Home-Wizard.com Guide to Refrigerator Maintenance including free automatic reminders


		Maintenance Task: Vacuum condenser coils and perform routine maintenance

		How do you vacuum condenser coils and perform routine maintenance on a refrigerator?
		The following maintenance tasks should be done on your refrigerator: Vacuum condenser coils: For most refrigerators, the heat exchanger coils are underneath the refrigerator, and for some models they are along the back of the refrigerator. For models with coils underneath, there is an access at the front of the refrigerator at the bottom. This panel pops off, and allows you to clean the heat exchange coils using one of your vacuum cleaner attachments. As the coils become covered with dust, the dust acts as insulation, making it harder for the coils to exchange heat, which therefore makes your refrigerator have to work harder, costing more to operate, and reducing its service life. Since the kitchen is a "high-traffic" area, a lot of dust will tend to accumulate under your refrigerator as rising heat causes air to be drawn past the heat exchanger coils. Clean drain hole and drip pan: Refrigerators typically have a drain hole and a drip pan to catch water condensation. According to your manufacture's recommendations, clean any food particles or deposits out of the drain hole. Clean the drip pan in soapy water to prevent bad odors. Clean and check door gasket: Check the door gasket for cracks, breaks, or brittleness, and replace as necessary. To test the seal that the door gasket makes: close the refrigerator door on a dollar bill; if the dollar bill can be pulled out too easily, then so will the cold air inside the refrigerator; repeat the procedure at four or five locations around the door, and the same for the freezer section if this has a separate door; if the bill slips out too easily, you probably need to replace the gasket. Clean door gasket with detergent solution; rinse and clean. Clean/defrost inside of refrigerator: Clean the refrigerator compartment regularly, even if it does not require defrosting. To clean, turn off the refrigerator and empty. Remove all food and the interior parts that can be removed. Wash the inside compartment with a solution of 1-2 tablespoons of baking soda in 1 quart of warm water. Rinse and wipe dry. Follow your manufacture's instructions for cleaning plastic drawers, shelves, etc. Otherwise, wash with a mild detergent , or the baking soda and water solution. NEVER use abrasives like scouring pads, as these can scratch plastic surfaces. Be careful not to use hot water, as this can crack cold glass on plastic parts. De-frost/clean freezer and ice-maker: Never let frost in freezer build-up more than 1/4". Do not use metal or sharp instruments to scrape off frost, as a slip could cause damage to the inside of the freezer. Clean inside with a solution of baking soda and water. Clean any mineral deposits from the automatic ice-maker, if applicable. Defrosting helps improve the energy efficiency. Check inside temperature: If your refrigerator is operating at below 40°F you are wasting energy. To check your refrigerator's temperature, place sensing end of an outdoor-type thermometer in a glass of water that has been in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours (simply putting a thermometer on a shelf in the refrigerator doesn't sense a true temperature reading). If the temperature is below 40°F, then move your refrigerator's temperature control up a notch. Repeat the procedure until the thermometer reads 40°F. Change water filter (if applicable): If your refrigerator has an automatic ice-maker or chilled water dispenser, then you may also have a water filter in the water supply line. The filter in this line should be changed out in accordance with your manufacturer's recommendation. Adjust front support feet: If the doors of your refrigerator do not close by themselves (or close too quickly) then adjust the support feet appropriately. Doors left open obviously require more energy to operate.

		Why is it important to vacuum condenser coils and perform routine maintenance on a refrigerator?
		As described above, some maintenance tasks improve energy efficiency, and some help prevent odors.

		How often should you vacuum condenser coils and perform routine maintenance on a refrigerator?
		Perform at least annually (January).

		How does Home-Wizard rate the costs and benefits for this task?
		The cost of this task is relatively high from an investment of time standpoint. It is estimated that this task should take a couple of hours to complete. No specialized tools are required.

		The benefits of this task are moderately high. In addition to maintaining the energy efficiency of your refrigerator, it will also help to extend its useful life.

		Overall Home-Wizard benefit-versus-cost rating (one 'hat' = low and four 'hats' = high):

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS from "Ask-the-Wizard":

QUESTION from Eugene Martin on 4/7/2008:

I have a Kenmore refrigerator, that recently started to leak water on the inside,and turn to ice and then water, what can i do to stop it, i think the drain pipe is clog, how can i unclog it?

