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Archive for the ‘Refrigerators’ Category

Refrigerators are one of the most common appliances which can be found in the home of nearly every American. Over 99.5% of the households in the country will have a refrigerator of some size, model, or brand present. Naturally, however, being a complex appliance, there is always the potential that something could go wrong with it. Instead of immediately calling a repair technician, however, you should take advantage of the fact that you may find resources to help you with refrigerator troubleshooting.

Minor problems can arise that you should be able to fix without putting too much time or effort into the process. They are also relatively safe procedures that you can perform without risking damage to the refrigerator unit itself. If you want to save some time, effort, and money, you should try troubleshooting the problem before you call for assistance. It may end up being a very simple effort that you need to take.

Some of the biggest problems which typically arise in refrigerators will be simple issues that should not require much time. One of the most common problems which may arise in a refrigerator would be the presence of water where it is not supposed to be. If you are experiencing water dripping inside your refrigerator, your drainage system may actually be clogged. Fixing this is usually a very simple process.

To fix a clogged drainage system, you should first unplug the refrigerator. Find the drainage system, which is typically a hose that is located somewhere around the crisper drawer. By filling a baster with hot water and a little baking soda, you should be able to produce a solution that will give you the ability to clean out this hose. Pipe cleaners may also unblock the hose itself and allow the drainage system to flow once more.

If there is water on the floor outside of your refrigerator, the problem will usually arise because of the drain pan. Instead of the hose, you may have a problem in the place where the refrigerator is supposed to deposit the water. In this tray, next to the heat produced by the refrigerator, the water will typically evaporate.

Should that water not be evaporating, however, there is a problem located inside of the pan itself. It may be cracked or there may be buildup of dirt. After the refrigerator is unplugged, locate the drain pan and carefully remove it from the refrigerator. If it is dirty, you should take the time to clean it out. If it is cracked, find a replacement drain pan and replace the broken one. Should this not solve your problem though, there is probably an issue with a hose inside the refrigerator itself. A technician will probably need to be called to fix this issue.

You may need to have refrigerator troubleshooting if your refrigerator is never cycling off. It will be running constantly, which will make your refrigerator itself too cold. You will be using a great deal of electricity and your model itself is not going to be energy efficient. Determining the cause of this problem does not have to be difficult.

The temperature of your refrigerator may be set to too cold of a setting. This means that the refrigerator has to constantly work to maintain that setting. If you start by trying to turn your refrigerator up to a warmer temperature, this may solve your problems. The fridge itself should cycle off shortly and you will have fixed your issue.

If that does not work, look at the condenser coils on the back of the refrigerator. They may be dirty, which can affect the performance of the refrigerator itself. Their proximity to the unit is what keeps the refrigerator running smoothly. If they are dirty, they are clogging the effective qualities of the refrigeration.

Finally, if this does not solve the issue, you may need to fix the defrost system. Locate the defrost knob in your freezer section and turn it until it activates. Typically, a defrost cycle will need to take 22 minutes before it activates. Should you activate the defrost and your refrigerator does not cycle again within 22 minutes, the problem will probably lie within your defrost timer.

These are just a few examples of all of the issues which may arise within a refrigerator. By attempting to solve these problems on your own, refrigerator troubleshooting can be made much easier. You will save time and money and you will be able to take all of the steps that you need to fix your refrigerator on your own.

One of the most highly utilized appliances in your home, especially in your kitchen, is your refrigerator and freezer. While most other major kitchen appliances, such as ovens and dishwashers, are fairly standard in design, a refrigerator and freezer unit comes in several different configurations to choose from. The three main styles are traditional top freezer and refrigerators, bottom freezer and refrigerators, and side-by-side refrigerators. Each of the three designs have numerous benefits to take into account when choosing which one will work best for you.

Traditional Top Freezer Refrigerator

Long considered the only true option in refrigerator and freezer designs, the traditional top freezer refrigerator is the style most often found in homes today. Many people believe one of the main benefits of this design is the cost of the unit itself. Top freezer refrigerators are the most affordable of all the styles available today. Since they were once the standard model, nearly every major appliance manufacturer carries at least a handful of different models of top freezer refrigerators. Most families prefer this style because they allow children easy access to the bottom refrigerator where beverages and snacks would be kept. Even with the newer designs flooding the market, traditional top freezer refrigerators still remain a popular choice amongst homeowner’s seeking a classic look in a design they have become accustomed to over the years.

