The task of the refrigerator is to keep the food items from becoming stale. Usually, what people do is, overload it with food items that lead to the damage of the refrigerator. When the refrigerator is in very serious need of repair, it might stop running. Before calling someone who provides repair services, there are certain things you can check to fix it on your own. Mentioned below are some of the things that you can do when your refrigerator goes off.
- Check the Bulb or Motor
The first and the foremost thing you should do is to check the motor and the bulb. Watch out if the bulb is burnt or the motor is turned off on its own. You can find out if the motor is working or not, by listening to its sound, to which you might have become accustomed over the years. If there’s a sign of the burnt bulb, replace it with a new one from the electronic appliance store from which you’ve bought the refrigerator earlier.
- The Fuse and Plug
Once you become confident about your motor or the bulb, check the fuse, and plug. It could be possible that the plug might have got disconnected on its own and had turned off the refrigerator temporarily. So, pull out the plug and plug it again in the switchboard. Switch on the refrigerator. You can yourself become a refrigerator repair serviceman and fix the refrigerator on your own. If there’s still a problem after you are done checking the plug, check the fuse box.
- Move the Food
Move to this step only after you have become sure that the fuse has not tripped or burned and there’s an actual problem with the refrigerator itself. All the spoilable food items such as seafood, meat, ripe fruits, or vegetables should be immediately removed from the fridge and a separate provision should be made to place these items. Ask your neighbour to make some space in their fridge until yours is repaired. Most of the perishable items are not capable of lasting beyond a few hours if they are not put back into the fridge immediately. Did you know if you close the door of a fridge that has stopped working; it can maintain the cooling effect for four hours? Amazing, isn’t it?
- Put the food into a cooler
It is wise to put all the removed food items inside a cooler. Pack the coolers with ice packs, ice, or frozen bags to keep all the perishable food items cool. It is one of the best ways to keep food items from getting rotten. Transfer the food items that you’re most likely to use.
- Check the Individual parts
The individual parts of the refrigerator should be checked such as the thermostat, compressor, condenser fans, etc. There is a possibility that a heavy frost builds up on the evaporator coil. And for the condenser, check its windings with the help of an ohmmeter and make sure it’s getting the power supply. Before proceeding with this step, make sure you have pulled off the plug from the outlet.
- Clean the coils
When you see the signs of the fridge not providing cooling effect anymore, check the condenser. The refrigerator might have stopped working due to the dirty condenser coils. Pet dander and dust are built up rapidly on the condenser coils that obstruct the refrigerator’s functioning. You will notice cooling issues if there is anything wrong with the coil. One of the symptoms is, your refrigerator will run constantly with a loud sound. Therefore, at an interval of every six months, the coils should be cleaned. Additionally, if you have a little pet friend at your home, cleaning the refrigerator more frequently is recommended. All you will need is a cleaning brush, a facemask, and a vacuum along with a long attachment.
- Call a professional
Even after taking all the above steps, you feel that there is something wrong with the refrigerator, call a refrigerator repair company to sort things out. Depending on your warranty period of the refrigerator and the extent of damage done to your fridge, either it will be repaired or replaced. A professional can best guide you on what to do next about the refrigerator. There are numerous issues on which you cannot work on without the help of a professional. After you get your refrigerator repaired or replaced, it is going to run smoothly for the coming years.
Bottom Line:
Whether there is any minor problem with the refrigerator or has an internal problem, it is wise to call a serviceman as they well acquainted with the product. For most of the companies, their top priority is to satisfy the customers by ensuring that the customers are given the best service.
