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Tips and Tricks To Running Your Fridge More Efficiently

As a responsible homeowner, would you not want your fridge consuming too much energy? Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to ensure that your appliance runs as efficiently as possible and you spend as little as possible on your energy bill. Which are these strategies? Here they are as given by refrigerator repair professionals:

Cool food first

You must have visited someone or been tempted to put hot food in your fridge. As much as this might sound sensible, it isn’t. In fact, you should avoid it at all costs.

The reason for this is that when you put hot food in the fridge, you abruptly change the temperatures in the appliance, which triggers the refrigerator to start running to compensate for the changes.

As you can guess, when your fridge runs, it consumes the energy you want to save.

To conserve energy, avoid putting hot food in the fridge and instead only put it there once it’s completely cold.

Even if you are in a hurry, let the food cool before you place it in the fridge. In fact, it would be better to leave the food on the shelve for a few hours as you rush to work, then come back and put it in the fridge once it has fully cooled down.

Minimize the frequency you open the fridge door.

Most people will open the fridge door and decide what they want to pick. This results in them holding the door open for far too long it should.

Remember that the purpose of the fridge is to maintain a constant low temperature inside the appliance. This means that when you open the door and leave it open for a long, the cold air leaves, and the fridge has to kick in to fill in the lost air.

As you can tell, this leads to an increase in energy consumption, which increases your energy bill.

To save money, minimize the time you have your fridge door open. A great way to do this is to always know what you want from the fridge by the time you get there. Don’t open the door, start debating what you wish to do, as you will be wasting precious energy.

Another way to minimize the door opening frequency is to get all the things you need at once. This way, you won’t keep going to the fridge.

Adjust your thermometer

Some people think they should set their appliances at the lowest temperatures to keep their food fresh and frozen, but this has been proven not to be the case.

Your fridge will function just as well when you set it at 4 degrees and your freezer at -18 degrees. Most modern appliances have exact temperature readings, but if yours doesn’t, set the temperature dial to the midpoint.

This way, the fridge doesn’t have to work too hard to keep the temperature too low. The refrigerator won’t get triggered to start working every time you open the door, as the temperature doesn’t have to be too low.

Keep your fridge some room.

For your appliance to cool the food, it relies on airflow; when there is inadequate airflow, the fridge doesn’t function as well as it should.

This is because it tends to overwork, leading to high-energy consumption.

Be cautious of where you place your appliance to prevent this from happening. As a rule of thumb, avoid keeping it in a highly congested room, as this will impede proper airflow.

You also should avoid keeping it close to heaters, cooking stoves, and other heat-producing appliances, as this will lead to an overworking appliance you are trying to avoid.

If your kitchen is small, ensure that there aren’t any unnecessary items around. You also should keep the windows open as often as possible so that there is plenty of air getting in.

Parting shot

These are some things you should do to keep your fridge functioning efficiently. Besides these, also make it a habit to hire appliance repair Northern VA professionals to inspect the appliance at least once a year and fix any issues present.

How Can I Make My Refrigerator Better?

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The refrigerator is one of the most hardworking appliances at home, and you should make yours function efficiently and better so that you get ultra cold food and save money on your energy bills. How do you make your fridge function better? There are plenty of ways as given by appliance repair professionals.

These ways include:

Keep the temperatures at 37 degrees Fahrenheit

To keep your appliance functioning optimally and protect the food from spoiling, keep your refrigerator temperature at 37 degrees Fahrenheit.

This calls you to regularly test the temperature of your appliance and set it accordingly.

To test the temperature of your appliance, place a thermometer in a glass of water and check the next day.

The freezer should always be at zero degrees Fahrenheit and to test the temperature, you need to place the thermometer between the frozen foods and then check the temperature after 8 hours.

To save even more money, set the fridge temperature to as high as 40 degrees Fahrenheit and the freezer at 5 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remove items from the top of the fridge.

The top of the fridge might seem like an ideal place to store the cereal boxes and other junk, but it isn’t. The reason for this is that placing items here increases the chances of heat getting blocked from escaping, and as a consequence, the compressor works harder than it should; hence you always have a high electric bill at the end of the month.