Bottom Freezer Refrigerators

In a slight change of design from a top freezer refrigerator, a bottom freezer refrigerator is nothing more than an upside down version of its predecessor. The design of the bottom freezer refrigerator was inspired by the fact that most people require more frequent access to cold items as opposed to their frozen foods. Instead of constantly bending over to remove something from a top freezer unit, you can access all of your refrigerated goods at eye level. The bottom freezer slides out easily to provide access to frozen goods and, since those items are needed as frequently, bending down to reach them is minimal. Bottom freezer refrigerators also tend to be somewhat more energy efficient than other designs as well.

Side-By-Side Refrigerators

A side-by-side refrigerator is said to give you the best of both worlds. The design allows you to store both frozen and refrigerated goods that you access most often at eye level, making them easier to see and retrieve as needed. Less commonly used items can be placed in the lower halves of the refrigerator and freezer sides to minimize having to bend over as much. Currently, side-by-side refrigerators are the most popular designs on the market.

While three types of refrigerator freezer designs may seem like a rather limited selection, keep in mind that all three of these styles come in a wide variety of colors, finishes, and sizes. There are models in all three designs perfect for the single person to the large family. All three models have various other add on features that can be purchased including in-door ice and water dispensers that may dispense ice in cubed, crushed, or even shaved form. Regardless of your situation, there is a refrigerator freezer unit designed to meet all of your needs.

What Are The Reasons You Would Want To Buy A Compact Refrigerator?

You may need one to put in your new wet bar or den. You may have a son or daughter who is heading off on their own for the first time to a new apartment or to college. You may even want to put one in your office. Whatever the reason, you will want to do some shopping around before you make the purchase to make sure that you are getting the best compact refrigerator to meet your needs at the best price to fit your budget. Once you are armed with the information you can walk with confidence into any department store, home improvement store, or appliance store, or even to go online and buy a refrigerator.

Assess Your Finances

The first thing that you will need to do as with any big ticket purchase is to assess your financial situation. This will help you to determine not only the size, but also the brand and features of the compact refrigerator that you will choose. You may opt for a fridge that is bigger but does not have the brand-name recognition, or you can go with a smaller model that is a well-known reputable brand-name. This is where comparison shopping before you go to buy the compact refrigerator can help. A consumer website or magazine may have ratings that will help you to narrow down your choices even further.

Where Will You Put Your Purchase?

One key factor in choosing your refrigerator will be the location. Make sure that the fridge you are choosing will fit where you are going to put it. Take out a measuring tape before you even look at a compact refrigerator and measure for the height, width, and to make sure that the door can open easily. Do you want a fridge that will fit under your counter top (a built-in model) or do you want a compact refrigerator that will fit easily on top of the counter or concealed in the corner of the room or in a supply closet? Do you want shelves just in the fridge or do you need them in the door as well? How about a freezer compartment? Is that something that you will need in your compact refrigerator? All of these things have a bearing on the price of the fridge that you will want to buy. The more features it has, the higher the cost. You will also need to choose the manufacturer based on the products that they offer.

Capacity Requirements

The capacity of a compact refrigerator typically runs from 1.5 cubic feet to 5.5 cubic feet, give or take a little. If you are only using it for holding drinks in your den your needs will be different than if you were to use it as the sole refrigerator in a studio apartment. These measurements are as important as the ones you took for the location.

The Allure Of Extra Amenities

Your compact refrigerator could have an ice maker or an ice dispenser. If that is important to you, then you need to consider that and budget for it. Most have some type of removable shelving, but do you want it to be adjustable as well? Do you need shelving in the door? If it has a freezer compartment is it frost-free? You need to make sure that it has everything you need when you buy it, because it will be impossible to do it later without buying another fridge.

There are many manufacturers who offer compact-sized refrigerators and many of them are high-quality. A good refrigerator can give you many years of service without problems. Shop around and you probably won’t be disappointed.

Buying a new refrigerator can be a daunting experience. Reading through all the refrigerator reviews, refrigerator ratings and consumer recommendations can be mind boggling. After all, there are so many different models to choose from in addition to all the different brands, styles, even colors. So where do you start?

