Tag Archives: fridge repairs

Why Does a Refrigerator Stop Getting Cold?

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A refrigerator that is not cooling has the potential to ruin your food and incur high energy costs. If left untreated, it may cause irreversible damage to your equipment.

According to the FDA, the recommended temperature for a refrigerator is 40°F or below, while a freezer’s temperature should be 0°F.

If you have turned on your appliance but it’s not cooling, this can be due to several issues. Some of the issues that might be causing this problem include:

The condenser coils are dirty

When the condenser coils on the rear of the refrigerator become dusty or coated with spiderwebs, the device cannot cool effectively. According to appliance repair professionals, one of the simplest maintenance tasks you can perform on your refrigerator is to remove it and clean the condenser coils at least once every six months.

To remove the condenser, unlatch the anti-tip brackets on the cabinet’s exterior bottom front. You should then slide the refrigerator out carefully and clean the coils using a hand attachment from a vacuum cleaner.

When doing it, be careful not to bend or damage the coils.

If you have pets, consider pulling out the refrigerator and cleaning the coils more often, as plenty of fur is lying around.

The fridge isn’t plugged in.

While it may appear obvious, one of the most ignored troubleshooting procedures when diagnosing a faulty refrigerator is to ensure it is correctly plugged in, especially if you are returning after a vacation or lengthy absence.

To fix this, you should check the electrical outlet and ensure the refrigerator is properly plugged in.

Replace the damaged power cord with a new one to guarantee a secure and effective connection.

Also, ensure that the circuit breaker linked with the refrigerator is not tripped, as a tripped breaker can disrupt power flow.

Door gaskets are dirty.

The flexible door seals (gaskets) might get dirty over time due to food or fingerprints, preventing the door from properly sealing. To fix this problem, clean the gaskets with a sponge and warm soapy water.

Also, clean off the areas of the fridge where the gaskets meet.

You should avoid using abrasive cleansers, brushes, scouring pads, flammable substances, or window cleaning sprays, as they can harm the appliance, and you don’t want this.

The thermostat is broken.

When you have this problem, the fridge will be reasonably cool and operational but not as cold as you would want.

Your refrigerator has a thermostat that may be turned up or down to suit your preferences.

Check the thermostat to ensure it wasn’t unintentionally turned down, resulting in a tepid fridge that consumes all the electricity. If your thermostat stops working, you should get a replacement.

There is no power getting into the fridge.

When you open the fridge door, and no light comes on, no power is entering your fridge.

This may sound simple, but make sure the refrigerator is plugged in. And if it is, make sure it is receiving power.

Sometimes, the problem is this easy, so don’t ignore it. Perhaps you bumped the fridge while cleaning, and it came unplugged. If it is plugged in, the outlet may have a problem.

You can look at it by yourself or ask a professional to give it a look.

Food items are blocking the air vents.

Most refrigerators receive chilly air from vents in the freezer area, regardless of where the freezer is located.

Unfortunately, food items inside the refrigerator part of the appliance may be preventing the cold air vent from allowing cold air to pass through.

To fix this problem, find the bulky boxes or bags that may have been accidentally placed in front of the vents, preventing cool air from entering the unit.

Pull those items aside or move them to a different shelf.

You also should check if there is any ice blocking the vent. If so, gently chip it away while checking the device’s temperature.

The fridge doesn’t have enough food items.

Mass (food) in the refrigerator contributes to its cooling. Understocked refrigerators can have temperature difficulties and must work harder to maintain cool temperatures. On the other hand, well-stocked (but not overstocked) refrigerators contain enough mass to maintain cool temperatures.

You should keep your refrigerator roughly three-quarters full of food and liquids to ensure proper air circulation.

You should place a couple of water pitchers in the refrigerator’s empty corners to help it stay chilly.

Do not overfill your fridge because products require air movement to remain properly cold.

The evaporator fan is frozen.

When you are having this problem, you may hear a screaming sound that becomes louder when you open the freezer door.

The evaporator fan is normally situated at the back of the freezer, alongside the evaporator coils, and circulates air as the coils work to remove heat.

To access the fan, unplug the refrigerator and remove the cover inside the freezer, just like you did with the evaporator coils. If it is covered in frost, you must remove and defrost it.

You have placed the fridge in a cold area.

Where you place your refrigerator in a warm or cold environment, such as outside or in a garage, you might impact its cooling ability.

A too-cold garage will confuse the fridge and prevent it from cooling its contents. If the garage is too hot, the refrigerator will work overtime to chill the interior.

Even if the fridge is in good working condition, hot appliances near it, such as dishwashers, stoves, or ovens, can interfere with its cooling.

You should put a heat-insulating material on the refrigerator wall to shield the fridge from the stove’s heat.

When cooking, use your kitchen fan to keep the temperature down.

To keep the refrigerator separate from other hot appliances, refrigerator repair Springfield technicians recommend that you surround it with a bespoke enclosure. This is also a solution for a fridge in a garage with high temperatures.

