Refrigerator Temperature Problems – It Could Be An Easy Fix
Posted on: 2 February 2022
When your refrigerator doesn't maintain a temperature low enough to keep foods below 40 degrees, you are putting your family and yourself at risk of food poisoning each time you eat. If your refrigerator is failing to maintain a steady temperature below 40, it's time to get busy doing something to resolve it.
Clean it Out
The first step in finding the problem is cleaning the fridge and freezer out entirely. Check each item carefully to ensure that it hasn't spoiled or thawed and refroze.
Sometimes, when you stuff the fridge and freezer too full, the air inside can't circulate and the temperatures begin to rise. In some cases, the back of the fridge will stay cold, or even freeze foods, but the food in the front or on the doors gets too warm for safe consumption.
After you clear it out, check that the vents where the air enters the unit are clear. Food can sometimes get spilled and cause the vent to become blocked, reducing air flow.
Now that it's clean, leave it running for an hour or so with a thermometer inside. Monitor the temperature as best you can without opening the door often. Check it after an hour, followed by checks every 15 or 20 minutes. If the temp remains below 40, you may have solved the problem. Just carefully monitor the temperature for the next several days to be sure that loading the fridge doesn't affect performance.
Check the Seal
The rubber seal around the doors are designed to seal the unit up and prevent air loss. Unfortunately, those rubber seals can become damaged and eventually fail to seal the unit.
Clean the seal well. As you clean, look for cracks and areas of damage or failing adhesive. If you notice damage, you can replace the seal fairly easily.
One test you can do is to take a piece of paper and close it in the door. Tug on it gently. If it stays, the seal is good, if it slips, the seal isn't creating the tight seal it should. Replacement is likely necessary.
Appliance Repair Help
The refrigerator is one appliance you don't want to mess around with. Contacting an appliance repair professional is the fastest way to make sure that your appliance is fixed correctly and will maintain the temperatures needed for safe food consumption.
Don't waste time – wasting of time could result in food loss which can add up to quite a bit of money over several days or a week. Talk with your local appliance repair professional for assistance.
Share