Guest Blogger: How to Maintain your Fridge/Freezer for Life

Entry #2493, June 4, 2013

Your fridge freezer is an essential appliance required to keep your produce chilled, frozen, and stop items from going off. However, while these appliances are essential, they can also be very costly to purchase. With this in mind, once you have purchased your fridge freezer, you need to make sure you take proper care of it, to minimise problems and keep it running efficiently.

There are many different makes and models of fridge freezers you can choose from, including leading brands. However, no matter which make or model you opt for, you need to take into consideration some basic maintenance steps to ensure that the appliance remains in good working order and continues to run with efficiency.

Refrigerator freezer ideas for your home

Image via: Barton Woodworks

Five tips to caring for your fridge freezer
There are a number of simple yet important steps that you need to take in order to take proper care of your fridge freezer. Some of the key steps you may need to take include the following:

Take care of the door seal:

It may seem like an insignificant part of the appliance, but the door seals on your fridge freezer are hugely important in terms of keeping the appliance running properly. Without proper care and cleaning, the seal can warp, which enables cold air to escape. You can minimise on risks by keeping the seal clean. If your seal is already damaged, you can buy a replacement one for a pretty low price.

Defrost your freezer compartments:

It can save you a lot of time and hassle to opt for a frost-free freezer model. However, if you have a standard one, you need to make sure you regularly defrost the freezer compartments. Do not let the ice become any thicker than 1.5cm, otherwise your appliance will start to use more energy.

Keep your refrigerator and freezer working correctly for years to come

Image via: Kiyohara Moffitt

Keeping the coils clean:

The cooling coils at the back of your fridge freezer are vital in keeping the running of the appliance efficient and effective. You should vacuum these a couple of times a year in order to keep them free from dust and debris, which can ease the strain on them, thus keeping energy usage down.

Don’t overload your fridge or freezer:

It can be tempting to cram as much as you can onto the shelves of your fridge or into your freezer. However, this can put increased strain on your appliance and could lead to the cracking or breaking of shelves and compartments.

Ensure you load your refrigerator correctly

Image via: The Sky is the Limit Design

Effective placement of heavier items:

Most of us keep heavy items such as bottles of liquid in the door compartments of the fridge. Try and place these close to the end where the door hinges are, as this will mean less strain on the hinges of your fridge freezer.

With proper care and some common sense, you can get the most from your fridge freezer and minimise on the cost of repairs and replacements.

For more kitchen ideas on Stagetecture, click here.