An overworking appliance also has a short lifespan, so when you repeatedly place items on your fridge, you increase the chances of the appliance breaking down and have to buy a new one.

Ensure that the door has a good seal

One way to ensure that your fridge is in perfect working order and saving you as much money as possible you need to keep the door closed at all times.

You should note that you can close the door, and still, the cold air escapes, forcing you to pay a high monthly bill. To ensure this doesn’t happen, inspect your door and ensure that it has a good seal. One way to make this possible is to close the door on a piece of paper or dollar bill.

If you cannot do this, adjust the refrigerator gasket or replace it to prevent the cold air from escaping.

Turn off the anti-Sweat heater.

Most refrigerators manufactured after 1993 come with a switch that allows you to choose between exterior energy-saving and moisture-reducing modes.

When you set your fridge to exterior moisture reducing mode, the heater kicks on to keep the condensation off the outside of the refrigerator.

Setting the fridge to energy-saving mode saves 5-10% of energy.

Turn off the anti-sweat heater to save energy and keep your appliance functioning better.

You should note that a newer fridge might have automatic moisture control that eliminates the exterior condensation without needing a heater.

Clean the condenser coils

The condenser coils play a crucial role in keeping the fridge’s insides cool. Unfortunately, over time, they collect a lot of dust, and if you don’t clean them, you damage your unit.

By cleaning the coils, you put less stress on the condenser, consequently extending the life of your fridge.

You can clean the coils yourself but for the best results, let an expert help you.

To avoid injuries, remember to unplug the appliance. Also, use a good quality vacuum or brush to do the cleaning.

Keep the fridge properly organized.

You might have the impression that properly organizing the fridge is just part of good housekeeping, but this isn’t the case as it also plays a vital role in determining how effectively and efficiently the fridge functions.

Besides having an easy time finding the food you need in a properly organized fridge, the condenser works less hard to get the temperature back to the set level, which means a reduced energy bill.

Refrigerator repair Northern VA professionals recommend you remove items from your fridge, remove the items that have expired, then organize the refrigerator according to your preferences.

In addition to keeping your fridge organized, make it a habit to keep it full most of the time.

How To Organize A Fridge, The Right Way

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How you organize your fridge goes a long way toward keeping your fridge looking clean and determining how efficiently the appliance functions and lasts. Are you wondering how to organize your fridge? Here is how to go about it the right way as given by refrigerator repair professionals:

Sort the shelves

If you are like other homeowners, you are fond of squeezing food in any available space in your appliance. This is wrong, and it’s time to change.

You should properly organize the shelves, which comes in handy in helping reduce waste as you know where everything is. There is no right or wrong way to organize your shelves—work with what works for you. If you aren’t sure about where to start, here is a guide:

Top shelf: This is the first shelf you see when you open the fridge door and is one of the warmer shelves in your appliance. You should avoid keeping any fresh meat here. Instead, designate it for leftovers, takeout, and any other stuff that you need to eat soon.

Middle shelf: Temperatures are most consistent in the middle of the refrigerator, making it the perfect place to store foods that you need to keep cold but have a lower risk of spoiling. Some of the excellent foods to keep here are: deli meats, eggs, sour cream, and soft cheese.

Bottom shelf: This is the coldest place in the refrigerator, so you should store items that spoil easily here. The best candidates are fish and meat.

It’s tempting to keep milk on the top shelf for easy access, but you shouldn’t as milk spoils easily. The best place to store it is near the bottom and back of the refrigerator.

If you are fond of forgetting items that you have tucked into the back of the fridge, stack them on a rotating organizer so that you can easily grab them and check their expiration dates.

Keep the drawers organized.

Drawers help you keep your fridge organized and hold specific humidity levels that come in handy at keeping the various foods properly preserved.

There are two main types of drawers: high and low humidity drawers.

The vegetables store best in high humidity drawers, and most fridges will have a vegetable drawer, often at the bottom. If the drawer isn’t labeled, look for one without a vent or close the vent yourself.

