Have You Given Your Fridge A Tune-up Lately?

[launderess]

What's that you say? No? Well Popular Mechanics to the rescue.

Popular Mechanics

Popular Mechanics inspires, instructs and influences readers to help them master the modern world. Whether it’s practical DIY home-improvement tips, gadgets and digital technology, information on the newest cars or the latest breakthroughs in science -- PM is the ultimate guide to our high-tech...

books.google.com

 

[sudsmaster]

Yes, just a week ago...

Due to water dripping from freezer into fridge section...

Fridge follies

About 20 years ago I replaced the old GE fridge in the enclosed patio (nothing special, 80's era) with a more efficient unit. I got a Kitchenaid SxS for the main house kitchen, and decided to get a top freezer KA for the enclosed patio. Well, the patio fridge is OK. I was a bit worried after...

www.automaticwasher.org

 

[launderess]

To answer one's own question...

Yes, late last summer during the whole "evaporator fan motor might be dying" drama.

Am here to tell you won't be hauling that GE fridge out to clean rear condenser coils again anytime soon.

Every few weeks or so after doing washing up for night will wipe down gaskets and along door to ensure a tight seal, but that is it for time being.

Only thing have done to that fridge is scrub down top the other day after moving old Sharp microwave off, before putting a (new to me) GE Spacemaker in its place.

 

[launderess]

That hair dryer trick mentioned in article

Does work and still is recommended.

When evaporator fan motor needed replacing (under warranty), GE tech told about this trick and how to do it.

 

[frigilux]

The Frigidaire refrigerator in my apartment (the one appliance I don't own) looks like it may be from the mid-90s. As with the two Frigidaires back at the house, it claims to need no coil/fin cleaning. Ha! I bought a long, narrow brush specially made for the task and cleaned a boatload of dust & lint from the coils/fins under each of the refrigerators at the house.

I'm sure this one needs cleaning, but realized I left the brush at the house when it was sold. May try to get under there with the skinny edge cleaner tool on the upright vac; or, I may just order another one of those brushes.

I'd love to buy a better-featured fridge and let the landlord give this one--which is in good physical shape--to someone else in the building, but am having trouble finding a better one that will fit the very tight space. The current fridge had to be wedged in with a shoehorn. Zero space on either side or at the top. Today's refrigerators tend to be wider and taller than back in 1978, when this place was built. I absolutely detest the wire shelves--I know that's a point of debate here, but I am definitely on team glass--and the shelves on the door can't be adjusted.

Back to topic: Launderess, your prompting has spurred me on to give the fridge a good cleaning, inside and under.[this post was last edited: 6/29/2020-08:50]

 

[vacerator]

No, just a cleaning.

I hope it doesn't run away. I wouldn't want to have to catch it.

 

[launderess]

GE Neverclean condenser

Apparently aren't loved by all.

 

[combo52]

GE Never Clean Condenser

Yes they look terrible, but the dirty condenser still works just as well, I do think I would clean it every 5-10 years at most.

 

John L.

 

[sudsmaster]

I'm afraid I'm a bit rusty on refrigeration basics.

 

Can somebody diagram or point to a diagram of the essential parts of a modern refrigerator/freezer?

 

Such as Condenser, compressor, evaporator, etc?

 

Would be nice.

 

 

[launderess]

GE:

https://allthumbsdiy.com/wp-content...rigerator-ge-not-cooling-components-V2-fl.jpg

KitchenAid:
http://casanovainterior.com/kitchen-aid-refrigerator.html/kitchenaid-refrigerator-parts-diagram

Generic:

Remedies for Ailing Refrigerators

Simple Fixes for Appliances

www.12345w.xyz

 

[qsd-dan]

Some condenser fan coils are a major pain to fully access and clean on certain models. I had a GE SXS where approx 60% of the condenser fan coils were inaccessible for vacuum cleaning with the rear cardboard panel removed. I had to drag my 100 foot air hose from the compressor in the garage through the house and blow it out from various oblique angles. Other than keeping the door gaskets clean and replacing the water filter on a regular basis, there really isn't much else to tinker with on a modern fridge. Basically wait for something to die, which that GE enjoyed doing on a semi regular basis (may that POS rust in hell).

 

[DADoES]

 
Someone on another discussion board while ago claimed there's no way to access the condenser on her WP refrigerator from the rear, only via the front toekick.

 

[launderess]

More from Popular Mechanics.....

https://books.google.com/books?id=4...hUKEwi1iOCW4LDqAhXij3IEHesLATIQ6AEwAXoECAQQAg

 

[launderess]

Another one!

Popular Mechanics

Popular Mechanics inspires, instructs and influences readers to help them master the modern world. Whether it’s practical DIY home-improvement tips, gadgets and digital technology, information on the newest cars or the latest breakthroughs in science -- PM is the ultimate guide to our high-tech...

books.google.com

 

[sudsmaster]

Thanks, Hyacinth!

 

The Generic one was most helpful. The GE one, link broken. KA OK.

 

 

 

[launderess]

Sorry about that, the GE page does not allow hotlinking.

 

[sudsmaster]

GE page does not allow hotlinking.

No problem. Don't currently have a GE fridge (except for a 1947 one awaiting a new door gasket) anyway. Have the door gasket, just haven't got around to it yet. The last GE I had was a 1980's model that ate electricity, had a bad defrost timer, and I ditched it about 15 years ago for the KA with the warped foam/sides/doors that now graces the patio kitchen.

 

 

[launderess]

If you like a good read

And like to do sums, here is something interesting.

https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00583230/document

 

[superocd]

My Whirlpool French door isn't very maintenance friendly

...but I suppose 90% of residential fridges of all configurations aren't. Commercial full-size reach ins (Traulsen, McCall, Victory, etc) are a cinch -- everything is on top and easy to access, just pop off the diffuser panel -- yet you wouldn't believe how many proprietors neglect their condensers, as evidenced by the blanket of dust. And then they wonder why their unit stopped working

If I designed residential fridges, I'd have the condenser on a sliding platform so that it could be pulled out some and easily accessed, but alas, I'm sure somebody out there would find some way to damage the line set, no matter how well it was designed.

I'm just surprised I don't hear of people snapping off the capillary tube/drier -- those things don't take much to break off. Again, if I designed fridges, I'd have the delicate capillary shielded from impact or bending, but I guess a 1 cent piece of plastic or sheet metal would be a no-go with the spreadsheet jockeys.