How to Keep Your Refrigerator Humming

Six maintenance steps will prevent most refrigerator breakdowns.

By Jeff Timm

From The Family Handyman

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About this Project:

Overview and Preparation

Step-by-Step Pictures and Instructions for How to Keep Your Fridge Humming

Troubleshooting

It’s hard to believe, but six simple maintenance steps will prevent almost 100 percent of refrigerator breakdowns and eliminate those service calls. Take these steps and you can forget spoiled food, lost time waiting for repair people and shelling out $70 an hour plus parts for the repair itself. In this story, we’ll show you how to keep your fridge humming and trouble-free. And we’ll also tell you what to check if a problem does occur.

Clean the condenser coils (5 minutes)
Clean the condenser fan (5 minutes)
Wipe down the door gasket (2 minutes)
Clear the freezer vents (5 minutes)
Set the temperature controls to the middle settings (1 minute)
Six Clear and clean the drip openings (2 minutes)

Troubleshooting

Service specialists will be the first to admit: A ton of their callers don’t require repair service at all. The solutions are so easy they don’t even require a toolbox. Before you pick up the phone, check the following list. It just might save you $70 and a bit of embarrassment.

Got power?

Check the circuit breaker or fuse box to be sure power’s coming to the outlet.
Is the cord plugged in tight? Wiggle it around a little. A worn receptacle could let the plug fall out just enough for the connection to fail.
Plug a light or any other electrical device into the outlet to see if it works. If it doesn’t, you’ve got an electrical problem, not a refrigerator problem.
Check for a loose, worn or frayed power cord. Rodents often chew through a wire. Sometimes cords loosen when the fridge is moved.

What if you have power but poor cooling?

Make sure the thermostat is turned on and set right. On some models the dial is easily bumped, shutting the fridge down. Or kids could have messed with it.

Your fridge is running all the time but the food’s still warm.

Vacuum the coils (Photos 1 and 2, p. 55). Dirty coils can eventually cause the overload protector on the compressor to shut the fridge down. It’ll automatically come back on when the compressor cools, but by then your food is usually warm.
Is the condenser fan jammed? (This applies only to fridges with the coils on the bottom.) Remove any obstacles and clean it thoroughly (see Photos 1 and 2, p. 56). Unplug the fridge and turn it a few times and see if it comes on. If it’s still not working, you’ll have to replace it. For step-by-step instructions, see “The Fix It Yourself Manual” by Reader’s Digest ($34.96 plus $4.48 shipping). Call (800) 491-7504 or look for it at a local library.
Is the light turning off when the door’s closed? That little light bulb can raise the temperature in the fridge substantially. To check it, close the door and use a butter knife to pull the gasket slightly away from the frame. If light shines out, the switch is bad or slightly out of alignment. Until you fix the switch, loosen the light bulb so it goes out.
Look for ice buildup (frost-free fridges only) bulging on the inside walls or the floor of the freezer. Manually defrost the freezer by unplugging it. It’s only a temporary fix, so call for service.

Art Direction • DAVID FARR

Photography • RAMON MORENO

Consultants • COSTAS STAVROU, NICOLLET APPLIANCE REPAIR, and RON ZEIEN, JR’s APPLIANCES