Some of the items you should store here are spinach, green onion, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and leafy greens.

The low humidity drawer is often labeled “crisper” and has air vents, and is the best place to store the fruits that break down easily. Some of the best fruits to store here are: pears, oranges, strawberries, kiwi, grapes, and raspberries.

If your drawer doesn’t have a humidity control or air vent, keep the drawer a little cracked to create more airflow.

Make use of the door.

The door is the refrigerator’s warmest zone, and you should store items that don’t easily get spoilt. They include: mustard, sesame oil, ketchup, salad dressing, mayo, and hot sauce.

The door is also an excellent place to store wine, juice, and beer beverages.

Valuable tips when storing items in the fridge

To have a great time with the items, you store in the fridge, you need to consider several tips. These tips include:

Use clear containers: To stick to a system and keep everything in its place, you should use a few shallow clear containers. To avoid confusion, label the containers depending on the food you have stored inside and its expiration date.

Keep the fridge clean: You want to ensure that your fridge is clean. Besides dusting it daily, you should make it a habit to remove everything at the end of the week and give it a good scrub. If possible, remove the shelves and drawers and let them soak in hot soapy water.

You should then wipe the entire interior taking care not to use abrasive cleaning products that can harm the plastic.

Once you are done, appliance repair Springfield recommend you replace the shelves and drawers, then store a box of baking soda in them to help fight the fridge odors.

Should I Turn Off Refrigerator When Not In Use?

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If you are going on vacation for a month or more, you can’t keep your electric appliances running. One of the questions you must be asking is, should I turn off the refrigerator when not in use?

The answer to this question is a definitive yes. Appliance repair professionals recommend you turn off the fridge and unplug it at the wall.

The obvious reason you should shut the fridge is to save power. You don’t want to keep receiving high energy bills you aren’t consuming, are you?

The other reason you should shut the appliance is because you don’t want to keep worrying about what is going on at home.

Although, they are good servants, most appliances are ticking time bombs especially when they run unsupervised. They can fall, catch on fire, among many other things.

When you shut your appliance, you have peace of mind that none of your units can start a fire in your absence.

Besides shutting and disconnecting the fridge, there are several other things you should do when you will be gone for extended periods. Some of these things include:

Defrost and clean the appliance

If you don’t properly clean the fridge before storage, you will create a lot of mess that the fridge will be unusable by the time you are retrieving it from storage.

One major concern is mold that often starts from the food debris and spreads to the other parts of the fridge. There is also the pests concern. Ants and rodents can be attracted to even the smallest food pieces so when you don’t properly clean the fridge, these pests can get into your appliance and cause damage to the electrical components.

To defrost the fridge, remove all the food items and unplug the fridge. This will trigger the defrosting process and you should keep the refrigerator doors open so that moisture can escape from the fridge.

To avoid flooding your floor, strategically place a towel to catch the dripping water.

For peace of mind that the fridge is completely dry, defrost it at least a week before you leave for your vacation.

As the fridge is defrosting, you should clean both the insides and back of it.

Take out the drawers, shelves, and other removable parts of the appliance. Clean and soak these parts with mildly soapy water. For best results, ensure the water is warm. Avoid scalding hot water as it can damage the cold plastic or glass.

Using a mixture of baking soda and water, scrub away any materials that might have built up inside the fridge and freezer compartments.

As much as you want the fridge to be spotless, don’t use chlorine bleach, ammonia, or any other abrasive cleaning solutions as they can crack or even discolor the plastic and stainless steel.

Once the insides of the fridge are clean, turn your attention to the outside. Dust the coils using a brush attachment or run a vacuum cleaner. You can also use a dry cloth.

Store the fridge in an upright position

If you will be moving the fridge from its usual place, use a dolly or hand truck to move it. As a rule of thumb don’t move the fridge while laying on its side.

When you store it, ensure that it’s not in a slanting position—it should always be in a straight position.

The reason for this is to ensure that you come home to a properly functioning compressor.

