Refrigerator

Regular Maintenance

Once a month:
--Check your fridge temps. Your fridge should be running between 36-40°F, your freezer between 0-5°F.

--Defrost your freezer if you don't have an automatically defrosting fridge. If you don't, never let the ice build
up more than 1/4" in thickness.

Once a season:

--Check and clean the seals. Make sure they're sealing well and if they're not, contact a parts dealer for
replacements.

--Pull your fridge out and vacuum the dust coils. On some models, the coils are under the refrigerator
requiring you to remove a cover piece (grill). If you have pets, consider cleaning the coils bi-monthly. Be
careful cleaning the coils. Some folks use an extension wand on a vacuum cleaner, others use an old sock
with a rubber band attached to a yardstick. Either way, if you are not comfortable doing this, get appropriate
help. Remember, there is electricity supplying this appliance. If you have an icemaker, be careful when
pulling the refrigerator out or pushing it back into its space. Water supply lines to the icemaker can become
loose or break.

In Use

-- Did you know moisture makes your fridge work harder? Make sure you keep foods covered.

--If your purchases come wrapped in paper, unwrap them and store them some other way. Paper is a good
insulator and keeps the food from getting cold faster.

--Keep your freezer full. If you don't have food to keep the freezer full, freeze bottles of water. This works well
for water storage for emergencies, and will help take some of the burden off your fridge's condensors.

--If the power goes off, move those frozen water bottles to the refrigerator section and then KEEP THE
FRIDGE CLOSED! Only open it if you absolutely have to and then only for brief periods. Food will often last
in the fridge this way up to 3 days if you are careful about opening it

Reliant Energy suggests that your refrigerator consumes up to 15% of the energy it takes to run your home.
Here are some tips to help you ensure you are running your equipment at optimum efficiency. If you have an
old refrigerator in your garage, consider getting rid of it. Statistics indicate that it is likely costing you about
$250 dollars per year in energy. Very few refrigerators were designed to be used in hot Texas garages. If
you need two refrigerators, consider putting the second one in another room inside the home. Even then,
you are still using quite a bit of electricity for "convenience".