Refrigerator maintenance isn’t the most exciting topic to write on but when your refrigerator is not functioning properly things can get dramatic around the house! Generally speaking, there isn’t a lot that you have to do to keep your refrigerator and freezer humming right along but here are 10 tips to think about while all is well.
10. Refresh the ice bucket. This is something that’s easy to forget but also easy to do. It’s amazing how much better fresh ice tastes once you’ve gotten all the ancient frosty mess out of the bin!
9. Clean the defrost drain pan and tubing. The drain pan is usually sitting on top of the compressor in the back of the refrigerator. It can get very crusty. You can clean out the tubing by finding the little funnel under the freezer floor and pouring warm water through it. If you pour a lot it will flood the drain pan and go on the floor (ah, you needed to clean under that refrigerator too right?).
8. Give it some elbow room. The condenser coils on the back work by taking heat out of the refrigerator compartment and transferring it to the air behind or below the refrigerator. If there isn’t room for good circulation, this can force all the components in the refrigerator to work harder, longer, use more electricity, and fail faster.
7. Throw Away Old Food (Weekly!). Really. Take some time and go through the drawers. If I can’t remember when I put it in (or if I don’t know what it is), I know it’s time for me to relocate it in the trash. As I type this I am reminded of a moldy leftover that I’ve put off dealing with… Crap. I’ll be right back.
6. Don’t Block Vents In Refrigerator Section. The refrigerator cabinet gets its cold air from the freezer section. If the little air duct that connects the two sections gets blocked, the air in the refrigerator will get too warm and things will start to spoil. If you don’t know where that little air passage is, you’re in good company! Usually the manufacturers put it so high that it would really take some effort to block it.
5. Add An Odor Eliminator. My mom would always buy some baking soda and sit it in the back of the refrigerator with the top open. I’ve heard coffee grounds will also work to absorb odors (I would use a fancy flavored coffee that smells nice). Some refrigerators are even built with a little air filter already in place. If you have a nice cologne you can always just spray it inside every once in a while. I like to spray it in the ice!
4. Clean Bottom of Refrigerator Cabinet (so gasket doesn’t stick & tear). If you have kids this is especially important. Ketchup and hot dog juice form a natural sealant when combined with milk and they will pull at the gasket every time time you open it until it eventually tears! I know, I know… I don’t want to clean it up either but we are adults and this is our job. Warm water and possibly a little soap will fix this issue with minimum gagging.
3. Clean Condenser Coils. I know, this sounds rough but it’s not really. Well, maybe. OK, it’s not pleasant. On old refrigerators the coil runs up the back of the refrigerator and it is very easy to clean. Most refrigerators today have a coil that’s rolled up underneath the refrigerator cabinet. Some repairmen blow it out with compressed air and then vacuum all the dust off the kitchen floor. You can do this if you have an air compressor. There are also coil cleaning brushes with long handles that you can buy.
2. Surge Protector (for circuit boards & other electronics). Electricity can be fickle in some areas (like where I live) and surges can damage circuit boards. A small surge protector can protect against everything except a lightning strike. Lightning goes where it wants to! And by “surge protector” I don’t mean a power strip. Use something dedicated to this task like Supco’s APP120.
1. Change The Water Filter. Refrigerator manufacturers recommend putting a new water filter in every 6 months. We don’t think that’s necessarily accurate but it’s a good rule of thumb. It all really depends on how much water you run through it and the level of nastiness in your local water supply. Here’s something else to consider… Once the filter has reached capacity, the water continues to run through it and instead of being filtered, just the opposite can happen. Here’s a link, a good place to start, looking for your refrigerator water filter.