How to take care of your refrigerator?

tips to avoid refrigerator repairs
Image Credits: Wikimedia Commons

We all have heard the phrase ‘Prevention is better than Cure’ and know what it means. Though it is usually connected with our health, it applies to almost everything, even the appliances we use in our home. To save your appliances from severe damage and extend their lifespan, make sure to do regular maintenance checks. Refrigerators hold a special place in our home as they not only keep things cold, they also keep our food and drinks safe from the warm weather outside. Therefore, it is important to keep our refrigerators in good shape and increase their life. Here we are going to talk about how to take care of your refrigerator by conducting monthly, six-monthly, and yearly maintenance checks. 

Preventive maintenance checks to take care of your refrigerator?

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We are going to divide the regular preventive maintenance checks that you need to do to take care of your refrigerator based on the time intervals. Let us discuss this in detail below.

Monthly maintenance tips for your refrigerator:

It is necessary to empty and clean ice as over time ice absorbs the smell of things kept in the refrigerator or inside the freezer, which contaminates the ice and makes it stinky. Also in areas having hard water, minerals stick to the ice molds and form hard scaly deposits in there. All these issues will make your refreshments smelly and flaky when you put ice cubes in them. Therefore, it is important to empty and clean the ice bins of your refrigerator at least once every month. You can also put an open box of baking soda inside your freezer as it helps in removing odors from your refrigerator. 

Three-monthly maintenance tips for your refrigerator:

Following are some of the things that you need to take care of at least every three months: 

  1. Inspect door gasket: When the gaskets get dirty, they put pressure on the motors and also prevent the doors of your refrigerator from closing properly. You should clean the gaskets with soap water and dry them completely once every three months to prevent any severe damage. In case you notice that the seals are loose, you will be required to re-magnetize or replace the magnets embedded in the seals. You can also do the re-magnetizing on your own by running a strong magnet along each side of the gasket about 50 times, in the same direction every time. 
  2. Clean the condenser coils: The condenser coils are responsible for cooling and condensing the refrigerant, and releasing heat. When the coils get dirty they disrupt the heat transfer from your refrigerator, put pressure on the compressor, and increase energy consumption. So, it is important to clean the condenser coils and fan every three months. You can do the cleaning either with a brush attachment or a vacuum cleaner. 

Here are some of the top recommended water filters for your refrigerator:

  1. EveryDrop by Whirlpool 10383251 Refrigerator Water Filter 1, EDR1RXD1 (Pack of 1), Purple
  2. GLACIER FRESH MWF Water Filters for GE Refrigerators, NSF 42 Replacement for SmartWater MWFP, MWFA, GWF, HDX FMG-1, WFC1201, RWF1060, 197D6321P006, Kenmore 9991, 3 Pack
  3. Samsung Electronics HAFCIN Samsung HAF-CIN/EXP Refrigerator Water Filter 1 Pack, Multicolor
  4. GE Appliances XWFE GE XWF Refrigerator Water Filter, White
  5. Everydrop by Whirlpool Refrigerator Water Filter 5, EDR5RXD1 (Pack of 1)
  6. Frigidaire WF3CB Puresource3 Refrigerator Water Filter, White
  7. Electrolux Smart Choice Replacement Water Filter SCWF3CTO for Frigidaire PureSource
  8. GLACIER FRESH MWF Water Filters for GE Refrigerators, NSF 42 Replacement for SmartWater MWFP, MWFA, GWF, HDX FMG-1, WFC1201, RWF1060, 197D6321P006, Kenmore 9991, 1 Pack

Six-monthly maintenance hacks for your refrigerator:

There are some maintenance tasks that you need to perform once every six months for better efficiency and increased life of your refrigerator such as: 

  1. Changing water filter: The water filter is a carbon filter that removes chlorine and other contaminants from the water. These filters also help with improving the taste and smell of the water. But, after a period of usage, the filter gets clogged or damaged and thus fails to do its work properly. In that case, you will need to change or replace your water filter to make sure that you get clean water. Change the water filter of your refrigerator once every six months to maintain your and your system’s good health. You can change the filter on your own just by following the owner’s manual and make sure to run some water through the filter to get rid of any carbon residue left on the filter. 
  2. Keep the drain hole and the drip pan clean: The condensed water and defrosted ice from your refrigerator get to the drip pan or the water tray through the drain hole. They help in preventing your system from water leaks and extra humidity that may harm the food inside. It is important to keep the drain hole and the drip pan once every six months to prevent the formation of bad odors and molds, that can eventually get inside your refrigerator. Depending on your refrigerator model, you can remove your drip pan, wipe it with a bleach solution and scrub it before washing with water. Make sure to completely dry the pan before re-installing it in the refrigerator. The owner’s manual of your refrigerator also has instructions about how to clean every component of your refrigerator. 

Daily maintenance tricks to keep your refrigerator clean and fresh

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Following are some tricks that you can follow daily to keep your refrigerator clean and fill it with fresh smell: 

  1. Remove everything from the inside of your refrigerator and then thoroughly clean it from the inside and outside. 
  2. Get rid of any bad odor by keeping an open container of white vinegar or baking soda inside the refrigerator for at least a day.
  3. Make sure to maintain proper temperature and humidity levels inside your refrigerator to prevent your food from spoiling.
  4. Always keep the leftover food in air-tight containers and bags to prevent its smell from spreading throughout your refrigerator. 
  5. Put some salt and some peels of your favorite citrus fruit in a bowl and leave it on a shelf in your refrigerator for a regular fresh smell. The salt removes any bad smells while the citrus fruit like lemon or orange helps in maintaining a fresh fruity smell.  

Conclusion

As your refrigerator works all the time, almost without a break, and is also an expensive appliance, make sure to properly take care of your refrigerator for better efficiency and increased life. Follow the preventive maintenance tips that we discussed above to prevent your system from any serious damage or breakdown and also to save on your energy and repair bills.

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