Refrigerator coils
A refrigerator is an expensive investment, so what can we do to protect one of the working horse appliances in your home? Regular maintenance!
Your refrigerator is cooled by condenser coils filled with refrigerant that cools the air inside your refrigerator. These metal tubes are in a u-shape grid pattern. They are not sealed up in any sort of casement, which means they can quickly become dusty and covered in pet hair if you have a furry friend. This dust and dirt make the refrigerator work harder to stay cool, which can up your energy usage and also cut down on the life of your fridge.
Taking a few minutes today to clean your refrigerator coils may help you add years of life to this pricey appliance!
To complete this task, you will need your vacuum with a crevice attachment, a dust rag, and a condenser coil brush or paintbrush if you have one handy. If your coils are located at the bottom of your refrigerator, you may find that a flashlight is helpful to get a better view. A dust mask is also handy, especially if you have allergies.
CLEAN START
Before you get to cleaning, pull your refrigerator away from the wall and unplug it. You should always take this safety step before working with any electric appliance. Your refrigerator will only be off for a few minutes, so your food inside should remain cold.
Next, locate the condenser coils on your refrigerator. They will either be exposed on the back of your refrigerator or located at the base and covered by a toe-grill. If your coils are at the bottom of your fridge, gently remove the grill cover.
DITCH THE DUST
Now it’s time to gently vacuum the condenser coils with the crevice tool to remove built-up dust and debris. If it’s been a while since your last cleaning, your coils may be especially gunky. Next, gently move the paint or condenser brush back and forth on the tubes to loosen and remove dust. Stop as necessary to vacuum up the grime.
Now that your condenser coils are looking spic and span, you may also want to clean and mop the floor under the fridge before pushing it back into place. Replace the toe-grill on your fridge if it has one — it should snap easily back in place! Once the floor is dry from mopping, plug your refrigerator in and return it to its space.
Before you celebrate completing this kind of icky yet oddly satisfying home maintenance task, add your refrigerator’s information to your Househappy account for easy reference should you ever need it!