Back in the day, refrigerators ran for a certain amount of time in order to cool your perishables contained within, but my, how things have changed. It may sound bad in theory, but in reality, there are a couple of different ways (some even good) as to why your refrigerator may be running longer than what you’ve historically been used to.
Energy-Efficiency: Did you purchase an energy efficient refrigerator? If so, this is most likely the culprit as to why your refrigerator is running longer. Your refrigerator is working smarter, not harder. The compressor and fans are designed to operate a lower speeds for longer times to be more energy smart.
Room Temperature: If you’re utilizing a garage refrigerator to store extra food or even your adult beverages, your refrigerator is at risk of longer run times. When your refrigerator is stored in a warm room, it thus has to work a little harder to keep your perishables nice and cool.
Large Load of Food: You just got back from the grocery store and are loading up your refrigerator. While this is good news for your meal intake, your refrigerator may have to work harder to get your items down to a cooler temperature.
Frequently Opened Doors: We totally get it. We have some snackers in the family. But every time you open the refrigerator door, the compressor has to kick back in to stabilize the refrigerator temperature again. So for those snack browsers, don’t be shocked if your refrigerator runs a tad longer after you’ve selected your snack and shut the doors.
Door Was Left Open: So we’ve addressed the snack browsers, but what about those door slammers? If you shut your refrigerator too hard or too lightly, you’re most likely going to end up with an open door. Take it from us – we’ve experienced it in our own households. When a door is left open, your refrigerator is going to kick in high gear to cool the interior. This happens all while the cool air seeps out of the open door, pulling warmer air in, and… well… you get the gist. Be sure to always check those doors to make sure that they’ve securely shut.
Control is Set Too Cold: We totally understand wanting to keep those beverages ice cold, especially during the summer heat. However, if the control on your refrigerator is set too cold, your compressor is going to kick into high gear to keep up with the control. Refer to your manufacturer provided Use and Care Guide for the proper control settings of your refrigerator.
Check Those Seals: If you have a dirty, cracked, torn, worn, chipped seal on your refrigerator, it’s time to replace the seal. When you have wear and tear on your door seals, you probably have cool air leaking from your refrigerator into your home and making your compressor run longer.
If you’ve investigated all of the above and you’re still concerned about your long run times, reach out to a trained professional at Guinco Service to assist. Thank you for letting our family help yours!