Keep the fridge dry

The last thing you want is to reverse all the hard work you have put into cleaning and defrosting your appliance.

To ensure that your fridge remains dry and no moisture gets inside, remove the doors on both the fridge and freezer compartments.

According to refrigerator repair Springfield professionals, when you do this, you ensure no seal forms so your appliance is free from molds.

If you don’t want to go through the trouble of removing the doors, wedge an object between the door and the compartment frame so that the door remains open.

When choosing the wedging object, ensure that the object is tough and won’t bend or get indented over time hence close the door and cause the damaging seal to form.

Does a Refrigerator Need To Be Level? Refrigerator Repair Experts Answer

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When you install a new refrigerator, the first thing you should do before you slide it into position is to ensure it’s leveled. If you are wondering why does a refrigerator need to be level, for one, you should know a leveled refrigerator looks great. A leveled unit also functions better.

Luckily, if your unit isn’t leveled, you can easily do it. Here is how to go about it as given by refrigerator repair experts:

Locate the legs

The most effective way of leveling the fridge is by adjusting the legs. The access points for the legs vary depending on the manufacturer, where some are easy to access without removing the panels, while others require you to remove the panels.

Find out the type of refrigerator you have and do the necessary. Once you reach the legs, inspect them for screws and bolts, and if present, you need to adjust them. You can rotate some of the legs freely while others will require you to use a wrench or screwdriver.

Rotate the legs

To rotate the legs, look along the top and bottom. You will see a slot near the top or a screw or bolt near the bottom. Using a flat head screwdriver or an adjustable wrench or pliers, turn the leg clockwise to raise the fridge and counterclockwise to lower it.

For easy time, level the refrigerator from left to right. To ensure the fridge is level, place the level on top of the fridge behind the door and adjust the legs accordingly.

Adjust the rollers

If you adjust the legs and still the refrigerator isn’t leveled, you should now adjust the rollers. Begin with removing the grille over the legs using your hands. If unsure how to go about it, consult the owner’s manual.

Each roller has a screw-on it that requires you to use pliers or a wrench to adjust it. You should turn the screw clockwise to raise the legs or counterclockwise to lower them.

After adjusting, measure the refrigerator tilt with a level. Place the level at the top of the fridge behind the door, and if the rollers are properly adjusted, the level will be flat from left to right.

As you are leveling the fridge, never tilt it back, prop or jack it unless the manufacturer advises you to do it. This is because even small appliances are heavy enough to cause serious injuries when they tip over or fall. Also, don’t attempt to lay the fridge on its back or side.

Other ways to keep your refrigerator functioning optimally

Other than keeping the refrigerator leveled, there are plenty of other things you can do to keep your fridge functioning optimally. Some of these things include:

Keep the appliance clean: Most homeowners only clean the outside of the refrigerator, which often isn’t enough to keep the fridge working properly. At least once a week, remove all the food in the refrigerator and clean the insides.

While at it, inspect the seals and ensure they are in good shape. Remember, if they are faulty, cold air will escape making it harder for the unit to keep its cool. So replace them if necessary.

If the seals aren’t damaged, clean them with warm soapy water that will stop debris and food spills from blocking them.

Give the fridge enough space: There is no way a stressed refrigerator will function optimally, so ensure your appliance has enough breathing space. The unit should have enough space on the top, back, and sides. This way, the unit will have enough space to expel heat.

Don’t overload the appliance: It’s common for homeowners to pack the fridge with as many products as it can take. This often happens after they have visited the grocery store. You should note that when you store too many items in the refrigerator, you prevent air from circulating as well as it should, and the air conditioner works harder than it should preserve the food.

Overloading the appliance also leads to excessive wear and tear as given by appliance repair Northern VA experts. To keep your appliance in top shape and prevent it from getting damaged, only stock what the unit can take.

Refrigerator Repair: Refrigerator Preventative Maintenance Checklist To Keep Your Fridge In Top Shape

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To avoid hiring refrigerator repair technicians to repair your appliance frequently, you need to be cautious of the sanity of your appliance. To have an easy time, have a refrigerator preventative maintenance checklist with you.

