Refrigerators and Freezers: OEP Quick Tips

• Refrigerators and freezers operate most efficiently when full but not overcrowded.
• Arrange contents in a way that allows air to circulate.
• Keep the freezer full by filling plastic milk bottles with water.
• Make sure refrigerator and freezer doors fit tightly. If they don’t, adjust or replace gaskets. Here is a simple test: Shut the door on a dollar bill. If you can pull the dollar out easily, the gasket is not sealing properly. Try this at several locations around the door to check for uneven seal.
• Don’t open the doors unnecessarily.
• If you’re going away, remove perishable food from the refrigerator and turn the thermostat up a few degrees.
• Don’t put uncovered liquids in the refrigerator. They force the unit to work harder to remove the moisture.
• Let cooked food cool to room temperature before putting it in the refrigerator.
• Don’t put foil on the refrigerator shelves. It blocks cold airflow and makes the unit work harder to cool food.
• Don’t locate the refrigerator or freezer near the stove, dishwasher or other heat-producing appliances.
• Don’t locate the refrigerator in direct sunlight.
• Set your refrigerator thermostat at 40 degrees and your freezer at 0 degrees.
• If your refrigerator has an "efficiency" setting, make sure it is on. This will reduce the number of hours the unit needs to run.
• Defrost frozen foods in the refrigerator.
• Clean dust from refrigerator coils.
• Don’t store paper bags or anything else behind the refrigerator. They can cut airflow to the coils, making the refrigerator work harder.
• Don’t try to cool the house with the refrigerator.