Refrigerators are a necessity in the home, but they cost a pretty penny. They can range in price from $700 to thousands of dollars, depending on the brand and which bells and whistles you want. Since it takes a good chunk of change to pay for a refrigerator, it makes sense to take care of it so it lasts as long as possible. The typical lifespan of a refrigerator is 10-15 years, but it could last up to 20 years if you take good care of it. There are a few bad habits that can shorten the life of your refrigerator, so read on.
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| Failure to clean the internal mechanics. If the defrost drain is clogged with debris or frozen, the water dripping off the coils will overflow the drain trough and drip into the bottom of your refrigerator. Not only can this overwork your refrigerator, leading to a shorter lifespan, it potentially causes your refrigerator/freezer to leak water all over your kitchen floor. |
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| Failure to clean the refrigerator itself. Debris, foodstuff, sticky spills and other common food mishaps that stay on the gasket of the refrigerator’s door too long can tear or break the seal of your refrigerator door. That can cause a leak, allowing cold air to escape. To keep your refrigerator in top-top shape, wipe down the door edges often. |
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| Failure to clean the coils. More than 70% of service calls for your refrigerator can be eliminated by cleaning your coils once a year. Debris on the coils can stop your refrigerator from properly dissipating heat, which means your compressor works harder and longer than it was designed to. That makes your refrigerator use more energy and shortens its lifespan. |
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| Your refrigerator is too full. Cramming your food into the refrigerator and freezer to the point of applying undue pressure on this small part can affect its shape and fit among related parts of your refrigerator, risking a break. Ineffective refrigerators are overworked refrigerators, which will eventually lead to a refrigerator that doesn’t work. To avoid overfilling your refrigerator, do a deep clean of the contents of your refrigerator every once in a while and eliminate the clutter. |
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| Your freezer temperature is too high. Ideally, the temperature should be set between 0º and 5º F. The wrong freezer temperature can affect the longevity of your ice maker, as well as the safety of the food you’ll be eating. A temperature higher than 15º F can also cause the defrost thermostat to stop working. That, in turn, overworks your refrigerator and shortens its life. |
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| Ignoring weird noises or constant running. If your notice that your refrigerator is always running, or is running louder than normal, do something about it right away. Some fixes are easy enough that you can do them yourself, or they’re inexpensive for a professional. Allowing a refrigerator to work itself harder than intended is a good way to put an early expiration date on it. Depending on the age of your refrigerator, you may want to decide not to fix it and invest in a new, more energy- and cost-efficient option. |
