109
votes
Why does my freezer get a little warmer every 14 hours?
It is defrosting.
Frost free refrigeration equipment goes through a defrost cycle every few hours. This normally involves turning off the cooling compressor and activating a heat tape that is ...
- 19.8k
70
votes
Is it damaging to turn off a small fridge for two days every week?
Someone will close the door and...
It will fill the fridge's internal spaces with mold
Air holds moisture. Warm air is capable of holding more moisture than cold air. Everytime you open the fridge ...
49
votes
Is it damaging to turn off a small fridge for two days every week?
You're probably not saving any meaningful amount of electricity by turning it off for just 2-3 days. Sure, it won't use any for those days, but the temperature inside will raise to room temperature. ...
- 1,650
42
votes
Accepted
Plugging refrigerator only when necessary? (bottled beers)
There is no problem doing this. The water if any would come from melting ice. If ice is forming inside, check/ replace the seals.
Keeping the door closed when unused usually forms mould. We hang a ...
- 5,062
39
votes
Going to be away for 4 months, should we turn off the refrigerator or leave it on with water inside?
If you're gone for a long time, it's good to turn off anything that doesn't really need to be on. Not only does that not waste power, but it reduces the chance of something bad happening.
The issue ...
- 2,442
34
votes
Accepted
Why does my freezer get a little warmer every 14 hours?
Every Freezer including yours has to have a defrost cycle designed in or the cooling coils become so encrusted with frost the recirculation air can no longer pass over them. Then everything goes ...
- 6,867
27
votes
Accepted
How long should I wait to plug in my refrigerator after unplugging it?
There's 2 reasons to wait after moving a refigerator.
If you tipped it over the oil needs to re-settle in the compressor.
If you interrupted a run cycle the compressor may not be able to re-start, ...
- 19k
27
votes
Accepted
Paint inside refrigerator water shutoff valve—clean or replace?
At this point, I'd just replace it. You're missing the connecting nut and ice makers have different connecting methods than they did years ago.
You can get a compression valve, which is what you have ...
- 78.6k
26
votes
Going to be away for 4 months, should we turn off the refrigerator or leave it on with water inside?
If you're going to turn off a fridge, you need to prop the doors open. If you don't, humidity in the fridge will cause the growth of mold everywhere, including potentially, places behind panels you ...
25
votes
Accepted
Going to be away for 4 months, should we turn off the refrigerator or leave it on with water inside?
This depends a lot on where you live. Here in Florida for example, going away for a long period, you would NOT want to cut power to the fridge and leave it open. It would still grow "samples" all over ...
- 656
25
votes
Accepted
Does a refrigerator compressor need settling time after being laid on its back or side?
As a certified HVAC person I can tell you it might work after standing back up and plugging in but depending on the system the oil drains from the compressor. On many units it takes time to make its ...
- 102k
24
votes
Plugging refrigerator only when necessary? (bottled beers)
I do this with a drinks fridge, as well as with the fridge in my campervan.
It's important to leave it clean and dry when you turn it off, so keep the door open a little for at least a few days, and ...
- 5,948
24
votes
Accepted
Why do instruction manuals specify, "Do not use extension cord and provide a separate circuit"?
They are related, but separate, issues:
Do not use extension cord
This is in general good advice for almost any appliance that is "permanently" installed. By "permanently", I mean &...
23
votes
How can I remove a fridge that's trapped in my kitchen?
Assuming cased openings, temporary removal of your door jamb should get you there. It's often a matter of removing the casing and detaching one or more sides of the jamb. If you're careful it'll all ...
- 129k
22
votes
Refrigerator won't cool if it's warm in the house
Refrigerators are cooled using a heat pump, the principle that all air conditioners work on. Basically, a refrigerant is pumped through the cool side and absorbs heat, then that heat is radiated out ...
- 5,209
21
votes
Does a refrigerator compressor need settling time after being laid on its back or side?
Instruction manuals for refrigerators and freezers typically tell you to transport upright, or if not possible to allow to stand 24 hours upright before using.
- 3,684
20
votes
Accepted
Refrigerator fail due to adjacent chest freezer
Total, utter, male-bovine-derived-organic-fertilizer.
The cabinet isn't helping it cool any (and is almost certainly less ventilation space than the manufacturer requires), but the freezer really ...
- 200k
20
votes
Ice maker stopped working for years, made a bucket of ice, and stopped again
made a full bucket of ice
Could be all kinds of things, but since a full bucket normally requires several batches of ice, that could indicate a problem with the "bucket full" switch:
...
19
votes
How long should I wait to plug in my refrigerator after unplugging it?
Wait until the motor stops running. Unplug it. Keep it upright while moving it - it's o.k. to tip it slightly to put a rug or towel under to slide it along the floor. Or just slide anyway. Plug back ...
- 5,198
18
votes
Is it better to not connect a refrigerator to water supply to prevent mold and water leaks
Is it better to not connect a refrigerator to a water line to prevent water leaks and mold issues?
If you do not want to use it that is fine
I don't use ice very often and would just put an ice tray ...
- 16.8k
15
votes
Refrigerator won't cool if it's warm in the house
If basic cleaning doesn't help, your next call is to the local utility, and local government.
Because many of them have rebate programs to subsidize, or even entirely pay for replacement of a fridge....
15
votes
How can I remove a fridge that's trapped in my kitchen?
Repair the refrigerator and then forget about the door problem for another several years.
The idea that newer appliances use less power than the older ones is overblown, if not outright false. ...
- 383
14
votes
Accepted
How can I get the hinge pin out of the refrigerator door?
As the hinge pin appears to be flush with the plastic bushing, the first attack would be to pry at the edges of the bushing. If you can wiggle it out, the pin becomes more exposed, allowing for more ...
- 10.7k
13
votes
Accepted
What are recommended ways to connect fridge ice maker?
Something like this? (Brass Quick Tee Adapter)
Do not use a saddle valve. In many places they are illegal...for good reason
- 6,188
13
votes
Freezer dripping water
Ecnerwal does a great job explaining why that line is getting wet. More could be said about how to minimize the effect.
The suction line is cold because that's the tube carrying heat out of the ...
- 27.8k
12
votes
Going to be away for 4 months, should we turn off the refrigerator or leave it on with water inside?
You’re going to save at most $20 by turning it off ($60/3). You’ll go through effort and time to empty it and so on, plus incurring extra electric energy to re-cool it when you get back. I’d recommend ...
- 3,942
12
votes
Accepted
Can a GFCI circuit ruin a refrigerator compressor?
GFCIs don't kill refrigerators. A certain percentage of refrigerators will develop leakage currents over time whether they are plugged into a GFCI protected circuit or not.
All of the refrigerators ...
- 10.9k
12
votes
Should I put tiles on refrigerator to protect against nearby heat?
Don't do it.
Ceramic is a poor thermal insulator. It's dense. It'll absorb a lot of heat, then it'll hold that heat. Against your refrigerator. Which will cause more problems than you originally had.
...
- 129k
12
votes
How can I seal leaking water line behind fridge?
First, check to see if there is a shutoff under the sink that would control this copper tubing.
Secondly, that is a compression fitting with a cap on the end of it. You'll need two adjustable wrenches ...
- 78.6k
12
votes
Will it harm a fridge w R600a refrigerant to set unplugged through winter months?
R600a is iso-butane. It's flammable, yes, but hardly excessively dangerous. Billions of people carry some around in their pockets or have it lying around the house, as it's one of the most common ...
- 200k
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