Did you know that an average refrigerator lasts for around 13-14 years? When you get a new fridge, you pay a large amount and we don’t think you’d want it to lose its efficiency anytime soon. Of course, you would want it to last longer, work efficiently and not break down because let’s be honest, that does happen. Refrigerators do start breaking down after five years or so. It may be due to some issue in the fridge’s compressor or less cooling, and there are several other reasons. There is something about your fridge that troubles you and you look for an appliance repairing service and get the problem fixed.
But then, the breakdowns or troubles start happening more often and eventually you cannot tolerate it, which is understandable because who would want to spend so much money on repairs that often. Ultimately, you give up on your broken or inefficient appliances and lookout for a new one. Again, a heavy price for the same home appliances and you wonder what could you do to make this one last longer but you make the same mistakes again – what then? Would you just repeat the whole process again? Frustrating isn’t it?
That is if you can afford to spend that much money on new appliances and constant repairs. But what if you have taken your refrigerator on rent? There are some home appliance rental companies like Cityfurnish which will help you with this matter. Would you risk damaging it that much and then pay extra costs due to lack of attention on keeping the appliances intact and working? Though the companies provide free maintenance services but you still need to keep the fridge in a good condition for your own sake. Either way, if you are wondering what mistakes you’re making and how can you increase the lifespan of your fridge, then you’re in luck because this blog is for you! We will tell you how you can accomplish that and make your refrigerator last up to even 17 years. Yes, that is in fact, possible if you take good care of it.
Your home appliances will not trouble you if you follow these measures and maintain it well. Grab a cup of tea and learn how to make your fridge last longer!
Contents
- 1. Keep Your Refrigerator Clean!
- 2. Do Not Let Your Refrigerator Stay Empty (Don’t Overfill it Either)
- 3. Make it Easy for Your Refrigerator to Cool Down!
- 4. Do Not Place Your Fridge Near the Heat!
- 5. Do Not Use the Top Shelf of the Fridge to Store Food
- 6. Cover All the Food that You Store in the Fridge and Set it to the Right Temperature
- 7. Always Keep an Eye for Signs of Problems in Refrigerator
1. Keep Your Refrigerator Clean!
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How often do you clean your fridge? Ever experienced bad smell and thought about cleaning it? Or maybe spilt something inside and cleaned it at that moment. But have you ever thought about maintaining the proper cleanliness of your appliances to make it last longer and not smell? Let’s see what all needs to be done –
First of all, you need to ensure that your refrigerator is clean from the inside. It is more hygienic. Clean the fridge interior with slightly warm soapy water and do this at least twice a month.
- If you are dealing with bad smell or odor, you should keep a small bowl filled with lime and vinegar inside the refrigerator for a day (do not turn the appliance off. Keep it running). The solution will absorb the smell and you’re good to go.
- Clean behind or the backside of your fridge at least 2-3 times a year. Do it even more often if you have pets at home. The reason behind this is that the coil plays an important role in cooling and if the coil is dirty, it will lead to inefficiency in cooling. It will also put more load on the compressor. Use a vacuum cleaner to get rid of the pet hair and all the dust from that area.
- Keep the door seals of the fridge clean. They often get dirty or greasy and if you haven’t cleaned them in a long time, take some warm soapy water, a cloth and remove the dirt and grease around your refrigerator’s seals.
- Does your refrigerator have a drip pan? If yes, then you need to clean that regularly. At least clean if every two weeks.
- Defrost! Yes, it is another cleaning activity that you need to take care of. If you own an old-style fridge that does not have the auto-defrost system/feature, make sure you can manually defrost once in a while.
2. Do Not Let Your Refrigerator Stay Empty (Don’t Overfill it Either)
Wondering why we are suggesting this to you? Well, we have a good reason for it. It is mainly because for the refrigerator to work smoothly and operate efficiently, it is important that there is proper circulation inside your fridge. In order to be able to keep the food items fresh and safe, the air must pass around the food freely. And how can you make that happen? By not overfilling it! Because if you do, you will be more load on the compressor which will cause problems.
That was about overfilling. But what about keeping the fridge empty? How can that affect? If you leave the fridge empty, it will wear it out in the long run. Moreover, an entirely empty refrigerator demands more work on cooling which is an unnecessary burden on the compressor. So, if you are going out somewhere or on a vacation, do not leave the refrigerator completely empty, leave some of the food items inside.