The list protects your appliance from sudden breakdowns and ensures that your appliance lasts for a long time. Some of the things you should do to maintain the sanity of your appliance include:

Keep the appliance leveled

If the fridge or freezer isn’t level, the doors don’t seal correctly, and in no time they warp out of place. To prevent this from happening, place a carpenter’s level on top of the unit. If it’s not level, adjust the feet using a hand wrench.

Defrost the unit

Many modern appliances have a self-defrosting mechanism that prevents ice from building up in the unit. If you have an old unit, it might be lacking this mechanism, so you have to defrost the appliance manually.

If the ice is over ½ inch, remove it. Start with turning off the appliance and let it defrost naturally. To speed up the process, turn on a fan facing the affected area. Avoid using sharp objects to remove the built-up ice as you can damage the appliance.

Change the water filter

If the refrigerator has an icemaker, it most likely has a water filter that you should replace. For best results, replace the filter every 6 months, or however often the manufacturer recommends. The purpose of doing this is to ensure that the ice made by the appliance is clean. Cleaning the filters also ensures that the appliance is functioning efficiently all the time.

Clean the appliance regularly

If you have a busy kitchen, the chances are that you don’t have enough time to properly get rid of food and beverage spills when they happen. When you go for a long time without properly cleaning the refrigerator, gunk is bound to develop.

To avoid this, make it a habit to clean the refrigerator surfaces at the end of every working day. When drips and splatters happen, clean them on time. When doing it, avoid using a ball of steel wool or other abrasives and chemicals such as bleach that can damage the finish of the appliance.

Remember, the longer you let a spill settle, the harder it will be to clean it without using a harmful cleaning agent. In addition to the uncleaned spills causing unpleasant odors, they significantly affect the quality of the refrigerator. Mold also tends to grow on the fridge jeopardizing the safety of the food.

Regularly inspect the seals and fix the leaks

When the seals or gaskets on the fridge doors are loose or ripped, air will escape. This results in the refrigerator working too hard; hence you have a high energy bill at the end of the month.

You can easily fix minor gasket leaks by yourself using silicone caulk. While you are at it, ensure that the refrigerator door hinges and latches are tightly secured.

Check the interior lights

Lights generate heat. In a properly functioning refrigerator, the lights should go off when you close the refrigerator door. Due to age and improper maintenance, the refrigerator lights might not be going off when you close the door. As a result, the lights heat the interior of the fridge, making the refrigerator work harder than it should.

To stop this, take the time to scrutinize the interior lights. If they don’t go off when you close the door, find out the reason and fix it.

Clean the condenser coils

The condenser coils allow the fridge or freezer to control its temperature, so you must keep them clean to ensure that the appliance is running efficiently and doesn’t overheat. When you go for a long time without cleaning the coils, dust, hair, and other grime build up on the coils.

To keep your appliance functioning efficiently, clean the coils regularly with a vacuum cleaner. For ideal results, do the cleaning at least once every three months. You can do the cleaning by yourself by following the owner’s manual or hire an appliance repair Alexandria professional to help you out.

When hiring a contractor, ensure the contractor is experienced enough. They also should be certified to work in your area.

5 Ways To Triple The Lifespan Of Your Refrigerator

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A good quality refrigerator doesn’t come cheap; therefore, the last thing you want is having to buy a new appliance every few years. The good news is that there are several things you can do to extend the refrigerator’s life. Some of these things, as given by refrigerator repair professionals include:

Keep it clean

Everything begins here. Just like your car, your refrigerator won’t last for long if you don’t clean it regularly. Begin with the insides. At least once a month, clean the insides of the fridge with warm soapy water.

Is your refrigerator giving off bad smells? Get rid of them by placing a bowl filled with vinegar and lime on the inside. The purpose of the products is to absorb the bad smell.

You also should pay attention to the outsides of the refrigerator. The most common area that gets dirty is behind the appliance. To keep it clean, clean it 2-3 times a year. If you have pets, clean it more often.

