Regular maintenance of your appliances can prevent costly appliance repair and keep them running as efficiently as possible. Maintenance is easier than you may think. You can often complete routine maintenance in less than a hour and save yourself trouble down the road. Yearly maintenance is recommended for refrigerators in order to keep them running smoothly.

Refrigerators are generally robust appliances and are especially easy to maintain. If you are having trouble with your refrigerator or simply wish to clean and maintain important components, this guide can put you on the right track. A Los Angeles refrigerator repair technician can also help you with appliance repair and efficiency.

Appliance Repair and Maintenance Tips for Refrigerators

Following through with basic maintenance can often help with troubleshooting refrigerator problems and making minor fixes as well.

Safety first! Always unplug your refrigerator and shut off circuit breakers and fuses as necessary. While water lines for ice makers and water dispensers rarely need removed for maintenance, it may be useful or necessary in some cases. Consult your owner's manual or a refrigerator repair technician for more information. Pull the refrigerator away from the wall enough to give you space to work. A dust mask is recommended for those with allergies or when working with especially dirty areas and appliances.

Refrigeration positioning and power:

To ensure proper operation, the refrigerator should be kept away from the wall to allow for proper airflow. Check outlets, power cords, and fuses for signs of damage and replace as necessary or call for appliance repair services.

Routine refrigerator cleaning:

- The most important thing to keep clean on a refrigerator is the coils commonly located on the back or bottom of the refrigerator. Clean these with a vacuum by gently running a brush or tube attachment over the coils. You can also use a brush to remove stuck-on dirt and clean any nearby fans.

- Empty the drain pan and drain tube at the bottom of the refrigerator. First, locate the tube and gently clean it by using a pipe cleaner or similarly-sized brush. Remove the drain pan, clean it with soap and water, and then replace.

- Clean the door seal using soap and water and a brush or cloth. Ensure that air is not leaking from the door- this can lead to higher energy bills. Replace the seal as necessary.

- Replace water filters if your refrigerator has a water dispenser that uses them. Water that is filtered through a dirty filter is no cleaner- and may even be dirtier- than water straight from the line. Thus, it is important to change this filter regularly.

- Check defrost timers, thermostats, light bulbs, and door switches. Ensure thermostats and defrost timers are set to the correct value. While you may not have touched it in a long time, other members of the household may have inadvertently changed it or adjusted it for a specific purpose. Check the door switch and ensure it is functioning properly. Replace the light bulb as necessary.

- Our local Los Angeles based technicians are available if you run into problems. While many only call an appliance repair technician when they run into problems, technicians can also advise you on how to properly maintain your refrigerator and other appliances. Having a technician look at your refrigerator once every few years can greatly increase the efficiency and life of your appliance, saving you money in the long run.