Appliance Repair Miami

A Guide to Fridge Maintenance

A Guide to Fridge Maintenance

Your kitchen is one of the most important parts of your home. This is the room that is most filled with beautiful memories, such as cooking an elaborate Thanksgiving meal or decorating sugar cookies with red and green sprinkles for Christmas. The kitchen also hosts arguably your most important appliance—your fridge. Without your fridge, you would not be able to conveniently store food for long periods of time without it going bad. But thankfully, you can rely on your fridge when you want a nice, cold snack like a hardboiled egg, cheese stick, or piece of chilled fruit. You can also rely on your fridge to keep bacteria away from raw foods like uncooked meats until you can cook them for a family meal. 

Yet no matter how reliable your fridge is, it still may experience problems as it ages. The best way you can prevent prevalent issues with this appliance is to invest in regular fridge maintenance. Here are five fridge maintenance tips to keep your appliance healthy and functional: 

1. Clean Your Coils 

Your fridge’s coils, located beneath or at the back of the appliance, help keep everything cool. But they can’t do their job unless you keep them clear. Things like pet hair, crumbs, and dust can get into the coils and cause them to work less efficiently. That is why cleaning them should be part of your regular fridge maintenance schedule. Make sure to remove the grate or panel that hosts your coils and give everything a thorough vacuum with a brush or wand attachment every once in a while. If you can’t remember the last time you cleaned your coils, it’s been too long. 

When you clean your coils, it is also a good idea to clear the space beneath your fridge. Bits of food and other debris have the tendency to collect in this area. Make sure to keep this area clean as well to prevent your coils from becoming dirty again too quickly. 

2. Check Your Fridge Door Seal

The seal or gasket that keeps your garage door shut can become worn after a time. This results in cool air leaking from your fridge. When cool air escapes, it means your fridge has to work harder to maintain the proper temperature. This puts strain on the appliance, and it may also cause a rise in your utility bills. For the sake of both your appliance and your wallet, make sure that you clean and repair your fridge door seal when needed. 

A woman performs fridge maintenance.

3. Change Your Filters 

If you have a fridge with an ice maker and water dispenser, then you have filters that need changing. These filters keep your ice maker and water dispenser clean, clear of bacteria, and efficient. You should change them every three months, just like other filters in your home, such as the ones in your HVAC system.

4. Clean Your Fridge 

Sometimes, debris, bacteria, bits of food, and moisture inhabit your fridge’s shelves. Part of regular fridge maintenance should be clearing out any old food and wiping down your shelves. Believe it or not, keeping your fridge clean inside is an important part of ensuring that this appliance has a long, healthy life. Moisture, especially, is detrimental to your fridge’s health. That is why you should always wipe down your fridge. It will keep everything dry, cool, and efficient. 

5. Keep Everything at the Correct Temperature

Your fridge must maintain a consistent temperature to keep food safe and ensure the appliance functions properly. You should keep your fridge between 37 and 40 Fahrenheit. Your freezer needs to be 0 degrees Fahrenheit or less. 

We Can Help With Fridge Maintenance and Repair 

Performing fridge maintenance on your own is an excellent way to improve the health of your appliance and extend its lifespan. However, fridge maintenance is not always enough to prevent a repair need. If your fridge has suddenly stopped working, you can rely on the experienced professionals at Appliance Repair Miami for a solution. Reach out today to learn more about our services! 

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