How to Avoid Refrigerator Repairs

Step 1: Clean the condenser coils (5 minutes)

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Photo 1: Remove the grille

Unsnap the grille at the bottom of the refrigerator to access the coils. If your coils are located on the back, you'll have to roll the fridge out to get at them.

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Photo 2: Brush off the coils

Clean the coils with a special coil cleaning brush to loosen the dirt and dust. Vacuum the coils as you brush. Be careful not to bend the fan blades. A gentle brushing will do the job.

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Coils on the back of the fridge

Some refrigerators have the coils on the back of the unit. Brush and vacuum these coils in the same manner as coils found under a refrigerator.

You can eliminate more than 70 percent of service calls with this simple cleaning step (Photos 1 and 2). Skip this chore and you'll be contributing to your appliance repairman's retirement fund. Not to mention handing over $5 to $10 a month extra to your utility company because the fridge isn't running efficiently.

Do it twice a year or more often if you have shedding pets. Their fur clogs up the coils fast.

Condenser coils are located on the back of the fridge or across the bottom. These coils cool and condense the refrigerant. When the coils are clogged with dirt and dust, they can't efficiently release heat. The result is your compressor works harder and longer than it was designed to, using more energy and shortening the life of your fridge.

Clean the coils with a coil cleaning brush and vacuum. A coil cleaning brush does a thorough job and will easily pay for itself (look for one at appliance parts stores). The brush is bendable to fit in tight areas. They can be used for cleaning your dehumidifier and air conditioner coils too.

Step 2: Clean the condenser fan (5 minutes)

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Photo 1: Remove the lower back cover

Access the condenser fan by rolling the fridge away from the wall and removing the lower back cover with a screwdriver. Replace the cover when you're finished. It's essential for good air circulation.

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Photo 2: Brush and vacuum the fan

Clean the fan blades with the brush and vacuum so air can move freely across them. Also clean the shaft by vacuuming the crease where the blade meets the motor. Don't lubricate the shaft; oil will attract dirt and cause problems.

If the coils are located on the bottom of the fridge like ours, clean the condenser fan and the area around it. (Fridges with coils on the back don't have a fan.) The fan circulates air across the coils to help cool them. At times, paper, dirt, dust and even mice can get sucked into the fan and bring it to a complete stop.

Photos 1 and 2 show you how to clean the fan. Yours could be in a different area, but it's always next to the compressor. Most refrigerators will have a diagram on the back or folded up under the front grille showing the location of the major parts. While you're under there, wipe out the drip pan, a flat pan that collects water from the defrost cycle and allows it to evaporate.

Step 3: Wipe down the door gasket (2 minutes)

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Clean the door gasket

Wipe the door gasket regularly with warm water and a sponge. Don't use detergent—it can damage the gasket.

Prevent an expensive gasket repair bill ($100 to $200) and cut down air leaks by keeping your door gasket clean. Syrup, jelly or any other sticky stuff dripping down the front sides of your refrigerator can dry and glue the gasket to the frame. The next time you open the door, your gasket can tear. Keep it clean and you'll get a nice, tight seal, keeping the cool air where it belongs, in the fridge.

To prevent wear, lubricate the door handle side of the gasket by sprinkling baby powder on a cloth and wiping it down once a month.

A manual defrost is turned off to defrost

A cycle defrost warms an evaporator plate to stop
frost build up

A frost-free fridge melts ice on the evaporator coils

Three Types of Refrigerators

All refrigerators work on the same principle of cycling refrigerant through two sets of coils. The evaporator coils do the cooling, and the condenser coils release accumulated heat. Where fridges primarily differ is in how they defrost.

A manual defrost is the oldest and simplest type. As the name implies, you defrost these by turning them off and letting all the ice melt. The water then drips into a pan or runs into the fridge where you wipe it up.

Cycle defrost refrigerators have an evaporator plate in the refrigerator section that warms after each running cycle to eliminate frost buildup. But you have to defrost the freezer manually by turning a dial to the defrost mode. The water in most models flows into a channel in the back and then down through a tube to a drip tray under the fridge.

The frost-free refrigerator, the most common today, uses a heater to melt ice on the evaporator coils. The heater is turned on by a timer and automatically shuts off. An evaporator fan distributes the cold air through the freezer. Many models have an opening under the crisper drawers to draw water to the drip tray underneath.

Step 4: Clear the freezer vents (5 minutes)

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Keep the freezer vents unobstructed

Clear food packages away from the vent openings and clean the air return so crumbs and twist ties don't clog them.

These little vents on frost-free fridges allow air to circulate in the freezer. Don't block them or let crumbs or twist ties get sucked in around the evaporator fan or clog the drain tube. To help save energy, keep your freezer about three quarters full to retain cold air. But don't pack it any fuller—the air needs to circulate.

Step 5: Set the temperature controls to the middle settings (1 minute)

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Adjust the temperature controls

Set the temperature controls to the middle settings. Make any adjustments according to a refrigerator thermometer. The optimum setting for your fridge is between 38 and 42 degrees F; the freezer, between 0 and 10 degrees.

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Temperature settings

Save money by keeping your freezer set at 0 F and your fridge set at 40 F.

This step won't necessarily prevent a repair, but it'll extend the life of your fridge by allowing it to run more efficiently, which reduces your electric bill. Your fridge has at least two temperature controls (except on manual defrost types, which have one). The one for the food compartment is a thermostat that turns the compressor on and off. The second, for the freezer, is just an air baffle. The baffle lets cold air from the freezer sink into the food compartment. Closing the baffle makes the freezer colder.

Charcoal, newspaper and baking soda keep the
fridge from stinking

Three Ways to Get the Smell Out

1. Charcoal briquettes absorb the odor just like a filter in a range hood.
2. Crumpled newspaper. The ink absorbs the odor.
3. Baking soda is the old standby. Leave an open box in the fridge and replace it every three months for continuous deodorizing.

Step 6: Clear and clean the drip openings (2 minutes)

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Locate the drip cup

Find the drip opening on your fridge

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Close up of the drip tube opening

Locate the drip opening and wipe it out, being careful not to press any debris down into the hole. Suck out crumbs with a vacuum.

Drip openings allow water that has melted from the defrost cycle to flow down to a pan located by the compressor, where it evaporates. Check your owner's manual for the location on your fridge. On cycle defrost fridges, a channel directs the water to a tube in the food compartment.

On frost-free types, look for a small cap under the crisper drawers that covers a hole, or an opening in the back of the freezer or refrigerator. If the drain opening clogs, water will build up under the crisper drawers and eventually pour out onto the floor.