Well, the easiest place to begin is by asking yourself the following questions:

1) How Much Space Do You Need?: The space inside a refrigerator is expressed in Cubic Feet. Considering most people don’t understand what a cubic foot represents, think of it this way. You need about Ten Cubic Feet of interior storage capacity per 2 people. This 10 cubic feet is for freezer space as well as refrigerator space. So, figure about 7 cubic feet of refrigerator space and 3 cubic feet of freezer space per 2 people. Granted, even though that’s the rule of thumb, you have to consider your specific space needs such as: How big is your family? – If you have a family of four, figure you’ll need at least a 20.0 cubic foot fridge. Are you a Vegetarian? – If you are a vegetarian, you won’t need as much freezer space or internal meat drawers. You’ll want as much refrigerator space as you can handle to be sure you have the space for your fresh fruits and vegetables. How will your family grow, or shrink? – Are your kids in college and about to flee the nest? Do you have a baby on the way or elderly parents moving in? All of these factors are things to consider when making a refrigerator purchase. Consider that most refrigerators last about 10 years, so factor in how your family will be growing or shrinking over that time period so that you don’t have to keep buying new refrigerators.

2) What Kind of Refrigerator Will Fit into Your Kitchen?: It sounds silly, but there have been a number of people that have purchased a new refrigerator only to get it home and find out that the new fridge doesn’t fit into their existing kitchen. So, take measurements before you go refrigerator shopping.

Factor in not only where the fridge will be sitting, but also how far out the door will swing. After all, you don’t want to get your new fridge home and then find out you can’t open it!

Keep in mind that counter depth refrigerators are very popular, but they often lack the storage capacity that most people need. So, consider this when you’re shopping. Counter depth by the way means that the front face of the refrigerator will sit flush with the existing counter top, rather than sticking out. It looks much nicer, but it’s not always the right choice for everybody.


3) Color Choices: There’s good and bad news with refrigerator colors — the good news is there aren’t too many to choose from — and you guessed it, that’s also the bad news.

Refrigerators typically come in white, black, stainless steel, bisque (or beige) and a stainless steel alternative called, satina. Satina is usually cheaper than stainless and easier to maintain, but it doesn’t always (depending on the brand) look as nice.

The days of avocado green and lemon yellow are gone for the moment.

So, what do you do if you need a different color? Well, many refrigerators have attachable panels that affix to the face of the refrigerator that allows you to make it any color your desire. Most people like to blend their refrigerator into their existing cabinetry by getting panels that match the wood work. GE Monogram, Kenmore Elite and Kitchenaid offer this option and all have performed well in a number of online refrigerator reviews.


4) Type of Refrigerator: The type of refrigerators available are: Side by Side – Where the freezer and refrigerator are next to each other Top Freezer – Where the freezer is mounted on the top of the refrigerator Bottom Freezer — There the freezer is mounted on the bottom of the refrigerator French Door Refrigerator — Which is also referred to as a bottom freezer because it has two split (side by side) doors on the front with a pull out drawer freezer on the bottom. Built In Refrigerator — Can be any of the above styles, but the refrigerator is built into the existing cabinetry and hidden away with the stylized color panels mentioned above. Compact Refrigerator — Also called a “dorm refrigerator”, the compact refrigerator is perfect for game rooms, spare rooms, garages or family areas.

5) Best Refrigerator Brands: We’re always reviewing different models of refrigerators by a wide variety of manufacturers. In all of the refrigerator reviews that we’ve done, only a handful of manufacturers rise to the tops as leaders — so these are the brands to consider and brands to avoid:

General Electric: GE, GE profile and GE Monogram are all excellent choices and rate very well with consumers. The GE Aurora brand (sold exclusively at The Home Depot) was above average, but did NOT rate as well as the GE or GE Profile brands.

Consider:

Amana: Amana has consistently been rated by Consumer Reports as one of the best performing refrigerator brands. Our testing proves the same as well. Amana is one to consider.

Kenmore: Sears has had its ups and downs with its many inside brands, but Kenmore consistently has led the pack with high quality, durable and affordable refrigerators. The Kenmore Elite was especially outstanding.

Whirlpool: Whirlpool has been making high quality products for decades. They are now the parent brand of Amana, Maytag and JennAir. Whirlpool is top notch.