The purpose of giving more attention to behind the fridge is because this is where coils are located. When the coils are dirty, they lead to inefficient cooling, which puts a lot of stress on the compressor that works harder than it should.

The best appliance to use to clean the coils is a vacuum cleaner.

It’s also common for the door seals to get dirty and greasy. If you haven’t cleaned them for a long time, use soapy water and clean piece of cloth to clean them.

Does your refrigerator have a drip pan? Clean it thorough every two weeks.

You also should defrost the refrigerator. Most of the modern fridges have an auto-defrost option, but if yours doesn’t, do it manually once every few months.

Don’t put hot foods in the refrigerator

While the refrigerator is meant to keep the foods cool, you shouldn’t put hot items in it. This is because the items make the fridge work too hard, which not only results in the appliance consuming a lot of energy, it also lowers its lifespan.

For you to give your refrigerator a long life, let the foods first cool down to the room temperature before putting it in the fridge.

Don’t overfill the refrigerator. Also, don’t let it run empty

When you allow the refrigerator to run empty, you save a lot of money on cooling, right? Wrong! Refrigerator experts report that an empty fridge wears out faster; hence, you should ensure there is always something in the refrigerator.

So even when you are leaving for vacation, have a few items in the fridge. For example, you can place water bottles in the fridge.

Just as you shouldn’t leave the fridge empty, you also shouldn’t overfill it. When you stock too many items in the refrigerator, you block smooth and efficient air circulation.

When air doesn’t circulate as well as it’s supposed to, the compressor works too hard which not only translates to high energy bills at the end of the month, it also reduces the lifespan of the appliance.

When storing items in the fridge, store items that allow air to flow freely without putting a lot of stress on the compressor.

Keep the refrigerator away from heat

Dishwashers, ovens, and other heat-producing appliances make the refrigerator compressor work harder than it should, so you spend a lot of money on the refrigerator and at the same time, shorten the lifespan of the appliance.

For your appliance to last for a long time, keep it in an area where it’s not exposed to high temperatures. This calls for you to keep it away from the appliances mentioned above. You also should ensure that it’s not exposed to direct sunlight.

When making the purchase, go for a fridge with a reflective surface as it will reflect heat.

Undertake regular inspections

Have you ever hired an appliance repair Fairfax professional to inspect your fridge? If you are like other homeowners, you haven’t, which is wrong. At least once a year, even if your appliance is functioning correctly, ask an appliance technician to inspect your fridge.

During the inspection, the professional will identify issues with the unit that you should fix before they get worse.

Refrigerator Ice Maker Repair: Tips To Keep Your Refrigerator Ice Maker In Top Shape

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Many people complain that their refrigerator ice makers aren’t working as well as they are supposed to. This is usually because they don’t know how to properly take good care of them.

To help you out, here are tips given by refrigerator ice maker repair professionals on how to take good care of their ice makers:

Keep the ice maker clean

Ice makers turn water into frozen cubes; therefore, it might seem absurd having to regularly clean the unit to keep it functioning properly. You should note that the machines are like any other machine you might be having in your home—you need to clean it.

When you go for a long time without cleaning it, you promote germ growth which not only prevents the machine from functioning as well as it’s supposed to, it also poses a great health risk.

You need to periodically sanitize your ice maker to keep it functioning optimally. If your refrigerator has built-in ice makers and water dispensers, you don’t have to rigorously sanitize it. Cleaning it once every month is enough to keep it in top shape.

Start with turning off the unit then shut off the water flow to it. Then remove the ice bin and melt or discard the remaining ice.

Using a mixture of warm water and dish soap, clean the insides of the ice bin then disinfect it once clean. Once you are done, return the bin to the freezer and turn the ice maker and water flow back on.

It will take you some time for the ice to produce again as the ice maker needs to get back to its operating temperature. Discard the first batch of ice made. This is because it tends to contain some cleaning solution that isn’t healthy for you. Ice from the first batch also tends to taste bad.

