Your refrigerator is one of the most important appliances in your home because it protects the food and drinks that your family consumes. When it doesn’t run reliably, there’s a much greater chance of food spoilage and expensive repair bills. Fortunately, understanding a few surprising facts about your refrigerator can help you keep it running longer and avoid costly breakdowns.
1. Refrigerator Doors Seal Themselves
When you let go of the refrigerator door, it should start to slowly close itself. This happens because the appliance has a backward-tilt design to help the door swing shut. Once it closes, the door gasket ensures the door achieves an airtight seal so the cold air stays inside to keep the food and drinks protected. If you let go of the door and it doesn’t close all the way, you need to schedule an inspection.
2. Overfilling the Refrigerator Can Reduce Its Cooling Performance
Your refrigerator is designed to only hold so much food and drink. If you overfill it with too many items, it can lose its ability to circulate air effectively. The same thing can happen if you accidentally place items in front of the vents. One of the best ways to ensure this doesn’t occur is to space the items out as much as you can and to avoid overloading the shelves. Many homeowners will install another refrigerator in their garage or basement if they need extra food storage.
3. Dirty Coils Are Detrimental to the Unit’s Lifespan
Your refrigerator doesn’t generate cold air. It moves heat to keep the temperature cold, and the condenser coils play a large role in this process. But over time, these coils can become dirty, reducing the unit’s ability to move heat effectively. Along with making it difficult for the appliance to maintain a cold, consistent temperature, this also makes the compressor work harder, which can reduce the unit’s lifespan. By having the coils cleaned once or twice a year during maintenance visits, it’s much easier to avoid this problem.
4. The Door Is the Warmest Part of the Refrigerator
You may find it tempting to put milk or raw meat on the shelves in the refrigerator door, but you must keep in mind that this is the part of the unit that stays the warmest. That’s because the warmer kitchen air hits those shelves every time you open the door. Because of this, it’s best to store items like condiments and bottled drinks in the door since they are less sensitive to slight temperature changes.
Even though most refrigerators have an average expected lifespan of 10 to 15 years, you can often get many more years of use out of yours if you take good care of it. One of the best ways to do this is to schedule annual inspections to spot hidden problems in their earliest stages. When you need refrigerator services in Eugene, OR, contact Polished Appliance Repair.
