Triple Your Refrigerator's Life Span
(Page 2 of 2)
March/April 1986
By the Mother Earth News editors
The best tool for coil cleaning is a refrigerator brush specially designed for the task. Available from most hardware stores for less than $5.00, the stiff, narrow brush is about 18 inches long, with half-inch-wide bristles that fit readily between the bends of the coil. Lacking this, a homeowner can use a broom, or a vacuum cleaner in which the airflow has been reversed to "blow."
RELATED CONTENT
Few in US spell out how they want to die; House health bill includes end-of-life counseling...
Eating locally and seasonally requires creativity and flexibility. But it takes on a whole new mean...
How to turn housesitting into a business and an acceptable, profitable substitute for home ownershi...
A Maine couple goes back to the land and makes a business of homemade foods and crafts....
Cleaning the condenser coil is a straightforward procedure. Simply unplug the appliance, remove the protective grille (if there is one), and gently brush or blow the dirt off the coil. "When you dust the coil, take the time to wipe the dirt off the fan blades, too," Leroy advises. "Dust can accumulate on each blade's leading edge, causing the fan to slow down and turn out of balance. This can place a strain on the fan motor." Once the coil and the fan are clean, sweep up the dust, replace the grille, and plug the refrigerator back in again.
"It sounds simple," Leroy admits, "but it can save you a lot of money and hassle in the long run. A refrigerator with a clean condenser coil will release heat more efficiently, operate with less strain on the mechanical parts, and draw less current. Essentially, your appliance will do a better job for less money."
Replacement of the gasket—the strip of rubber around the door that makes the appliance airtight—is a job that may, depending on the model, call for professional help. However, you can easily check the effectiveness of the seal on an older refrigerator.
"Take a dollar bill and try to move it around the gasket with the door shut," Richter says. "If it slides freely, the gap will measure about 1/8-inch wide, and the gasket probably needs to be replaced."
Our last maintenance tip is one of Leroy's definite no-nos: On older "non-frostfree" appliances, do not—repeat, do not—use an ice pick, a knife, or other sharp object to chip frost from the interior coil. "If you do, you run the risk of puncturing the coil," Leroy says. "This can release the freon charge and introduce water into the freon. Expensive professional attention is likely to be required for correcting these problems and for restoring the refrigerator to service."
Page:
<< Previous 1 | 2 |
