Why You Should De-Frost Your Refrigerator

When you’re renting, it may not even occur to you to defrost the refrigerator. You may view it as the landlord’s problem, or as a repair and maintenance issue. However, it’s your responsibility to take care of it while you’re living there, and it will benefit you in the long run. If you’re wondering why you should bother defrosting the refrigerator, here’s why:

Energy Conservation

It takes a lot of energy to run your refrigerator, but there are some things you can do to lower your electric bill. For instance, when you defrost the refrigerator, you prevent problems that will cause it to run inefficiently, requiring more energy use. If you’re looking to save money on your utilities, then the proper care and maintenance of your refrigerator needs to be included in your plans. This should be easy if you have automatic defrost controls, but it does take more work if you have to do it manually. The more humid your kitchen gets, the more you’ll have to defrost the refrigerator.

Efficient Cooling

When frost builds up on the coils of your refrigerator, the air will not flow well. It gets restricted, requiring more energy to cool things inside the refrigerator. There are two ways your refrigerator coil gets frost. First, the moisture in the air can build up around the coils and build up frost. Every time you open your refrigerator and freezer doors, you invite moisture in. The food you’re cooling or freezing also has moisture that contributes to the frost. You should defrost your refrigerator to eliminate the frost that gets built up off and on.

Avoid Damage

The frost can build up so much that your doors may not be able to shut properly. This is a problem that can lead to damage. You’ll use more force to try to close the door, and in the process you could damage it. Most renters don’t bring their own refrigerator to an apartment renting situation, and so if you damage the landlord’s refrigerator, the cost of repairs or replacement will come out of your security deposit. To avoid this, defrost your refrigerator and don’t let frost exceed more than one-quarter of an inch.

Food Will Stay Cold

If you don’t defrost the refrigerator when needed, your food won’t stay cold. This can be frustrating when you want to eat, and wasteful if your food spoils. You can avoid this problem if you defrost the refrigerator as soon as you notice this problem. The freezer may still be working fine, but it didn’t go through a defrost cycle, which is why the food in the refrigerator is not cold.

It can take several hours to defrost the refrigerator, which can be inconvenient. You’ll have to take out all of your food and find another way to keep it cool during the process. Ask your landlord for the owner’s manual to help you defrost the refrigerator. You can also research the make and model of the refrigerator online to find an owner’s manual or other help on how to do it.