If your home's refrigerator is not working properly, you don't want to put off getting it repaired. If food does not stay as cool as it should, it might harbor harmful bacteria that could be dangerous to your health, and might also become spoiled and need to be tossed out, wasting your grocery dollars. The refrigerator's motor and blower might also get overworked, so that they wear out sooner than they should, also causing your electricity bill to spike. You may need electrical appliance repairs, but you might consider some simple troubleshooting tips for your home's refrigerate, as this might get it working again in no time.
Check the gaskets
The gaskets are the rubber pieces that run around the rim of the inside of the refrigerator door. These gaskets form a vacuum and help to seal the door shut, keeping cool air inside the refrigerator. If these gaskets should become worn or loose and lose that vacuum seal, they can let out cold air, so that the refrigerator doesn't cool as it should, even if the motor is running.
To test the gaskets, close the door on a dollar bill; open the door and move the dollar around so that you test every area of the door's interior. If the bill should slide around after the door is closed, this means the gasket is loose in that area. You can usually replace the gasket very easily, and this will keep the refrigerator interior cool again.
Fan
There is a fan behind the refrigerator that helps to cool the motor and remove condensation. If this fan gets too much dust built up around the blades, or if something gets caught in the fan blades, it won't operate as it should, and the motor can then overheat. The compressor might also fail to compress the coolant in the unit, so that the refrigerator doesn't produce cool air. You can usually unscrew the back of the refrigerator and clean the fan blades; this can get the unit cooling again.
Freezer
Note if there is ice or frost that has built-up in the freezer. Most refrigerators today are self-defrosting, so they shouldn't have this type of build-up; if they do, this often means the thermostat is broken and that the unit is not reading its own internal temperature properly. You can clean the inside of the freezer and dry it out, but the thermostat should be replaced so that the unit functions again as it should, and doesn't get too cold or too warm as it operates.
Share15 December 2017
Most modern Australian homes rely heavily on electrical power. Unfortunately, not many people realise just how much they rely on electrical power until the power supply to their home is disrupted in some way. There are a number of steps you can take which will help to protect the electricity supply to your home. I am not an electrical contractor, but after a couple of power failures, I have learnt an awful lot from the professional contractors who came out to repair the wiring and fuses in my home. I hope this blog will help you to keep the lights on in your property.