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Does "If it ain't broke don't fix it" about cover your attitude
on appliances? While there is not a lot of real practical
preventive maintenance posssible on many appliances, you can
prevent some major problems and inconveniences and greatly
enhance the life of others through regular minor service. In this
article I will cover servicing of working refrigerators and
freezers.
The most important thing you can do to prevent future problems
with working refrigerators and freezers is to ensure good air
flow over the coils which radiate heat removed from the interior
compartments. If yours has a set of condenser coils on the rear,
dusting them off annually should be sufficient, and even that is
not critical. Don't store paper or plastic bags on top of your
refrigerator which might fall down and block air to those coils,
however. Models of this type do need at least 2-3 inches of
uncluttered air space above them for proper air flow. Models with
coils underneath near the compressor need to have those coils
cleaned at least twice a year, more often if you have an older
Amana, or have pets that shed.
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First, remove the kickplate/grill at the bottom front covering
the opening under the lower door. Clean the kickplate with a
garden hose to remove any dust and hair. Next, using either an
inexpensive condenser coil brush or a vacuum cleaner with a
crevice tool on the hose (which doesn't do as good a job), or an air compressor,
which is VERY messy, clean over, under and through the coils
found usually on the right front half behind the kickplate. Older
Amana refrigerators are especially sensitive to air flow blockage.
Overheated compressors soon die. Others with coils at this
location include many GE/Hotpoint/J C Penney and older
Whirlpool/Coldspot/Kenmore models.
While under there, on frost-free models removing and cleaning the
plastic defrost drain pan often found there can prevent nasty
odors later. Use warm, not boiling water and/or a garden hose. Be
sure when reinstalling the pan not to jam it against the blades
of the condenser cooling fan, on those models with a fan
underneath in the rear (most of those without rear wall-mounted
cooling coils.)
Other models, such as Admiral, Montgomery Wards, Signature, and
some Maytag,Magic Chef, Norge, and Tappan models have a kind of
"jelly roll" of black sheet metal with internal freon passages in
the right rear underneath. The condenser brush is the only good
way to clean these, other than a garden hose or an air compressor
used outdoors.
Be sure,if the refrigerator has a rear cardboard cover, to
replace it after service. If it is damaged, cut a new one from a
cardboard box (prepared pizza delivery boxes work great!) The
open fan cover grill areas are not critical but the solid ones
are vital. These covers force air to be pulled over the hot
condenser, cooling it, rather than being sucked in from open
areas at the rear of the refrigerator. Without this cover it will
overheat and may burn out the compressor.
If you have a non-frost-free refrigerator or freezer, defrost the
freezing coils whenever 1/4"-1/2" of ice has built up. With the
greater efficiency the compressor will run less and last longer.
NEVER USE A SHARP OR METAL INSTRUMENT TO DEFROST. Pans of hot
water, hair dryers, or just time with the unit turned off and
open are the way to go.