Place it at the right location

Where you place the ice maker not only determines how well it functions, it also determines how long it lasts. Where you place the ice maker depends on the type of ice maker that you have.

If you are installing a built-in unit, choose a location that is easily accessible. The goal is to place it in an area where you can easily go back and forth from the ice maker without any problems.

Are you thinking about installing portable ice makers? You should note that these units are compact and require an outlet to function properly. The appliances are ideal when you already have a place to plug them in.

Avoid placing the portable ice maker next to beverages as someone can easily spill something on them. You can place the ice maker and other beverages on the same counter, but don’t place them too close to each other.

Change the water filter

A dirty water filter prevents you from making quality ice. It also makes the ice maker work too hard; therefore, it keeps on developing issues. It also doesn’t last for a long time. Most of the modern ice makers come with filtration systems that determine the quality of water that you get.

Over time, it’s common for the filters to get dirty or get damaged. For you to have good quality ice and for your ice maker to last for a long time, you should make a habit of replacing the ice filter when necessary.

It’s easy to change the filters even by yourself. One of the things you should do is to ensure that you get high-quality filters from a reputable brand. For ideal results, buy the filters from the same company you bought the ice maker.

Get rid of clogs as early as possible

Refrigerator ice makers are prone to clogs. The clogs result from the jamming of the ice dispenser chute. If you have a modern fridge, it’s easy to fix the problem.

According to refrigerator repair professionals, you need to remove the ice bin then clean it. You should then dry everything then replace the bin.

If you have an older fridge, you might require the services of an appliance repair Northern VA professional to help you remove the ice maker located in the freezer compartment.

Refrigerator Repair Tips

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A refrigerator is a must-have unit in your restaurant. Unfortunately, it tends to develop a number of problems that you should fix for it to continue functioning optimally. Here are some of the most common refrigerator problems as given by refrigerator repair professionals:

The refrigerator makes only tiny ice cubes

This problem usually comes about when the water supply is partially or completely blocked. For you to fix the problem you need to remove the icemaker. This calls for you to remove the screws holding the icemaker in place. The purpose of removing the unit is to expose the water inlet tube.

After removing the appliance, check the water inlet tube for ice. The tube supplying water to the icemaker can get plugged with ice when the water pressure is low. The trickling water freezes and plugs the tube before getting to the icemaker. If the tube is blocked, you should unblock it.

You also should unblock the saddle valve. The most common problem with the valve is the clogging of the needle hole. If clogged, you don’t have to worry as it’s easy to unclog it. All you need to do is to put a needle through the hole.

If none of the above solves the problem, consider replacing the water inlet valve. All you need to do is to look at the back of the fridge. There should be a small electric “inlet valve” that turns the water supply to the ice maker. Before you replace the valve, ensure that the water is flowing into it.

If you have the skills you can replace the valve by yourself, but if you have never done it before, hire a professional to help you out.

The fridge produces puddles

You will experience this problem when the water supply lines serving the icemaker or water dispenser leak, making pools under the fridge. Even if your unit doesn’t have a water dispenser, it can still cause water pooling when its experiencing water fails.

Remember that every refrigerator produces water in the form of melting ice or condensation and when it’s not functioning properly, it’s bound to cause water pooling. Just like when the refrigerator is making ice cubes, you need to take a look at the different parts of the fridge to diagnose the problem.

The first place you should give attention to is the water supply line. If the fridge has an icemaker or water dispenser, pull out the fridge and try and find a leak. If there is a leak at the inlet valve, tighten the compression nuts. Is the plastic or rubber tube leaking? Replace it.

Sometimes the problem is as simple as tilting of the fridge. If this is the case with your unit, simply level it.

Finally, take a look at the drain pipe. In most cases, its usually clogged and you have to clear it. For you to unplug it you have to remove the cover panel then using a hair dryer, melt the ice that might have buildup.

Failure of the freezer to cool

If you have had your fridge for a long time you must have come across this problem. This problem can be brought about by many reasons. The most common reasons include: loss of electricity, wrong setting of the thermostat, and malfunctioned thermostat.

