Most of the households now have a fridge. Gone are the days when an old-fashioned pantry was enough for your food storage. With rising temperatures as well as continuous fluctuations in atmospheric temperature, a fridge is an appliance no one can really do without.
The modern lifestyle is such that you need such an appliance to store surplus food for days you cannot cook or source food from the market. Moreover, who does not like their soda or beer chilled?
But just like any other appliance, this machine can only work well till a specific time period. One good thing about a refrigerator or a fridge is its long lifespan. A good fridge works well for over 10 years without any sort of major trouble. If you wish to further increase the efficiency and longevity of your fridge, you can do so by making sure you don’t ignore regular maintenance and minor repairs.
However, it is not likely that you won’t ever have to replace your fridge. If you are confused when you should start looking for a new fridge, given below are 5 signs that can help you to make that decision.
Ice and Snow
If you get to witness an ice and snow show in your fridge on a regular basis, then something is certainly not right. Seeing blocks of ice forming on the walls of your fridge is not a normal occurrence. You want to keep your items cool, and frozen in some cases but you got yourself a fridge, not an iceberg for keeping your food cool! Imagine placing your beer or well-preserved wine in the fridge to cool only to discover a few hours later that it got frozen. For this reason, it is recommended to cool your wine in a separate unit that is designed specifically for chilling wine. Local winos provide a great collection of such units that can chill your wine without any danger of freezing them.If everything within your fridge is starting to freeze and you have one of those models that do not have a defrosting unit, you can try a few troubleshooting procedures. Unplug the fridge from the power supply, clean the whole unit and then re-plug it. If the problem persists and the technician cannot detect the issue, it is better to replace your fridge instead of trying to get it repaired.
Excessive Noise
A fridge like other appliances does produce some noise when in use but usually that noise is not very loud or intermittent. A fridge working normally would make a consistent noise throughout the duration of its working unless the condenser overheats, which is a problem in itself.When you notice that your fridge has started making unusual or extremely loud noises, it is an indication that it is not working properly. Firstly, you can try to solve the problem by unplugging the fridge from the main power supply and then re-plugging it after an interval. If the noise still persists then it is time to call in the technician. The repair depends upon the age of your fridge as well as the quality. If your fridge is quite old then it is wise not to spend a lot of money on repairs. It is much better to replace your noisy refrigerator with a new one.
Excessive Condensation
If the condenser of your fridge is not working properly, the machine is unable to serve its purpose. A fridge with a malfunctioning condenser is just a storage space that is going to spoil your food in a day or two at the most.One of the first indications of excessive condensation is that items stored in the fridge and the fridge walls appear sweaty. You would be able to see the water droplets in the fridge. Another indication is that food stored in the fridge that usually remains fresh for days is spoiled by the end of the day. Additionally, you would also be able to observe mold or mildew in the fridge gasket. If this starts happening with your new refrigerator, call in a technician right away and ask for a replacement unit. If you observe these signs in your old refrigerator then it is time for some fridge hunting!
High Energy Bills
If you are using all your electrical appliances the way you normally do and haven’t bought any new electrical appliance but your electricity bill is exceptionally high, then your fridge might as well be the culprit.As electrical appliances get older, they become less energy-efficient and such units require more energy than usual to keep things running. Even if your fridge is not old and you suddenly get a high electricity bill then it is better to have your fridge checked. A well-functioning unit won’t suddenly start consuming a lot of energy. If the problem persists, it may be time to buy an energy-efficient unit rather than spending a lot on maintenance and bills!
Running Motor is Hot
At times you may find that your fridge is not cooling items as quickly as it normally does or that the food stored in it is getting spoiled quicker than usual. You can play the investigator and check if the motor is working fine.If you check the coils on your refrigerator and find them hot, then something is certainly amiss. The coils are insulated and normally you should not feel any heat from them. This is most probably an indication that the motor in the fridge is running hot. Call in a technician to resolve the problem and if the problem persists, it is time to get a new energy-efficient fridge.
