrigerator from the wall and remove the grill. Follow your Manufacturer’s Use and Care Guide for Cleaning, which is generally to unplug the refrigerator, remove the base grill, use your vacuum cleaner with a soft brush (a coil brush is always the best option!) to get the coils free from dust and lint that has been collecting. Note on some models, the coils may be behind the Refrigerator.
Not too hot. Not too cold.
Your refrigerator’s ideal temperature is 38 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep your freezer at zero degrees Fahrenheit. Adjust if necessary for personal preferences, but allow 12-24 hours for those changes to take effect, inside. Has your refrigerator temperature been above 43 degrees Fahrenheit for a period of time? Time to call a pro to check it out, and always observe food safety tips provided on the FDA’s Website.
Keep your refrigerator full.
It doesn’t have to be packed full of stuff! But you do want to have things in there, so that the refrigerator will have to do some work like it was designed to do. The products placed inside act as a thermal mass to stabilize the temperatures. Make sure you organize your items to allow airflow between them. If you’re the type whose refrigerator is usually mostly empty, you can always use a case of bottled water or other drinks to get the job done.
Always be ready.
If your power goes out for any reason, you definitely don’t want to lose the contents of your refrigerator. Unless you’re going to move everything to an ice chest, leave the doors closed. Eat food from the pantry, or go out. Your refrigerator will keep food cold for hours if left unopened. Your freezer can keep things frozen for up to 24 hours hours, but empty your ice bin to reduce the chance of melted ice leaking and causing damage. Or, you can place the ice in Ziploc® style bags and put them on random shelving. Always check all food items prior to consuming once the power comes back on.
These tips should help extend the life of your refrigerator. However, if you do run into any problems, you can contact us at Guinco.com or 844.3.GUINCO. As always, Thank You for Letting Our Family Help Yours!