Refrigerator Best Practises

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There are correct and incorrect methods of storing food in the fridge. Some fruits and vegetables, for example, must be refrigerated, while others must be stored at room temperature.

You can store some cooking oils on the counter, while you should store others in the refrigerator. Some expired items may not be genuinely expired, and you may use incorrect containers.

What should you do, and what shouldn’t you do?

We’ve done the legwork to determine the best ways to keep your refrigerated food taste great and last as long as possible. To help you out, here are tips you should follow:

Not every food is supposed to be refrigerated

You might think you should refrigerate every leftover food, but appliance repair professionals observe that this shouldn’t be the case.

There are plenty of food items that you shouldn’t allow in your fridge.

Refrigeration actively deteriorates some items, including onions, potatoes, garlic, avocado, tomatoes, bananas, stone fruit, bread, pastries, melons, spices, honey, peanut butter, apples, coffee, eggs, butter, sauces, dressings, soy sauce, and hot sauce.

This means that you shouldn’t store these items in the fridge. Instead, store them at room temperature.

Properly store the cooking oils.

Cooking oils derived from fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds require different storage conditions. This is because oil oxidizes when exposed to oxygen, light, or heat, eventually turning it rancid.

While certain cooking oils can be stored at room temperature, some perform best in the refrigerator.

To help shed more light on the issue, here are ways to store the different oils:

Corn and canola oils: Store them in a cool, dark cupboard, or refrigerate them if it takes over a year to finish a bottle.

Olive oil: Leaving olive oil out on the counter or table, especially if the bottle is exposed to direct sunlight, or storing it on or near a stove are proven ways to turn it rancid. To avoid this, put it in the coolest, darkest corner of your house or use a smaller glass container in the kitchen.

Peanut oil can be stored for up to two years if well-sealed and kept away from heat and light. Refrigerating peanut oil may increase its shelf life even further, so go ahead and do it.

Coconut oil is relatively stable and has a two-year shelf life or more when stored at room temperature.

Avocado, grapeseed, hazelnut, sesame, truffle, walnut, safflower, and sunflower oils are delicate oils especially susceptible to rancidity when exposed to excessive light or heat.

You can go ahead and refrigerate it after opening. These oils will last six months or longer if you keep them cold.

Don’t throw away food items just because they are expired

Did you realize that no national regulation defines expiration dates? Expiration dates simply indicate quality control rather than safety or nutritional worth. This means that you can still go ahead and store and eat the food items even if they are past their expiry dates.

How can you know if your food is safe to eat? Read up on USDA recommendations, utilize your eyes and nose, and trust your instincts.

Some of the things that you can use to tell whether you can eat the food items include:

Smell: If it smells good and is properly preserved, it’s probably safe to eat.

Sight: Don’t let your eyes trick you when it comes to fresh foods like produce. Bumps and bruises do not indicate that something is destroyed.

Don’t can the cans: Canned foods have a long shelf life. Even rusted cans should be fine as long as they are not bulging and the seal is intact.

In conclusion, check the packaging, utilize your senses, thoroughly cook food, and don’t let the perfect become the enemy of the good.

A thorough awareness of “expiration” dates could significantly reduce food waste—not to mention money out of your pocket.

Don’t wrap the leftovers using plastic.

Many people wrap their foods in plastic before placing them in their fridges, which isn’t a good thing to do as it leads to food getting spoilt.

The right way to go about it is to wrap the food in safer food wrap.

If you’re tired of tossing away disposable food wrap but still want to keep your food fresh, Bee’s Wrap could be the solution.

It’s supposed to be built on top of your kitchen and then unwrapped to serve as a placemat. Bee’s wrap is also great for storing food.

It’s also useful for wrapping cheese, half an avocado, half a lemon, and covering jars and bowls (squeeze some Bee’s Wrap onto the top of a container, and the warmth of your hand will soften the wax just enough to form a seal).

When buying the bees wrap, buy a high-quality one that will give you excellent results.

Use the proper storage containers.

Besides being cautious of the type of wrap you use to cover your food before storage, you must also be careful of your storage containers.

Two of the best containers to use are glass and plastic containers.

The food will not leak into the glass container, and the glass will not shatter. For the best outcome, go with a container with a silicone lid.

While the silicone on the lid will discolor, it will be clean following a dishwasher cycle.

Plastic containers will not leak until severely shaken, and drops aren’t a concern unless the container falls on its side or a corner.

Although no plastic container is oven-safe, the set is dishwasher- and microwave-safe and comes with a lifetime warranty.

You should avoid freezing this set since expanding food may cause the top to pop off.

Always ensure that the fridge door closes fully at all times

For peace of mind that your fridge is functioning optimally and you aren’t wasting a lot of power, ensure your fridge door is always closed.

If your refrigerator door won’t close, it’s most likely due to a worn-out gasket, the rubber seal that runs down its edge. Fortunately, the solution is simple: clean the gasket and apply petroleum jelly to the rubber to revive it.

You don’t need a refrigerator repair Alexandria professional to help you fix it unless the problem is too exaggerated.