3. Make it Easy for Your Refrigerator to Cool Down!
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The easier it is for the refrigerator to cool down, the better would be its efficiency. If your fridge is working smoothly, there will be less load on the compressor. The compressor is the most important and costly component of a fridge and if it fails due to any reason, there are very fewer chances of your fridge getting fully recovered. A compressor replacement is extremely expensive so save it as much as you can.
Never put hot food inside the fridge. Always wait for it to cool down and get to room temperature because if you put any hot food item inside, the refrigerator has to run for a longer time and work harder than usual to cool that down. You can stop the useless exertion by being careful with those tips.
4. Do Not Place Your Fridge Near the Heat!
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A fridge is like a window AC, it needs the area for proper ventilation to work properly or it can damage the compressor. Most of people do not take the placement of the refrigerator into consideration. The refrigerator will generate a huge amount of heat if you keep the appliances where there’s heat or no ventilation, and the motor or the compressor of the fridge will have to work harder which will shorten the life of the appliances. Here’s where you can consider not keeping your fridge –
- Not near the oven.
- Not where there is direct sunlight.
- Not where there are heat vents
If you are short on space of choices to keep your fridge, then you can lessen this issue by placing a piece of the insulated board between or over the appliances. Shut the curtains on the window and close the heat vent near the fridge. Also, make sure you place the appliances far away from your gas stove to avoid any excessive heat. Lastly, always keep your refrigerator a few inches from the wall to better air circulation and heat dispersion.
5. Do Not Use the Top Shelf of the Fridge to Store Food
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Utilizing spaces comes naturally to us and we all used to make the most of all the shelves of the fridge, utilizing the top one as well. But if the top of the fridge is filled with extra items, it will have a negative effect. How? Well, we often put food on top, which makes it hard for the refrigerator to get rid of the hot air as it usually dumps hot air through top and back. But when the top is covered, the air stays trapped in that area and the overall cooling of the whole refrigerator deteriorates.
6. Cover All the Food that You Store in the Fridge and Set it to the Right Temperature
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Why we are suggesting you to cover the food items that you keep inside the fridge, is it can lead to a weird smell. All the smells from different food get mixed inside the fridge you will notice an unusual smell. Moreover, food items have moisture on their surface and that creates issues with cooling. Therefore, cover the food. Also, always keep checking the temperature settings of the refrigerator. Try not to set a lower or higher temperature than you require because it’s just extra load and work for the whole appliance – the load or more work your refrigerator does, the faster it will wear off!
7. Always Keep an Eye for Signs of Problems in Refrigerator
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Always check for problems that your refrigerator might be having. Do not ignore even minor issues. If your appliances is running all the time or gets cut too frequently, it’s a sign of an issue. If you see ice deposition on the coil outside, it’s a sign of another flaw. To check if the door works fine or not, keep a currency bill and see if it slips down the door after you shut it close. If it does, then it means the door is not fully closed and is affecting the cooling. There can be many issues like these which you need to check from time to time and when you do notice any issue, don’t ignore it and risk it to leads to something major.
- Pay attention to any unordinary sound that the refrigerator might make like rattling, grinding or squealing. These are all signs of motor, compressor or fan problems.
- Monitor the temperature of both the fridge and the freezer apartment and evaluate if the temperature remains consistent over a few days.
- Physically examine the edges of your fridge’s door. If you notice that the door is not sealing or closing properly, you can replace the gasket or get the door hinges checked by a professional to ensure it seals perfectly.
If you notice any kind of problem, act fast on it rather than prolonging it. Call a good home appliances repair service to check and fix the issue before it gets too late.
You need to maintain the fridge not only to make it last longer but also to ensure that your family is eating healthy food. Because a refrigerator is not just for keeping the food cooler, it also helps in preventing dangerous bacteria from developing on food. If you do not maintain the condition of your appliances you could be putting your loved ones at risk, they could get foodborne diseases. That may be because the food is not stored at a safe temperature or the air circulation isn’t right or some other reason. And when it comes to keeping people safe, eat safe food, it makes it even more important to be more active and keep the fridge in a good shape.
Following the above-mentioned tips will definitely help you extend the life of your fridge and also save you a lot of money and also save you from a lot of hassle of repairs and replacements.
