How long do refrigerators last

6 Rules to Extend Lifetime of Your Fridge

In this article – “How long do refrigerators last”, we will speak about the rules of operation that will help you significantly extend the lifetime of your fridge.

Increase The Temperature

The longest storage life of food is not always necessary. For example, if we speak about a fridge in a big family, there’s a little chance the food will be stored for a long time.

In this case, you can slightly increase the temperature in the refrigerator and freezer compartments, for example, to 44°F and 3°F respectively.

In case of mechanical control, you can simply slow down the compressor operation speed. While it helps to increase the lifetime only by a couple of percent, you will get a notable improvement if combined with the other rules.

Provide Environment

The environmental factors also have an effect on the compressor load.

The following conditions will ease the life of your appliance:

• The condenser should have enough space for the heat exchange, even if it is a built-in model.
• Try to avoid direct sunlight on the body as it causes additional harmful heating.
• If you have a kitchen with a heated floor, it is necessary to have a heating-free zone for a fridge.
• The ambient temperature should be within the climate class of your appliance.

Regular Maintenance

Timely cleaning is a preventive measure that allows you to save the lifetime. The following key elements of a fridge require your attention and maintenance:

1. Seals. A dried-out and creased seal is a perfect channel for hot and cold air exchange. As a result, the fridge will fail to efficiently maintain the temperature, further increasing the load on the compressor. With rare exceptions, you don’t need to replace a seal with a new one. It’s enough to remove, wash, and clean it with castor oil that allows it to remain elastic. In order to check the seal quality, close the fridge door with a paper sheet in between: the seal is fine if it takes much effort to take the sheet out. It’s recommended to repeat the test along the entire seal length.
2. Condenser. In most cases, a condenser is installed on the back, but it can also be installed on the sides. It’s important to keep it dust-free. The dust serves as the heat insulation (like our clothes) and prevents cooling of the refrigerant, which results in higher compressor load.
3. Freezer evaporators. Freezers of some models are not equipped with the No Frost system. In this case, the frost accumulates on the evaporator and becomes an obstacle for the heat exchange. Such freezers should be defrosted on a regular basis, specifically in a natural way for 24 hours.

It’s best to combine all the mentioned procedures with an overall fridge cleaning. In the end, you should keep in mind not only the appliance’s lifetime but food storage safety as well.

Perform Diagnostics

The sooner you find a potential fault, the faster and cheaper the solution will be. Adopt it as a rule of thumb: call a specialist to check the performance of your fridge at least once a year. The main point is to find an honest specialist who will not make up non-existent problems.

Fewer Openings

Many people (especially if living in a family) are in the habit of constantly checking the content of a fridge and hoping to find something new in it. The door opening results in a rapid temperature rise in the compartment. In order to avoid unnecessary load, develop a habit of opening your fridge only for a specific purpose.

Check What You Put In

It’s important to take into account the quantity and temperature of food you put in your fridge. For example, if it’s a hot meal, it’s necessary to cool it down to room temperature.

The quantity generally matters only for the freezer. Every fridge has a specific daily freezing capacity. Try to stick to it and add products in small portions.

Apart from that, you should pay attention to the food position in the refrigerator compartment. According to the rules of operation, every food type (vegetables, greens, bottles, rigid packs etc.) has to have its own place.

The equal distribution allows for the best cooling efficiency and temperature control.

Bottom Line

In the last two years, the household appliances market has changed for the worse for customers. It’s getting harder and harder to buy a quality model at a reasonable price.

That is why if you extend the lifetime of your present fridge, you can save a fair amount of money. Especially when you can follow these rules without any extraordinary effort or significant expenses.