Owens Corning
Operating a Refrigerator Efficiently
Refrigerators are one of the longest-lasting appliances in your house. They have a sealed compressor motor system that requires no maintenance. Refrigerators do, however, consume a huge amount of energy each year and there are several simple maintenance tasks that you can do to assure their efficient operation.

In addition to regular cleaning with warm soapy water every few months, clean the condenser coils located on the bottom or back of the unit to remove dust and lint buildup. These coils transfer the heat from inside the unit to the air outside. Dust and dirt are good insulators and prevent the free flow of air. If you keep this area clean, your refrigerator will use less electricity. Use a long-handled brush like the one designed for removing snow removal from a car's windshield or the crevice tool of your vacuum will also work.

If your refrigerator has a defrost pan at the bottom clean it regularly or at least twice a year because dirt in this damp area cause unpleasant odors. If there is a drain, once a year use a meat baster to force warm water mixed with baking soda through the drain to freshen it.

Written by the editors of HouseNet.
Copyright HouseNet, Inc.

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