Troubleshooting Common Refrigerator Problems

A refrigerator is an important item in every home. If you have a malfunctioning refrigerator, it might cause your food to go bad. With the health risks associated with eating bad food, it's important to keep your refrigerator in top condition. You can do this on your own, or enlist appliance repair services. Here's is what to do if your refrigerator is not working properly.

Check the temperature

The most important thing you need to do is check that the temperature in your refrigerator is at an appropriate level. It should be between 0° and 4° Celsius. Any warmer than that and certain items are in the danger zone of spoiling or developing bacteria that could be harmful to your health if you ingest them. If it gets any colder, certain items could freeze, which will cause you to have to throw them away. You could buy a thermometer from any hardware store to make sure of this. Many refrigerators have built-in thermometers, but a freestanding thermometer will help you keep track of the temperature in all parts of the refrigerator.

If your refrigerator is too warm without reason

 When you have your refrigerator set on the appropriate temperature and the thermometer still shows it's too warm, you'll have to investigate. Trying not to open and close the door too much is one way to preserve its temperature. You should also check the door seals on your refrigerator to see if they have food residue, if they're cracked or if they're loose. If there is dirt and grime on them, try removing it with a toothbrush. Food residue can prevent you from closing the refrigerator door properly. If the seals are broken, you probably need to get them replaced completely.

If your refrigerator seems to be working too hard

If your refrigerator seems to be working too hard, if the backside feels warm, or if it makes an excessive amount of noise, you should check the door seal again. If it seems to be whole, then turn off the refrigerator for a little while and vacuum the condenser coils. If this doesn't help, you might want to consider hiring an electrician to take a look at it. You could also get a new refrigerator, but as it might be a problem with the electricity too, a new refrigerator might not help. If you have a fairly new fridge that is malfunctioning, then it could be a problem with the outlet to the refrigerator. 


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