When the days warm up in New York City, you expect your refrigerator to keep your perishable items and tasty beverages ice-cold. But when your fridge just isn’t keeping up with the rising mercury, it can leave a bad taste in your mouth (and a dent in your wallet) as your fridge struggles to keep its cool. If your fridge is underperforming, it may be time to seek out some fast, friendly, and affordable refrigerator repair services from Bailey Appliance Repair & Installation! In the meantime, however, there are a few tips and tricks that you can use to help out your struggling fridge.
Getting the Most Out of Your Refrigerator
Bailey's Appliance Repair & Installation
Keep Your Fridge Clean
While it’s never a bad idea to clean out the inside of your fridge periodically, what many people neglect to do regularly is clean the outside of the fridge. Specifically, the dust and debris that may be collecting underneath and behind the fridge. A few times a year, you should carefully pull your fridge away from the wall and vacuum up any dust bunnies that may have collected. Dust that collects on the coils of your fridge can be impeding their effectiveness. A clean fridge is a functional fridge, and a functional fridge is a happy fridge.
Give Your Fridge Room to Breathe
We know that in NYC, every single inch of floor space matters. If you have the room to do so, make sure that your fridge isn’t pushed all the way back up against the wall. Giving your fridge a few inches of clearance allows for air to circulate and helps disperse some of the heat that your fridge creates that would otherwise be trapped.
Try to Keep Your Fridge Stocked
This doesn’t necessarily mean that you should always have your fridge stuffed with food — the only time your fridge is typically filled to capacity is during the holidays. However, you can “trick” your fridge into running more efficiently by filling empty spaces with pitchers of water. A full fridge runs more efficiently since there is less empty airspace. As a bonus, you’ll have plenty of ice-cold water on hand when you need it!
Close Those Doors!
When it’s particularly hot outside, it’s tempting to seek some quick relief by opening the fridge and basking in the cool rush of air (we’ve all done it.) While it may be refreshing, leaving your refrigerator doors open for an extended period of time, especially when it’s hot, is the worst thing you can do. Just as a baker wouldn’t leave an oven open while trying to bake a cake, you shouldn’t leave a fridge open while trying to keep your food items cold.
Strategize Item Placement for Quick Access
To help keep your refrigerator doors closed as often as possible, it’s best to strategize the placement of your most commonly used items so that they’re easily accessible. Keep go-to items like favorite beverages and condiments close to the front or in the door so that you can easily and quickly grab them without leaving the door open for too long. The more that you can minimize the amount of time you spend searching for items in your fridge, the better!
Avoid Placing Hot Items Directly Into the Fridge
When you put something warm or hot in the fridge, your appliance has to work extra hard to bring it down to temperature, as well as keep other items from heating up. So if you’re a meal planner and like to cook things in bulk, consider letting them cool for a little while before putting them in the fridge so that your appliance doesn’t have to work quite as hard to keep up. Don’t let food sit out until it’s room temperature, however — food can quickly spoil if it’s left out for longer than an hour or two between 40°F and 140°F, especially on warm days.
Utilize Containers and Drawers
Most refrigerators have special drawers and compartments for a reason! Food items (especially produce) that aren’t packaged or in airtight containers tend to release moisture when in a closed space like a fridge, and this can make it harder for your fridge to regulate its air temperature. Whenever possible, store food items in airtight Tupperware or Ziploc containers, and make sure that you’re utilizing the designated produce and crisper drawers.
Your A/C Unit Helps Out Your Fridge
If you have central air installed in your home or apartment, it may actually be more cost-effective to make use of it rather than trying to go without to save money. When your kitchen is swelteringly hot, your fridge has to work overtime to try to keep everything cold. So whatever money you may have been saving by not using your air conditioning is being sucked up by your fridge. If this is the case, and you’re having to make a trade-off and are sacrificing your comfort in your own home, it’s time to call Bailey’s! We’re experienced with all major brands of refrigerators and can quickly assess problems and make necessary repairs. Contact us in Queens and throughout the rest of the boroughs for fast, friendly, and affordable refrigerator repair services!