For you to fix the problem you need to pay attention to the thermostat and vents. Ensure that the thermostat is turned all the way down. also, ensure that the vents in the fridge and freezer compartments aren’t blocked by food containers.

You also should check the condition of the coils. Are they dirty? If they are, you should clean them.

The refrigerator making a lot of noise

Refrigerator noise comes from the compressor under the fridge, the evaporator fan motor inside the freezer, or the condenser fan motor under the fridge. To diagnose the source of the noise you should open the freezer door while the fridge is running. If the noise doesn’t get louder, it might be coming from the condenser or evaporator.

After you have found the source of the noise, you should go ahead and fix it. If you don’t have the skills, you will have to hire an appliance repair Springfield to help you with the work.

All About DIY Refrigerator Repairs

Refrigerators Repair

The American home shields network reports that three in every five service calls are to fix bad DIY refrigerator repairs. The reasons why the calls are too high is because most of the homeowners don’t understand refrigerator problems.

What are the common refrigerator problems?

Just like other units in the kitchen, refrigerators develop a wide range of problems that come about due to many reasons. The most common problems are:

Failure of the refrigerator to cool properly: The refrigerator is supposed to cool food at the temperature that you set it at. If it isn’t, you have a reason to worry. The fridge will fail to cool food as expected due to a problem with the freezer setting, obstruction of the vents, malfunctioning door seals, or failure of the internal components.

Water leaking from the fridge: A properly function fridge shouldn’t leak; therefore, when you see water leaking, there is something wrong with the unit. Water will leak from the unit due to dirty drain pan and tube, improperly alignment of the fridge, or ill-fitted water filters.

Failure of the ice maker to make ice: The purpose of the ice maker is to make ice; therefore, when it’s not making the ice, it isn’t doing its work. The ice maker will fail to make ice when the freezer temperature is too high, you have a faulty inlet valve, the icemaker is improperly assembled, or the icemaker module has failed.

Over freezing of the freezer: In some cases, you will find the freezer over freezing to the extent that there is frost collection. This happens when you have a malfunctioning gasket, bad thermostat, or sensor failure.

DIY solutions for refrigerator owners

You don’t have to open up the refrigerator and try to fix the freezer problems as you will most likely cause more problems. What you can do as a refrigerator owner is to keep the fridge in great shape. Some of the things you can do include:

Cleaning the fridge regularly: A dirty refrigerator is not only unsightly to look at, it also works harder than it should due to an accumulation of dust. For you to keep the unit in a good working condition you should regularly clean it.

At least once a week, take time to get rid of dust, pet hair, and debris that might be on your unit. You should note that you may have to remove a few screws at the back so that you can give the unit a thorough cleaning. You should use a vacuum or stiff brush to do the cleaning.

Avoid overloading the unit: Most people have the impression that they save energy when they stock all of their groceries in the fridge. Instead of saving money, you will be damaging your unit when you do this. Overstocking the fridge damages the fridge doors as they don’t close as well as they are supposed to.

When the refrigerator is full, air circulation is poor thus the unit doesn’t cool the food as well as you would want it to. Your role as the owner is to ensure that you never put more food in the unit than it can handle.

When should you hire a refrigerator repair professional?

You should hire a repair expert every time you notice a problem with your unit. If you don’t have the repair skills, don’t attempt fixing the appliance regardless of how minor you think the problem is.

You should contact an experienced refrigerator technician to diagnose and repair the unit.

If your refrigerator is more than ten years old, has been consuming a lot of energy, and developing problems more frequently than normal, chances are that it’s too old and it’s time to get a new one. When buying a new appliance, buy one with a high energy rating. It will be pricier to purchase but it will save you a lot of money in the long run.

What can you do to lessen the cost of refrigerator repair?

The reason why home and restaurant owners attempt to fix the appliances by themselves is to save money they would have spent hiring an expert. Instead of doing this, you should include your refrigerator in your home or business warranty. This will protect you against unexpected, but inevitable high appliance repair Alexandria or replacement costs.