How to Clean Your Refrigerator’s Condenser Coils

Why clean your refrigerator coils?

Your refrigerator is one of the most important appliances you own. Refrigerators are usually unappreciated until they break down. If you want to make sure your refrigerator lasts longer, the best thing you can do is clean the condenser coils every 12 months or so. By caring for the condenser coils and fans, you will be helping your refrigerator have a longer life.

When you regularly clean your condenser coils and fans, you are saving yourself thousands of dollars in potential repairs or having to purchase a new refrigerator. The more the dust and dirt that builds up on the coils, the lower the efficiency of the refrigerator. The quality of refrigeration slowly starts to decrease, which will ultimately affect the lifespan of your fridge. One of the best things about cleaning your refrigerator coils is that it takes less than an hour to complete, and all you need to do to make sure you do the job well is follow some simple steps.

How to Clean Your Refrigerator Coils

By following these steps, you will help increase the efficiency and lifespan of your refrigerator, which will save you money, time, and stress down the road.

1. Disconnect

Before you start cleaning your refrigerator coils, make sure you shut off the circuit breaker. Slide the refrigerator away from the wall and then remove the plug from the electrical outlet. If you do not shut off the circuit breaker, you will be at risk of electrocuting yourself!

2. Locate the condenser coil

Before you can start cleaning your refrigerator coils, you must locate where the condenser coils and fan are. True Freezers’ condensers are at the bottom of the unit. All you have to do is remove the front grill, and you will have easy access to it!

3. Vacuum the coil

Using the brush attachment for your vacuum, carefully vacuum out and dust, dirt, or lint that you see on the coils. Any breach or break created in the coils will allow the refrigerant to escape, and that will likely result in an expensive repair job, so take your time and be patient while cleaning the coils. Depending on the kind of vacuum that you have, we recommend only using attachments that have brushes, that way you won’t break any of the coils.

4. Vacuum the fan

If the fan is visible and you are able to reach it, make sure you clean that too. By doing this, you are allowing the air to move more freely across the coils, and this will improve the health of your refrigerator unit. We recommend vacuum the fan at a slow and consistent pace, that way you are able to remove any of the built-up dirt and dust that is much harder to remove. Once again, take your time and be careful when doing this.

5. Brush away the stubborn dirt and dust

Once you have vacuumed the coils and fan, grab a stiff brush and start to gently brush away any excess dirt and dust that you might have missed when you were vacuuming. When you are brushing away the excess dirt and dust from the coils and the fan, we recommend that you brush away from the unit. By brushing away from the unit, you are saving other important parts in the back of your refrigeration from getting dirty and dusty. Make sure you are very cautious when removing any dirt and dust with your brush.

6. Move unit back into place and plug it in

Finally, once you have cleaned the coils and fan, you can now plug back in your outlet and circuit breaker, and slide your refrigerator back into its appropriate position. Be careful when sliding your refrigerator back into its spot, to make sure you avoid any damage.

As mentioned earlier, this is a very quick job to do and can save you a lot of stress and money. Make sure you pick the same month each year; write it down and keep it in your calendar. Once you make this a routine, just like taking your car for an oil change or mowing your lawn on a consistent basis. Cleaning your refrigerator regularly will help increase its life expectancy, and delay the need for you to go out and buy a new fridge from neglecting this simple task.

For more information about cleaning your refrigerator contact us here.