Appliances, on the other hand, DO come with instructions. But ā how many people ever read them? I stand guilty as charged. I don’t bother with those manualsĀ until there’s a problem. And by that time, it’s usually unfortunately time to call in the pros.
I was recently privileged to receive a one-year appliance maintenanceĀ plan and inspection from Sears Home Services. Thanks so much to Sears for sponsoring this post!
I learned so much from the technician who came to my house!
And it was really nice to receive service when nothing was broken!
Sears has this great new service: they will send a technician to your home to inspect up to 4 appliances for $199. They’ll look over your fridge, your dishwasher, your range and your oven and look for issues.
The technician will do an inspection and any general maintenance that’s needed. He’ll tell you how to properly care for your appliance and any things you need to look out for. (But if something is actually broken, you’ll still have to pay for the repairs.)
My technician told me that most refrigerators fail because people never vacuum out the coils. This is such a simple thing! You can add years to the life of your fridge just by doing this and a few other simple maintenance tasks.
I thought I was cleaning the coils under my fridge properly but it turns out there was an extra drip tray that needs to be emptied.Ā Talk about gross!
My technician inspected my fridgeĀ andĀ added some food-safe grease to the door seal. This makes for a more air-tight seal to keep in the cold. He even vacuumed the coils and washed the drip tray #gladitwasntme. He gave me tips on things to do to help the fridge last longer and keep energy consumption low.
He did all this while being mobbed by my puppy. I give him extra points for friendliness. š He gave me these tips to pass on to you.
8 tips to prolong the life of your fridge (from a Sears Technician)
- Vacuum those coils at least twice a year! If you do just this one thing, your fridge will last longer.
- Keep the door seal clean and free of drips. This keeps the seal working properly and preventsĀ tears.
- Turn off your ice maker before you go on vacation. If the water line ruptures, it won’t flood your basement. You should also dump the ice if it’s been sitting in the fridge for several days. Ice can actually go bad. #ewww
- Train your kids (and yourself) not to stand in front of the open fridge looking for food. You’ll save on power by not letting the fridge heat up too much.
- An empty fridge has to work harder (and uses more power) than one that’s 2/3 full. The food acts as a ācold sinkā. You can use jugs of water if your fridge is nearing empty.
- Allow leftovers to cool to room temperature before putting in the fridge.
- If food in the crisper drawer is freezing, you might want to increase the temperature setting in the freezer just a bit.
- If your fridge has seen better days, you may save money by upgrading to a newer, more efficient model.
I was glad to hear that even though our fridge is 10 years old, it shows no signs of wearing out any time soon.
Maintenance tasks are going to be a little different for each model. Hence the 150 page manual. #notimeforthat The $199 for this Sears service and maintenance plan is an excellent investment.
Here’s a funny video about what can happen when you try to be the expert yourself!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4rRcgbqHlc
Click over to the Sears website to check out this new maintenance plan.
It’s always better to be proactive about maintenance and get some expert advice. Let me know if you take advantage of it. I’d love to hear about your experience!
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sears Home Appliances and Services and #HouseExperts #AD.
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8 thoughts on “8 Tips to keep your fridge running like new (from a Sears repairman)”
Thanks for all the great tips! I always forget about cleaning the seal! I probably should get to that! š
Thanks, Kaitlin!
Good to know! Our extra fridge (in the garage) just died and I’m planning on having Sears come look at it to see if it’s fixable. I’m sure he’ll probably tell me that we didn’t maintain it properly. I just never quite want to deal with what might be behind or under that fridge or our main fridge! š
Eww – I know. It’s scary what can accumulate under there, especially in the garage. I have neglected our basement fridge – that’s next on my list to vacuum out.
I was hoping that the Fridge Man told you about changing the water filter. The red light has been showing on mine for 10 days now but I don’t know how to change it or even where it is located.
I have changed water filters before but this one is not where I found the other one.
He did mention that! I don’t have a water dispenser, but he brought that up as something that people forget to do. Hopefully you can find the answer with a Google search.
Wow, I don’t think I do any of these! I really like what you said about vacuuming the coils behind the fridge every once in a while, to keep them clean. I’ve never done that, so I can’t even imagine what they look like! I also really like what you said about letting leftovers cool before putting them in. This is something I do all the time, and sometimes I’m in a hurry and have to, but sometimes I just want to get it done.
I’d love to hear what you find when you vacuum those coils! š