The Number One Reason Refrigerators Fail

The short answer to the number one reason refrigerators fail is dirty condenser coils. If you already know what the condenser coils are and where they can be found and you are still reading this article then you are one of the guilty one's who just plain forgot to clean the coils.

The refrigerant running through the tubes in your refrigerator is engineered to move heat. The refrigerant inside the freezer absorbs heat from your product through a process of evaporation. Then on the outside the evaporated refrigerant is compressed into a liquid, which concentrates the heat it was carrying. The job of the condenser coils is to give up that heat to the air in the room before being pumped back into the freezer to absorb some more heat.It is critical to the functioning of the system that the heat can transfer to the air in the room without restriction.

Lint will build up around the coils and over time will block the air flow intended to move that heat. Lint will also act as an insulation- further restricting heat flow. This condition causes more energy consumption and is very hard on the compressor. I have seen many refrigerator compressors that ultimately failed because of the excess lint. The cost to replace the compressor often is much more than half the value of a new refrigerator, so if you want to buy a new refrigerator then just ignore the cleaning of the coils for a couple of years or get yourself a house full of furry animals!

So, with the established preference of maintaining and keeping our refrigerator for as many years as possible, the following describes where to locate and access the condenser coils and how to go about cleaning them. Your refrigerator coils should be checked for lint and cleaned at least once a year to get the greatest life and performance out of your refrigerator.

These days almost every refrigerator has it's condenser coils buried down under the refrigerator. Some models the coils can be accessed from the front grill but most are actually in the back and can be accessed by removing the cover nearest to the floor on the back of the unit, Removing the panel requires taking out some screws and manipulating the panel away from the water line and/or valve. If you get too rough with the process you could get a water leak where the line ties into the valve.

Once the panel is removed you will see the coil arrangement in most refrigerators they will be positioned to the right of the compressor. The compressor is the black ball or dome looking object. At this point you should be dealing with the refrigerator unplugged for safety. A visual inspection should reveal whether there is lint and/or dust on and into the coils.There are a few approaches to cleaning the coils. one can use a soft bristle brush and vacuum cleaner or my preference is to use a foam cleaning product. 

About the foam cleaner;  There are two types and can be purchased from an appliance parts store or Home Depot or Lowe's. The two types are that for evaporator coil cleaning and condenser coil cleaning. This product was developed for the air conditioning industry so the condenser cleaner is best used outdoors, as it is quite caustic and may make some people feel ill not to mention small pets... The evaporator foam cleaner is far less toxic and is my choice for cleaning refrigerator condenser coils. The foam cleaner is much more effective at cleaning the coils deeply than a vacuum cleaner and it is fast!

Using the evaporator foam cleaner;  First shake the can vigorously. This makes the spray from the can shoot out in a tight stream, which enables the product to penetrate into the coils where you really can't reach by any other means. You will want to spray liberally until the foam has expanded and the coils are no longer visible. The foam engulfs the lint and then quickly liquefies, gliding down and off the coils, taking the lint with it. At worst there may be a small puddle of goo to swipe up with a paper towel on the floor.

Some coils that are accessed from the front are much harder to see and to clean. It may be necessary to remove the back panel and then place a flashlight in the back having it point through the coils so that you can see the lint in front of the back light.

On some older Whirlpool refrigerators they used a condenser that was shaped like a series of V's and the coils are close to the floor. I have found the best way to clean these is to prop the refrigerator up by using some short 2x4's so you can see and reach the coils from the side giving a cross view and access of those series of V's.

If you can do this with your refrigerator once a year it will improve the lifespan of your refrigerator by a considerable amount. If you prefer, you can always give me a call to do the deed for you. Or if you just really aren't sure after reading this and would life a demonstration I can oblige!