3 Common Reasons for Refrigerator Malfunctions

Besides being the most-used appliance in your kitchen, refrigerators are complex machines that require many individual components working in harmony in order to function correctly. If just one of these parts fails to do their job, your whole refrigerator will not operate as it should. There are many ways that a refrigerator could break and even more reasons why, but here are three of the most common ways.

Over packing

Every refrigerator has a maximum capacity, and that doesn't mean how much food you can possibly stuff into it. In order to find out how much food is safe to store in your refrigerator, refer to your owner's manual. Cramming in as much food that will fit is a bad idea because an over-full fridge severely hinders air circulation, which often leads to warm spots. It also puts a heavier workload on the compressor, which is not a cheap fix if it breaks down.

Faulty Gaskets

The rubber seal around your refrigerator's door, known as a gasket, is a simple yet very important piece. When working properly, the gasket seals in all of the cold air and prevents warm air from entering from the outside. Unfortunately, gaskets tend to give out before many other parts of your refrigerator. In order to test if your gasket is performing as well as it did when you first purchased your refrigerator, stick a dollar bill in the door and close it. If you can easily remove the dollar bill or slide it up and down while the door is closed, it is time to replace your gasket. Fortunately, they are very cheap and can be swapped out in a matter of only a few minutes.

Refrigerant Leakage

Refrigerators rely on the compression and expansion of a special chemical refrigerant in order to properly function. This refrigerant is vital to the refrigeration process and is found in tubes that wind throughout the body of your fridge, making it possible for these tubes to leak in many different places. If refrigerant is leaking, your fridge will be unable to cool your food anymore, and it will be noticeable. Unfortunately, the only fix for this is to call a professional appliance repair service and have them plug the leak and refill your model with the proper amount of refrigerant.

If you live on Long Island or Queens and are experiencing a refrigerant leak or any other problem with your refrigerator that you cannot fix alone, give Speedy Sub Zero a call. We provide emergency service on nights and weekends and can be at your door within an hour of your call. Call us at 866-782-9376 for unbeatable service. You can also like us on Facebook to stay up to date with company news and get more refrigerator tips and advice.