It is not the most powerful appliance in the house, but if we take into account that it is always in operation, the influence of the refrigerator on our electricity bill is remarkable. In this sense and facing a renovation, it is always interesting to go for a model with the most efficient energy label, but what about a refrigerator that we have at home and that works well? Buying another one is not an option, but sometimes small repairs have a big impact: and this is when the trick of the foil appears.
Some basic tips to take care of your refrigerator
It is not the same to have the fridge with four cans of soda and some vegetables that is full of meat and fish, or that we are in a cold month of December that in full heat wave. Thus, it is important to take into consideration both the inside contents and the outside environment when regulating the temperature. It is also not a good idea to put hot food in, as we will be forcing the system to work harder to reach the setpoint temperature.
Another important point has to do with its location. Although the tendency is to have it embedded in the furniture to optimize space, it is advisable to have space to dissipate heat better and therefore, work less. But it may already be too late for our current refrigerator. How? Some practices are as simple as monitoring the accumulation of ice and periodically cleaning it (defrosting it, a somewhat tedious procedure but that can be much faster with this trick).
How are the refrigerator’s seals? Here’s how you can check
But if your refrigerator is already a few years old, it is likely that compared to current models its efficiency is significantly lower and its deterioration is inevitable. We are talking about clogged fans, dirty condensation coils or door rubbers in poor condition. The result is that the refrigerator has to work harder to maintain the desired temperature, so it consumes more.
Checking the condition of some of these elements is extremely easy and best of all, we can do it with something we already have around the house: a simple piece of paper. Simply open the refrigerator door, place a piece of paper, leaving part outside the refrigerator and part inside, and close it.
Then pull the foil trying to get it out of the fridge. If the paper is very firm, good news: the rubber bands on the cooler are still in good condition. If you manage to pull the foil out with relatively little effort, it’s time to replace the rubber bands because your refrigerator is overcooling as the cold air escapes.
The good thing is that changing the refrigerator gaskets is inexpensive and can be done without much difficulty or special technical knowledge.