Refrigerator FAQ

We get asked a lot of questions about how to properly maintain refrigerators so we put together the most commonly asked questions below:

Can I keep my fridge outside?

• There’s nothing that states you’re refrigerator has to live in your home’s kitchen. You can put it in your garage if you want. The refrigerator will do very well out there provided you can keep the temperature in garage from dropping much below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. A lower temp will cause the oil inside the refrigerator to thicken.

Is it Possible to Overstuff the Freezer?

• The average person finds that they store an amazing amount of food their freezer and often stuff it to what seems like the bursting point. This is fine, there’s no reason you can’t pack all kinds of food in your freezer is fine, provided you always check to make sure the vent never gets blocks. To prevent your food from becoming freezer burned, you’ll want to change its current packaging to something that’s meant for use in the freezer.While stuffing food in every corner of your freezer doesn’t matter, you shouldn’t repeat this process when stocking your refrigerator. Making sure you keep the amount of food you have in your refrigerator to a moderate level, it allows the air to circulate properly, keeping your food the proper temp.

What’s the Best Temperature Setting?

• The rule of thumb is that you should try keeping your refrigerator 36 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The freezer’s thermostat should be set at 0 to 8 degrees Fahrenheit.

Dealing with the Door

• There’s nothing more irritating than struggling with your refrigerator because the door seems to open the wrong way for the way the kitchen has been designed. You don’t have to go through life this way. Contact a repair technician and they will be able to remove the door and rotate it so it opens the opposite direction. You’ll be amazed by how much easier this makes your life.When you’re installing your refrigerator you need to check out the back. If your new refrigerator does not have a large device on the back that looks like a grid, it can be pushed all the way back against the wall. If you refrigerator does have a grid, you need to leave at least an inch of clearance between the grid and your wall.

How do I move the fridge to clean behind it?

• One of the things you’ll quickly learn to appreciate about the new refrigerator will be the rollers. It’s finally easy to clean under and around the fridge, you just have to unlock the wheels and move the appliance. Things don’t get much easier.

How hard is it to add an ice maker to my fridge?

• If you’re refrigerator doesn’t have a built in ice maker you don’t have to stock up on ice trays. As long as the freezer in your new refrigerator has internal wiring, something that’s pretty standard, a service repair tech will be able to install the ice maker so you can enjoy iced water and tea.

Can I convert my fridge to automatic defrost?

• The only way you’re going to be able to get out of defrosting your freezer by hand will be with the purchase of an auto-defrost fridge/freezer. It isn’t possible to convert a non-defrosting freezer.

Why is my freezer warm?

• Don’t be alarmed if you grab something out of the freezer and don’t feel the expected blast of cold air. Auto-defrosting freezers increase the temperature by about 20 degrees during the defrosting cycle. This won’t damage your food. However if this goes on for several hours, or if the food inside feels like it’s thawing, it’s time to get your freezer checked out by a professional.

How can I get additional storage in my refrigerator?

• You don’t have to just learn to live with the current shelving in your refrigerator. Not only can you move the shelves around, but you can also order additional shelves and set them up inside your fridge. Just be careful you don’t stuff the refrigerator too full.

How do I clean the coils?

At least once a year you’re going to want to use the tube on your vacuum cleaner and run it under your refrigerator so that you can clean the dust from the coils. Doing this will drastically increase the length of time your refrigerator lasts.

My refrigerator is constantly running, whats wrong?

If you notice that your refrigerator seems to be running all the time, you shouldn’t ignore the problem and hope it goes away. This generally indicates a serious problem such as:

• A condenser coil that has gotten to dirty to function properly
• The air can’t flow properly due to insufficient clearance
• The seal on your door has gone bad and needs to be replaced
• You need to get the refrigerant replaced
• The light bulb doesn’t shut off, not even after the door has been closed
• Your thermostat has broken

We offer fast reliable refrigerator repair services that can handle all of the above problems. Call (800) 657-0765 to schedule an appointment today.