LG: Although they lack a bit in customer service, the LG French Door Refrigerators are some of the most affordable and attractive units on the market.

Brands to Avoid:

Maytag: Maytag used to be a mark of quality, but for the past ten years or so their quality of refrigerators has been deteriorating rapidly. Hopefully the execs at Whirlpool can bring the luster back to this once great brand name.

SubZero: Although we personally love their refrigerators, they tend to have a lot of problems over the course of their lifetime. If you have the budget, you may want to consider a Viking or a Gaggenau refrigerator instead.

Fisher & Paykel: Seemingly always at the bottom of the Consumer Reports quality lists, Fisher & Paykel has been slightly improving year after year. But, they still have a ways to go.

We hope this helps you as you journey out into the world of refrigerator shopping. If you’re looking for more suggestions, refrigerator reviews or refrigerator ratings, be sure to pay us a visit at http://www.refrigeratorpro.com.

If you’re having problems with your refrigerator, you may not need an expensive repair. The problem could be small and simple, and a minimum of work or a few refrigerator parts you install yourself could do the job. Let’s take a look at some of the most common issues that people have with their refrigerators and how to solve them.

1. The refrigerator is not running, and the light is not working
This problem means power isn’t getting to the unit, and may be caused by a plug that’s not in the outlet securely, a damaged electrical cord, or an outlet that’s not providing power. Blown fuses and tripped circuit breakers are a common cause of problems, but the outlet itself could be damaged, too. Check the voltage if all other systems are functioning. If you’re using an extension cord, try removing it to see if the cord is damaged. Sometimes, the only refrigerator parts you need are a new plug or cord.

2. The refrigerator isn’t running, but light is functional
This is a little more difficult than a simple lack of power. Check the temperature setting to see if it’s been turned off or to zero, and be sure there is a space of at least three inches between the sides and back of the unit and the walls and furniture around it. A one inch gap above the refrigerator is also required for proper air flow.

If these are all correct, you’ll next need to clean the condenser coils carefully. If this doesn’t help, unplug the refrigerator and wait two hours, then plug the machine back in. If it starts, there’s a compressor problem causing overheating. It may also be necessary to test the temperature control, evaporator fan, defrost timer, compressor relay, overload protector and compressor motor to find out what’s wrong.

3. The refrigerator is working but the light isn’t
In this case, you should try replacing the bulb and testing the switch to make sure both are working.

4. The refrigerator runs, but isn’t cold enough
First, check the temperature setting and make sure there’s enough space for airflow inside and outside the refrigerator. Look for objects blocking the vents, test temperature control, and clean condenser coils. Door seals or a faulty door switch may also be a problem. Look for functional defrost heaters and timers, as well as testing the evaporator fan. A clogged drain tube or a refrigerant leak may also be the source of your problems.

5. Refrigerator is too cold
This should be a simple fix for most units. First, check the temperature setting. Then, try the temperature control if that doesn’t work.

6. The refrigerator makes a lot of noise
If you hear hissing and popping from a frost free unit, this is normal. The defrost heater causes this noise. If other noises occur, make sure the unit is level, then check the drain pan and the fans for the condenser and evaporator. The compressor mounts should also be inspected.

7. The refrigerator won’t stop running
This common problem could have a number of causes. If you just adjusted the temperature control, live in a humid area, or recently loaded the unit, the machine may run for over twenty-four hours before becoming entirely cool. If this time has passed or none of those circumstances have occurred, defrost the freezer. Cleaning the condenser coils, checking the door seals and testing the door switch may also be necessary. A new switch or other refrigerator parts can be a real help.

1.) Buy the refrigerator with an appropriate climatic class;

2.) When installing it, choose a cool place. The fridge should not be placed too close to any heat source (fireplace, stove, oven, radiator, direct sunlight);

3.) The back of the refrigerator must be at least 80 mm far from the wall to allow the hot air ventilation;

4.) If the refrigerator is built-in or undercounter, there must be also enough space above it so that the air ventilation is not restricted;

5.) Know what you have in your refrigerator. First think than take what you need. Do not open the door too often and do not leave it open too long;

6.) All the newer fridges have adjustable “legs” in their front part, right under the door. After installing the fridge (and loading it up to the standard level) play little with these legs and try to adjust them so that the door will close automatically from any position when they