Crying Over Warm Beer Or Sour Milk? Fridge Care Tips To The Rescue

Posted on: 17 November 2018

Opening the refrigerator door to find that the beer you meant to serve to your friend is warm, or the milk for your child's cereal has soured is not an enjoyable experience. If the problem was a one-off, such as when the door has been left open too long or the settings were mis-adjusted, a short cry of exasperation may be all that is required. But if finding that your foods and beverages are not keeping as long as they should or when they seem insufficiently chilled on a regular basis means further investigation is warranted. 

Examine the interior for usage issues

A refrigerator that is too tightly packed with food and beverages may no longer be able to properly circulate cold air throughout the interior. This can lead to temperature control problems, including areas where ice crystals from and others where the foods become warm enough to speed up the spoilage process. 

In addition to being expensive, due to wasted energy and food spoilage, a fridge that insufficiently cools can also lead to instances of food poisoning if the spoiled food items are consumed or bacteria from them transfers to another food. If your fridge looks crowded, with containers pushed against each other, you may be able to solve the problem by simply clearing out some of the food and being careful not to overload the interior in the future.

Examine the door seal for damage

If overcrowding of the interior does not appear to be the problem, the next thing to examine is the door seal. A door seal that is in good shape will be uniformly shaped, with no obvious damage, such as hardened areas or places where the seal is no longer firmly attached to the door. 

Leaking door seals allow the chilled air to leak from the refrigerator, causing the mechanical parts to operate more often. This means higher utility bills and a shortened appliance lifespan, in addition to any losses due to food spoilage. 

If the door seal appears to be in good condition, but has accumulated debris and food residue in the folds and crevices of the seal, it could still be malfunctioning. Cleaning it well with a soft toothbrush and a sanitizing solution made from baking soda and water may help to restore a tighter seal. 

If these suggestions do not help you alleviate your fridge temperature problems, the next step is to discuss them with a reputable home appliance service technician as soon as possible. Companies like D& S  Appliance can help.

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