Tag Archives: refrigerator repair tips

Understanding The Common Problems With Refrigerators

refrigerator repiarA refrigerator is an important unit to have in your house. The unfortunate thing with refrigerators is that they tend to develop problems over time. To help you out here are some of the common refrigerator problems:

Failure of the fridge to cool

There are many factors that can prevent your refrigerator from cooling. Some of these factors include: defective fan, bad compressor, capacitor and overstocking the fridge.

When your fridge fails to cool food, you should look at the condenser coils and dust them off. You should also look at the refrigerator door seal and ensure that isn’t broken. Finally, you should take a look at the thermostat and ensure that it’s set correctly. For ideal results, you should ensure that it’s set between 38-40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Leaking

It’s common for water to leak in refrigerators especially if there is a condensation build up. To repair the problem, you should check the lines to your dispenser. If the lines are broken or damaged you should replace them. You should also take a look at the drain pan. If there are holes or cracks on the pan, you should replace the pan.

Fridge freezing food

This happens when the thermostat isn’t set properly. The problem can also happen when the circulating fan blows cold air through the freezer. You should look at the fan and ensure that it’s working perfectly and blowing air the right way.

Frost buildup

This happens when there is a thick layer of frost that blocks the freezer. To undertake refrigerator repair you should empty and unplug the fridge temporarily in order to allow the ice to melt. To speed up the defrosting process you should consider using a hairdryer.

Excessive noise

Excessive noise in refrigerators is brought about by a number of factors including: unlubricated motors and malfunctioning fan. To fix the problem you should lubricate the motors. You should also replace the fan if it’s the one causing the problem. If you replace the fan and the problem persists, you should check its position and ensure that you haven’t placed it too close to the compressor.

Conclusion

These are some of the common problems with refrigerators. While there are some minor problems that you can rectify by yourself, you should avoid trying to rectify problems that you don’t understand. If your fridge develops complex problems you should hire a refrigerator repair professional to help you out.

Know your refrigerator to minimize cost of repairs

Virginia Refrigerators Repair

A refrigerator is the only electrical appliance that runs continuously day and night to keep your food cold. But sometimes on rare occasions, your refrigerator stops working and puts you in a situation where you need to pay high repair bill and in few cases the cost of the replacement of fridge. So, it’s better to follow refrigerator repair tips to prevent the high cost of repairs on your refrigerator. The reality is that some of the repairs are so easy and require simple knowledge about the appliance and patience to fix the problem at home.

Why Hire a Refrigerator Repair Company

Before fixing any problem, you must know about the internal arrangement of your refrigerator. All type of freezers and refrigerators consists of two components. One is a condenser coil and another is evaporator coil. A liquid coolant passes through both these coils with the help of a compressor and the electric motor. The liquid present in the refrigerator then cools down inside the condenser and passes to the evaporator. The amount of air present in the unit gets cooled off after developing a connection with the liquid-filled coil. Condenser coil is placed outside the unit while evaporator coil inside the unit and the coolant circulates through the entire system with the help of a compressor.

These days, refrigerators are frost free and heater gets turned on automatically as per the timer and melt the frost present inside the refrigerator. When melting of the frost completes then the thermostat resort to a cooling cycle to preserve the standard temperature of freezing. This automatic process rules out building up of frost.

A capacity type motor runs the compressor system and leads the coolant to pass through the coil system. Other parts used for cooling or defrosting system include thermostats, heaters, condensers and fans. If you want to fix the problem in any of these components then you must know the internal functioning of all these parts of the refrigerator and freezers. A DIY(Do it yourself)helps to save money on repair but there are exceptions and best to contact a professional refrigerator repair company to fix the problem and follow refrigerator repair tips to minimize the amount of repairs.

Before starting any repair on your refrigerator or freezer, make sure to unplug it. After unplugging, check the presence of a motor/compressor with a capacitor. Capacitors store electricity and supplies power even after power is off. So, ensure to discharge the capacitor before starting any DIY repairs to prevent a severe shock.

Do French door Refrigerators Have More Problems?

French door refrigerators are known for their sleek design, easy access to fresh food items, and plenty of attractive features.

Despite these, many homeowners have reported that the refrigerators keep developing problems, so they end up spending a lot of money on appliance repair.

Do French door refrigerators have more problems? If the fridge has a bottom mount freezer, it’s bound to have more problems. This is because the freezer is the most complicated part of the fridge, and when it’s mounted at the bottom, it brings about plenty of issues.

Other problems your French door fridge might be having

Other than the bottom mount freezer, your fridge can have plenty of other issues that include:

Less vertical storage

French door fridges feature closely stacked fresh food shelves that make it hard to store sodas and magnums of wine due to their limited space.

Some fridges try to salvage the situation by having split shelves where one section slides out of the way, allowing you to store taller items on the shelf below, but this is still a problem as you can’t store a large pot.

They go at a higher price.

In addition to having limited vertical space, they often go at a higher price, often due to the many features they come with. This means when you are looking to own one of the units, you have to part with a substantial amount of money.

External dispensers keep failing.

Many French door refrigerators come with a through-the-door ice and water dispenser that keeps failing, and this can burn a huge hole in your pocket.

They can be too large.

The refrigerator designers are all about designing units that are as large and feature-packed as possible, so if you live in an old home, the appliance might not be too large for your home, giving your house a weird look after installing them.

The refrigerators are also bulky, so when you install them in a small kitchen, the kitchen might appear swallowed up.

The units aren’t energy efficient.

Due to all the features on them, refrigerators consume more energy than other units in the market. This means when you own one, you always have a high energy bill at the end of every month.

Still interested in a French door refrigerator?

It’s no doubt that French door fridges have issues as you need to repair them more often and they cost more, but if you feel they are right for you, there is no reason you shouldn’t buy them.

When buying the pieces, ensure you are cautious. For example, ensure you buy a fridge with a freezer drawer that can pull all the way out. You can also opt for a fridge with two freezer drawers at the bottom, one on top of the other.

As mentioned, French door fridges are larger than other fridges, so before you head to the stores, ensure you have enough space to store them.

Where will you be using the fridge? In the kitchen or the utility area? Ensure the fridge you are looking to buy is compatible with this space.

When choosing where to store the fridge, remember that the fridge doors open on both sides, so store the fridge in an area that allows you to open the door from both sides.

You don’t want to spend your entire income paying your energy bill, do you? So you should pay close attention to the energy star rating of the appliance.

Although, you should expect the unit to consume more energy than a standard fridge, the difference shouldn’t be too much. For a great experience, ensure your fridge has a high energy star rating.

The final thing to do is to buy a unit that is pleasing to the eye. As mentioned, the fridge doesn’t come cheap, and you shouldn’t spend all of your money on an ugly appliance, so ensure the fridge you are looking to buy has a beautiful finish and is aesthetic to look at.

To settle on a given look, consider your home décor. Will the décor suit a matte texture, metallic color, or something different? It’s up to you to decide.

If not sure about the right unit to go for, ask a refrigerator repair Fairfax professional to help you out.