In this time of increasing costs for just about everything, it’s a homeowners’ duty to keep costs minimized when it comes to running the household. Is the outdoor temperature lower than 70 degrees? If so, open the windows, and flip off the air conditioning, no need to continue cooling the already cool air.
What about your other household appliances, like washers, dryers, refrigerators, stoves, lights and more? How can you save money on overuse of these appliances, and reduce the energy output each month? The answer is in the right kind of care, maintenance and cleaning each major appliance in your home needs. Let’s look at what homeowners can do to extend the life of a refrigerator, while reducing the energy demands that it needs.
Refrigerator:
Cleaning and common sense maintenance are the right homeowner tools for refrigerators. With the right care, refrigerators should last several years before possibly needing appliance replacement parts. But until then, here are some tips for homeowners to make sure they consistently do with refrigerator maintenance.
- CLEAN: Many refrigerator models are cooled with condenser coils. Homeowners need to clean these refrigerator coils at least two to three times a year. Vacuum up dust, dirt, pet hair and other debris that form on the coils. If you don’t, the accumulative effect will make your refrigerator work harder, and use more energy to do that.
- LOCATION: Refrigerators are made to be positioned in a controlled climate. Really, it doesn’t make sense to put a refrigerator outdoors when the temperature in certain areas could reach 100 degrees or more in the summer. Refrigerators are meant to indoor use, so keep them away from direct sunlight, outdoor porches and more.
- POSITION: Never pin your refrigerator up against the back wall. Refrigerator coils need the ample air flow room around its back. That helps refrigerators to be cooled more completely and efficiently.
- SEALS: Refrigerator seals (aka gaskets) can become loose, stripped, dirty and otherwise unusable over time, especially in a busy home with lots of refrigerator door opens and shuts. Clean these seals with a light soapy mixture to remove built up gunk on the seals. This cleaning also helps eliminate cracking, dry spots and air leakage. If you see that there is cold air coming out of the refrigerator door, then it may be time to search online for a refrigerator gasket replacement.
- ITEMS: Packed refrigerators, especially in the freezer, need a lot more energy to cool or freeze the items. Don’t overload the freezer. Items needs to cool completely, and a packed freezer will halt that.
- DEFROST: Every quarter or so, take a day to turn off the fridge and defrost the ice buildup. Ice buildup should not be more than a quarter-inch, and certainly not half-inch. Your refrigerator will thank you.
That’s a solid overview of the types of common household cleaning and maintenance you need to take care of your refrigerator over the span of its operating life. However, when you need refrigerator replacement parts, click over to Appliance Parts Company. It’s got the parts you need to extend the lifetime of your household appliance.
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