Basic Care for Fridges and/or Freezers, and Fridge Freezers

Installing a Fridge or Freezer or Fridge Freezer

First thing you should do is to carefully read the manufacturer’s manual on both how your new appliance works and, especially, the correct way to install the appliance.  Make sure you have allowed space for adequate ventilation, more especially with a built-in or integrated model.

Not allowing sufficient ventilation will cause the appliance to overheat and result in a bill to rectify the situation.  Remember that you will be liable for this repair bill, as if the installation is not carried out to the manufacturer’s recommendations, you will be responsible for any costs.

 

If you have chosen an American style fridge freezer, make sure you have a also have a mains water supply available.

Never install this kind of appliance next to a heat source, such as an oven, radiator or open fire.  This will have the same effect as poor ventilation.

The other problem with placing your appliance next to a heat source is that the door seals can be warped, allowing warm air to ingress the cooled compartments.  This will result in an ice build up and will cause the system to work too hard, causing possible wear and tear.

Keeping your appliance energy efficient

Avoid keeping the door open longer than necessary.  Up to 30% of the cold air is lost, resulting in the fridge freezer having to work much harder to cool the temperature again.  The more work your appliance has to do, the more wear and tear on the parts, which could result in failures.

Ensure your door seals are sound, and if damaged, replace as soon as possible to maintain the efficacy of the fridge freezer.  Also make sure that the drain holes located at the base of the fridge and or freezer are kept clear of debris and ice build up.

Do not leave the fridge or freezer door open – children are generally the main culprits, so please ensure they understand these doors must be closed, and not slammed!

Try to avoid filling your freezer with unfrozen food in one go – this can cause a significant temperature rise, causing the system to work overtime to bring it back to the correct levels, causing more wear and tear on the various parts.  Try and put your food away little and often.

Don’t forget to turn off the fast freeze option after use, as this overrides the system and causes the freezer to run constantly.

Cleaning your fridge freezer

Never use any sharp implements on the inside of your fridge or freezer.  You risk causing considerable damage, and you are quite likely to puncture something – the probable result of this is you have  to purchase a replacement.

Check in your manufacturer’s manual what cleaning products you should or should not use.  If you clean your appliance regularly, warm soap and water should be sufficient or even the very popular Anti Bacterial wipe, which are commonly available.

You can damage the inside of your fridge freezer if you use products which are too strong, and these could damage or wear the plastic parts.Remember to ensure the door seals are also kept clean, as these can be clogged with spillages, which will also lead to bad smells.

Defrost your fridge freezer

Basically the same recommendations as for cleaning your appliance will apply.

Disposal of your old fridge freezer

When you purchase your new appliance, most retailers will collect your old equipment and dispose of these correctly.  Usually a small charge applies.

If they don’t offer this service, contact your local Council and they will collect for a fee, and take to an authorised unit for disposal.

Never ever fly tip your old fridge or freezer apart from the damage to the environment and cost the rest of us money to have your old product taken away and dealt with safely. Animals can also become trapped inside your old appliance, causing suffering and death.   

 

 

 

 

 

 


Disclaimer: The information provided has been prepared as a guide only and the steps taken are likely to vary for different appliance models. We strongly recommend using a qualified engineer to undertake major repairs and fault finding.

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