We don’t need to stress on how important it is for every household to have a refrigerator. Small or big, a fridge is especially vital in the summer. Be it for storing ice, medication, staple edibles like milk, eggs, bread etc or for some chilled water to cool off in the summer heat, refrigerators are themselves a household staple. Given that a refrigerator gives us so much during the summer, have we thought of doing something in return for these appliances?
How sure are you that your fridge will withstand the coming summer? Are you worried if you’ll end up overloading it or if you’ll incur huge electricity bills with its incorrect use? To help address such concerns, here’s a guide on how you can ensure that your fridge performs well during the upcoming summer months.
Always Set The Right Temperature
Experts claim that 50 degree Celsius is the right or rather the ideal temperature for the chiller and the fresh zones inside your refrigerator. The freezer will obviously be set to much lower temperatures. But the chiller and fresh zones are larger compartments which require the compressor to put in extra effort to maintain a stable temperature.
During the summer months, especially if the temperature outside is pretty high, the compressor needs to put on a commendable battle to maintain said 50C. Often, it will only manage to maintain the fridge at 7 or 80C. You need to foresee this and set the temperature a bit lower than normal to make sure that food stays fresh and that bacteria don’t breed. Failure to do this could lead to spoilage of food and condensation which further leads to a mold infestation.
Clean Your Fridge
All of it. Yes, it is tough work, but it definitely pays off. Before summer reaches its peak, dust your fridge, especially the back and the wiring. Use a dry cloth to give the entire outer casing a good cleaning. Once that is done, take out all the contents of the fridge and wipe all the internal shelves clean.
Dust or other particulate material on the wiring in the back can cause unnecessary overheating which is extra bad during the summer months when the machine will already be overworking. It would also be a good time ensure that there is some space between the back of the fridge and the wall behind it. This is to make sure that there is enough space for ventilation.
Do Not Overload Or Underload Your Refrigerator
One of the most important aspects that determine efficiency and power consumption of a refrigerator is the amount of filled or unfilled space inside the cavity. Place too many objects and the fridge will be end up overloaded. This leads to incorrect circulation of air, increased consumption of power and uneven cooling of whatever’s kept inside it.
On the other hand, if you leave a lot of empty space, you’ll end up making your compressor work harder to cool all that empty air inside. If you don’t have anything to store, at least fill the space with filled water bottles. We’re sure you’ll appreciate a chilled drink in the heat of the summer.
Get A Professional Check Up
If you’ve been ignoring your fridge’s maintenance needs, now would be a good time to bring in a professional for a thorough evaluation. This would also be a good time to do part replacements and an overall updation. The expert should be able to shed light on how much longer the fridge will run while also giving you tips on ensuring its efficient use.
Make Sure That The Fridge Is In The Right Spot
The maintenance person is also the right guy to give you insights on whether the placing of your fridge is correct or not. The thing is, when placed in extra hotspots like in direct sunlight, right next to the stove etc, the machine would considerably overheat causing internal parts to burn out quickly. Keep in mind that some warranties could be voided out if the fridge is placed in or subjected to extreme temperatures. Since there are reports that this year could be one of Bangalore’s hottest summers, it is best to make sure that your fridge stays in a shaded, cool part of your home.
What If The Expert Deems My Fridge Unfit For Use After Evaluation?
Since he’s the expert, we’d recommend listening to him. Refrigerators do have an expiry date and if they are 5+ years old and well used, it could be hard to get that fridge to perform efficiently. So if your fridge has been labelled inefficient, this would be a good time to look at replacements.
We understand that new refrigerators cost a bomb, so we suggest that you consider renting one ( ideal if your use is short term) or buying a second hand one from us complete with service warranty and customer support. If you are someone who needs a fridge during summer alone, Guarented has a host of compact refrigerators that would fit your requirements very well. You can also take a look at Guarented’s used goods shop for some high quality, pre owned refrigerators.