Every
summer there are countless refrigerators that die. It's often due
to the increase in temperature and humidity. Both can put a huge
strain upon any refrigerator that is beginning to age. The
following are a few suggestions to help your appliance make it
through the next summer heat wave.
1... Don’t
use as an air conditioner
You may laugh, but this is
particularly common with the elderly. They often leave the
refrigerator door open in the hope of cooling the room. Or
they may stand in front of the refrigerator trying to get cool
themselves. A chair left sitting in front of the refrigerator is a
sure sign.
2... Don’t
overload defrost system
Keep containers of water or juice
sealed. Open containers of liquid will increase the amount of
moisture deposited onto the cooling coil. All liquids inside the
refrigerator should be covered. Milk, water, lemonade, and kids
drinks like cool-aid are often left exposed.
This will cause the
compressor to run longer. Run times of 16 hours per day are
normal for refrigerators.
With the addition of extra moisture this could easily
be increased to 20 hours per day.
3...
Too
many ice cube containers
Refrigerators are designed to handle
two ice cube trays, not ten. Large numbers of open ice cube
containers can overload the refrigerator the same as any other
exposed liquid. As above this can overload both
the cooling system and the defrost components or drastically
lengthen the run time.
Once ice cubes are frozen put into a sealed
container or bag. Otherwise they will all add to
the overloading of the the refrigerator.
4... Turn
off icemaker
Icemakers will produce a harvest about every six hours. This is more ice than most families can consume. All
these exposed ice cubes can stress the refrigerator in hot
weather. Therefore turn off the icemaker until the ice bucket
level is low. By doing this you
will probably only need to turn it on every few days. Or as
discussed previously consider putting new ice cubes into a sealed container rather than leaving
exposed in the ice bucket.
5...
Doors
not sealing properly
Gaskets full of holes or cracks allow
warm air to enter. Gaskets that are not clean may also not
seal properly. Clean surfaces with light detergent and warm
water. To test the gaskets use a dollar bill. Place a dollar bill between
the gasket and metal cabinet, close the door, and try pulling out the dollar
bill. It should have a slight resistance to being pulled out from
under gasket. If it pulls out with no resistance your gasket
may be worn or dirty. The resistance felt should be consistent around full
perimeter of gasket.
6...
Don’t overload
A standard refrigerator can accept about 50 pounds
of new food per day. If you are overloading, the food may not cool properly. For example: Why add a whole case
of warm soda to a refrigerator on a hot day. Add only what is
required for that day. Then add the next days beverages just before
bedtime. This way the refrigerator will have all night to cool them
down.
7...
Teach
children refrigerator etiquette
Children are notorious for
standing in front of the freezer door trying to decide which
treat to take. Even a few minutes with the door open can cause
the refrigerator stress. Every time it is open the cold air
will roll out. As it rolls out the warmer room air will enter
the refrigerator interior. This warm air invasion can cause
the appliance to have a greatly increased run time trying to
cool itself down again. Consider moving their treats to a
single container at the front of the refrigerator, on a lower
shelf. This way they can access them quickly.
8...
Don’t
block air circulation
Remove bags, brooms, trays, etc, from
the space between outside of refrigerator and surrounding
walls. A refrigerator must be allowed to circulate air around
itself otherwise the compressor can overheat. Blocking the airflow will allow the compressor to
overheat. An overheated compressor can quickly burn out. If
refrigerator temperature becomes erratic suspect the
compressor.
9
... Clean dust from condenser
Every refrigerator has a condenser coil. Its job is to radiate the
heat being removed from the refrigerators contents out into the
kitchen area. Some appear as a radiator-like device on the rear
wall of the refrigerator while others are in a serpentine shape
component next to the compressor. The serpentine ones usually have
a blower fan associated with them. Both should be cleaned every
year. See your owners manual for the proper method. Also
see our article, 'Lower
Refrigerator Electricity usage in 15 Minutes'.
If all the above are okay then the last suggestion is to
simply keep your fingers crossed. Because, if Mother Nature
decides to send us the full strength of her heat wave that is all
that will save your refrigerator from joining the others in the
great landfill in the sky.
By
Donald Grummett
Copyright © 2005
Donald Grummett. All rights reserved
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