Lots of us like to use our garages as extensions of our homes and living areas. This means lots of us have appliances in our garages, including refrigerators. Just like any other appliances, these can be costly to replace and we want to make sure we get the most out of our money. According to a profile published by the U.S Department of Energy, the average working life of a refrigerator is 12 years. Make sure you garage refrigerator gets the most out of its life with these 6 quick tips!
These easy tips can help you save money, time and stress!
Smooth Running
1. Keep Doors Shut
This tip seems very obvious, but it is something that can easily be overlooked when trying to organize a messy refrigerator or unload groceries from a large shopping excursion. The temperature fluctuations from the outside air cause undue strain on the mechanics of your refrigerator and age it prematurely.
2. Be Conscientious of Foods
The manner in which you store food in your refrigerator can actually have a major impact on how well the refrigerator will run. Warm or hot food, as well as uncovered liquids, make the compressor work harder and longer to normalize interior temperatures. Make sure to allow time for hot foods to cool off before storing them in the refrigerator. Try to wrap, or cover, everything you store to put the least amount of stress on the compressor as possible and maintain ideal interior temperatures.
Save Energy
3. Airtight Doors
You’re paying the bill to have your refrigerator maintain temperature for your food, so why would you want something as easy to fix as door seals to waste your hard-earned money? Doors that are not airtight are one of the main culprits for your refrigerator running up your electric bill unnecessarily. The extra work your refrigerator will have to do to make up for the lack of sealing will also lessen its lifespan and be costly to you in the future.
4. Maintain Temperature
Keeping the recommended temperature inside of your refrigerator and freezer is key to keeping energy costs down. You don’t want to make the mistake of keeping the temperature colder than needed, as this will cost money and could spoil some foods. A good range is between 35 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit for your refrigerator and 0 degrees Fahrenheit for your freezer.
Keeping a thermometer on the inside of your refrigerator is
a quick way to make sure all is running as it should be.
Cleaning
5. Interior
Garages can be damp places, which makes your garage refrigerator even more vulnerable to a buildup of mildew or mold. Keeping a regular cleaning schedule with your refrigerator is a great way to prevent this. Simple household cleaners can easily remove these buildups as they appear while ensuring that your food is stored in a clean environment.
Set aside a regular time, maybe after reloading on groceries, to
quickly wipe down your refrigerator to prevent any long-term buildups.
6. Exterior
Keeping the exterior of your refrigerator is just as important, if not more important, as cleaning the interior. These coils are located on the bottom back side of the refrigerator. Debris, dust or dirt can easily build up on the coils over time. This can cause the coils to cool improperly, adding additional strain to your refrigerator. Vacuuming the exterior coils will keep your refrigerator clean, running properly and at its most energy efficient. For safety, please unplug the refrigerator while cleaning.
Need some more helpful tips and tricks? Contact us today!
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