ANSWER FROM HOME-WIZARD.COM 4/7/2008:

Dear Eugene:

Here is a webpage that hopefully will help you diagnose the problem with the water leaking in your refrigerator (look about half way down the page):

http://www.repairclinic.com/0088_4_1.asp

If this doesn't get you what you need, just let us know, and we'll try something else to help.

Regards,
Home-Wizard.com
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QUESTION from Robin on 8/14/2008
I have a kenmore top freezer refridgator. We just replace the door gasket on the fridge because it was tore. Now there is a gap on top of the door. How can we fix this? We never remove the door to do the repair. My model number is 106.9751711

ANSWER FROM HOME-WIZARD.COM on 8/15/2008
Dear Robin:

If I understand your question correctly, after you replaced the door gasket on your refrigerator, you are now finding that there is a place at the top of the door where the gasket is not sealing tightly, and this is the "gap" that you are referring to, right?

If this is the case, then there are a couple possible causes for this problem:

1) The new gasket that you purchased came twisted up (as they typically do), and one of the "twists" in the gasket is what is causing the irregular sealing.

2) When the new gasket was installed, it was not fastened down properly, and the resulting misalignment is what is causing the gap.

3) The gasket that was installed is not the proper gasket for your particular refrigerator.

Regarding the first two items above, you might want to look at this webpage which describes how to install a refrigerator door gasket (and hopefully you will not be bothered by some of the author's "non-technical" references):

http://fixitnow.com/2004/09/appliance-repair-revelation-zen-and.htm

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
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QUESTION from CHERYL MCKENTY on 6/24/2008
My 5 year old basic refrigerator has just recently started to lose it's seal on the top corner freezer gasket. I am puzzled as to why - there is no dirt or grease, and nothing is stored above the unit that fell onto the gasket. Condensation and ice is forming on the ceiling of the freezer constantly. Short of replacing the gasket, what can be done to get the seal back, and do you have any guesses as how this can be prevented since I already keep it clean and do not instill damage? Thank you.

ANSWER FROM HOME-WIZARD.COM on 6/25/2008
Dear Cheryl:

Since your refrigerator/freezer is only 5 years old, and it sounds like you have been taking very good care of the gasket, I would suspect that the problem may not be with the gasket of your freezer, but rather that the door of your freezer may be out of alignment. If the door of your freezer is not aligned properly, this could explain why the top corner is not sealing properly. If you are handy, you can adjust the screws that hold the door, so that the door is in better alignment with the face of your freezer. When it is in proper alignment, you should be able to close the door on a dollar bill, and when you tug on the dollar bill, you should feel some tight resistance. And the door should pass this "dollar bill" test all the way around.

You probably want to solve this problem soon, not only to reduce the ice formation inside your freezer, but also, the poor seal of the corner of your door is causing your unit's compressor to work harder, and as such, could lead to the unit wearing out sooner.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
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QUESTION from Noel on 9/10/2008
When a refrigerator is empty and not in use, is it best for frig maingtenance to unplug it and leave the doors open or keep it running with the doors closed?

ANSWER FROM HOME-WIZARD.COM on 9/10/2008
Dear Noel:

If your refrigerator is not going to be used for an extended period (more than a month for example) then , yes, it is better that it be clean throughly, unplugged and left with the doors ajar to allow air to circulate inside it.

A couple of things to note though. First, you should unplug the refrigerator at the wall, not just turn down the controls. Many frost-free designs have heaters placed underneath the toe plate that stay on even when the control is in the “off” position. Secondly, your refrigerator should be stored in such a way that the door can be kept slightly ajar, but will not allow children to climb in and become trapped inside. One way to do this is to turn the refrigerator so that it faces a wall, close enough that a child cannot squeeze in, but far enough to allow air to circulate.

On the other hand, a chest-type deep freezer is a different story. When a deep freezer is shut down, after a few months of operation they tend to rust out the Freon lines in-between the two walls, which is essentially impossible to repair. As such, it is better to leave a deep freezer running. To save energy, if no food is being stored in it, turn the control to its minimum setting. Also make sure there is plenty of free air space around it and nothing is touching it. And make sure that the door is tightly sealed closed.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
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