How to Make Your Fridge Last Longer
If you are curious about how to prolong the life of your fridge, this article might be helpful for you. We have put together four tips that will help to extend the lifespan of your appliance.
Having a fridge is essential for your kitchen. It makes sure that your food stays fresh and it provides cool drinks on a hot summer’s day. Therefore, it is for sure annoying if your fridge suddenly stops working or breaks completely. While we can help you to repair your fridge, there is nothing else to do than to buy a new one in case it’s irreparable.
According to a study of the National Association of Home Builders, the expected lifespan of a fridge is around 13 years. To make sure your fridge lasts that long or even longer, you’ll have to pay attention to it and keep it clean and fresh. Our tips will help you with that.
1. Keep the Fridge’s Gaskets Clean
The gaskets are the secret of why the air stays cool inside a fridge. It means the little plastic strip that forms a seal between the fridge and doors. And by keeping the cold air inside, it helps conserving energy. To make sure that the gaskets do their job properly, you should clean them regularly by wiping them to remove debris. Once they are clean, you can use Vaseline to keep them elastic.
2. Defrost the Freezer
To keep your freezer working properly, you should defrost it at least once a year. Another indicator that is time for defrosting it is when the ice inside has built up to a size bigger than one inch. To defrost it, you have to take out all the food and unplug so the ice can start melting. Don’t forget to cover the floor around the fridge with towels as it might get wet otherwise. If you want to speed up the process, you can even use a spatula or a hairdryer but not a knife as this could destroy the elements or the internal surface.
3. Clean the Compressor
The compressor is the heart of your fridge as it makes sure that your appliance keeps cool. To do that needs to get air easily, so it must be free of dust. And this also helps the compressor from overheating which expands its lifespan. Most compressors are located in the bottom of the appliance and can be cleaned by wiping the toe-kick. This should be done two or three times a year.
4. Use the Ice Maker Regularly.
If your fridge has an ice maker, you should use it regularly to keep it working properly. Therefore, you should look in the manual of your appliance to find out how much water should run through the system during a week and make sure to follow these instructions. Otherwise the water inside the fridge will turn into ice that will build up into a huge ice block. Once you start using it again the block can break the spinning bar that moves the ice to the front of the fridge.
Of course, every appliance needs to be replaced eventually but by following these tips you can at least make sure that you got the most out of it. Don’t be too annoyed if you have to get a new appliance as that could also mean that you will save energy in the future when buying a newer refrigerator. And if you need help with the installation: We got you covered.