Refrigerator: What routine maintenance does my refrigerator need?

Dust-covered refrigerator coils can prevent the refrigerator and freezer from running efficiently and cooling properly. Follow the instructions in your owner's manual for cleaning the condenser coils. Unplug the refrigerator before accessing and cleaning the coils. On most refrigerators, the coils are behind the bottom front grill. Clean the condenser coils with a coil brush.

The refrigerator or freezer doors swing on hinges that can be damaged or bent. Over time, the doors may begin to sag, allowing warm moist air into the refrigerator or freezer door that creates excessive frost that can eventually cause the drain tube to freeze. This refrigerator repair involves adjusting or repairing the hinges so that the doors work properly and stay aligned.

As part of the refrigerator's defrost cycle, the fridge drain pan collects condensate water that melts from the evaporator fins, collects in the evaporator drip tray below the evaporator and then flows through the defrost drain tube to the drain pan in the machine compartment next to the compressor. The drain pan can sometimes form mildew or collect insects. This repair involves accessing and cleaning the drain pan.