Get Your Refrigerator Ready for Holiday Hosting

Why a full holiday fridge works harder

A refrigerator that keeps up fine on a normal week can struggle in late November and December. It gets packed with a thawing turkey, casseroles, drinks and leftovers, the doors open dozens of times a day, and warm dishes go in before they have cooled.

Every one of those things adds heat the compressor has to remove. A unit with dusty coils, a tired door seal or a fan that is starting to fail may run nonstop and still not get cold enough. A week or two before guests arrive is the right time to find out, while you still have room in the schedule for a repair.

The checks below take less than an hour and need no special tools beyond a thermometer and a coil brush.

Check the temperature with a thermometer

The dial or display tells you the setting, not the real temperature inside. Put an inexpensive appliance thermometer in a glass of water on the middle shelf and another between frozen packages, then read them the next morning.

• Fresh food section: aim for about 37°F. Food safety guidance says to stay at 40°F or below.
• Freezer: aim for 0°F.
• If it reads warm: lower the setting one step, wait 24 hours and check again. Big jumps in the setting can freeze produce without fixing the real problem.

If the reading stays above 40°F after a day at a colder setting, something mechanical is usually involved. Our guide to common reasons a refrigerator isn't cooling walks through the likely causes.

Clean the condenser coils before the rush

The condenser coils release the heat pulled out of the cabinet. When they are coated in dust and pet hair, the fridge runs longer and cools less, which is exactly what you do not want with a full load.

Unplug the refrigerator or switch off its breaker first. On many models the coils sit behind the toe grille at the bottom front; on others they are on the back, behind a thin panel. Use a long coil brush and a vacuum to clear the dust. Do not bend the fins or pull on any tubing, and leave the refrigerant lines alone.

While you are down there, make sure nothing is blocking the grille. A rug, a stack of bags or a box pushed against the bottom of the fridge can choke off the airflow the condenser fan needs.

Test the door gaskets

With guests reaching in for drinks all day, a weak door seal costs you more cold air than usual. Close the door on a dollar bill at several points around the frame. If the bill slides out with no drag, that part of the gasket is not sealing.

• Wipe the gasket with warm, soapy water. Sticky residue from spills can keep it from sitting flat.
• Look for tears, flattened corners or a section pulling away from the door.
• Check that the door swings shut by itself. If it does not, the fridge may need its front raised slightly with the leveling legs.

A torn gasket usually needs to be replaced, and it is worth doing before the holidays. In humid weather, a leaking seal also leads to sweating and frost.

Load it so cold air can move

Refrigerators cool by moving air from the freezer side into the fresh food side through vents. When a platter or a stack of containers covers those vents, one shelf can be icy while the door bins run warm.

• Find the air vents, usually at the back wall or top of the fresh food section, and keep a few inches clear in front of them.
• Thaw the turkey on the bottom shelf in a pan. USDA guidance allows roughly one day of fridge thawing for every four to five pounds, so plan backward from your meal.
• Let very hot dishes cool briefly on the counter (within food safety limits) before they go in.
• Move drinks to a cooler on the porch or in the garage to free up space and cut down on door openings.

Get ice and water ready ahead of time

If your refrigerator has a built-in ice maker, start saving ice several days early. Empty the bin into freezer bags as it fills so the ice maker keeps cycling and you build up a reserve.

Change the water filter if it is near or past its replacement date. A clogged filter slows the dispenser and can leave the ice maker with small, hollow cubes right when you need the most. After a new filter, run a few gallons through the dispenser to clear the air before relying on it.

If the ice maker has stopped working entirely, see why an ice maker stops making ice, or ask about our ice maker repair for built-in refrigerator ice makers.

When to call a technician before the holidays

Some warning signs are worth acting on right away instead of hoping the fridge makes it through the season:

• The thermometer reads above 40°F even after you turned the setting colder.
• The freezer is fine but the fresh food section is warm.
• The fridge runs constantly, or clicks on and off without cooling.
• New noises, frost on the back wall of the freezer, or water under the crisper drawers.

Mr. Fixer provides refrigerator repair across Metro Atlanta for brands such as Whirlpool, Samsung and GE. Our technicians work Monday through Friday, so calling early in the week before a holiday gives you the most options. The $80 diagnostic is credited toward the repair, and you see a written estimate first. Call (678) 866-3669 or book online any time.

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