If you are asking if you need a professional for your refrigerator repair, you have your answer. A professional repair is best when you find any appliance not working as it should.
Obviously, refrigerators are one of the more essential appliances in your home. Your family members and guest rely on this appliance for a list of reasons. Of course, it is responsible for keeping drinks cold and lettuce crisp; it contains most of the fresh food you will eat. And that’s just to list a few!
Here you will find some of the many reasons you shouldn’t prolong calling in an expert and a few of the repairs refrigerators need when it comes to maintenance.
Atlanta Appliance Services is here when you need them; contact our team for a reliable inspection and all refrigerator repairs.
Professional Refrigerator Repair for General Food Safety
It’s essential to keep your refrigerator temperature at or below 40° Fahrenheit to ensure your food stays at an ideal temperature. Having the temperature set like this will prolong your food’s use span and prevent fast molding.
“A refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will keep the temperature for approximately 48 hours – 24 hours if it is half full – if the door remains closed,” according to the USDA.
Just how long does food stay safe?
No one wants to hear that bacteria are all around us– but it really is. In water, the air we breathe, and the soil below us. When the bacteria have the nutrients they need, ideal temperatures, and adequate moisture, it multiplies rapidly and increases in numbers. At that point, certain types of bacteria in food can cause you to become dangerously ill with food poisoning. However, proper refrigeration will slow that unhealthy bacterial growth.
**Bacteria multiplies in temperatures ranging from 40 to 140 °F; this is identified as the danger zone. Fortunately, a refrigerator set at 40 °F or below will protect the majority of foods.
Perhaps you have never heard the recommendation not to store perishable foods in your refrigerator door. For example, eggs should be stored in the carton you bought them or in a container of your choice on the shelf. The temperature of items in the door goes up and down more than in the large part of the fridge. That is why it is essential to keep the fridge door closed as much as you can.
Most importantly, never leave food sitting on the counter for over 2 hours. Then, if the temperature of your food is 90 °F or higher, it should not be left out for longer than 1 hour.
Refrigerator Repair Reliability Tips
If your refrigerator isn’t cooling or stops running, you will discover yourself making several trips to the store to grab an item multiple times a day. The time you spend and the extra money going out will be a lot. We recommend reaching out to a professional refrigerator repair service as quickly as you can to keep all that food and your family safe.
- Avoid overloading your fridge and freezer when guests are expected to protect the compressor and keep the cooled air circulating.
- Like Mama always said, try to open your fridge door only when you need something. This protects the compressor and keeps the food safe.
- The door gaskets can use a good cleaning every once and a while to ensure the fridge is sealing correctly. Dirty seals will rot, leading to the fridge not closing right.
- When you think about it, vacuum the coils on the back of the fridge and the bottom of your appliance.
- Get rid of expired or molded food to prevent contamination of other food in the refrigerator and save room.
What Could Be Wrong?
When the fridge is not cooling the items inside…
Evaporator fans can squeal or make a chirping sound when they are beginning to expire. If you can hear the compressor running and the fridge still isn’t cooling, the issue is most likely frosted evaporator coils or a broken fan that’s stuck. That’s no good.
When your refrigerator isn’t cooling, it could be due to food blocking the vents of the refrigerator or freezer section. Refrigerators require adequate airflow to get the food to the right temperature.
If there is an annoying humming sound coming from the fridge…
If you hear that annoying buzzing or humming sound, it is typically due to a blockage in the air vent of your fridge. When this happens, airflow against the walls gets blocked and causes the refrigerator to make sounds.
- You can help prevent hearing this sound by organizing your fridge correctly.
- The compressor is placed between your refrigerator wall and the back of the unit. Unfortunately, it can get dirty fast, collecting dust over time, and gunked-up coils can also cause the compressor of your refrigerator to make a humming sound.
- Another reason the humming sound may be coming from your refrigerator is simply that they make noise. It is not always due to a maintenance issue.
- The humming sound can also happen when the ice maker fills up with water.
The compressor and motor of your fridge are capable of making a soft hum when they are running. However, these are just typical examples.
If you hear noises that do not sound like something you’ve heard before and have been going on longer than expected, you need to call an expert. Your local professional repair tech can take a closer look into the problem and help solve it correctly using their years of experience and training.
If you discover water on the floor…
The defrost tube is most commonly the problem if you see a puddle of water in front of your fridge. A defrost tube is responsible for carrying the water down to the drain pan, where it eventually evaporates.
When it is working correctly, it ensures your fridge has a smooth defrost cycle.
When the refrigerator is freezing the food inside…
Food becoming frozen in your fridge can be caused by many different things. The issue could be a faulty temperature sensor, a leaky door seal, or blocked air vents.
Do I need a professional refrigerator repair to prevent additional damage?
Refrigerators are complex machinery with many different parts that we usually don’t even think about. There is the defrost heater, evaporator coils, evaporator fan, drain pan, condenser coils, and defrost timer, to name a few.
And wildly enough, the list could go on and on. The good news is, there’s no reason for you to have to try and guess which part is malfunctioning. That is precisely what we are here for at Atlanta Appliance Services.
Refrigerator Repair for Electrical Safety
Electrical work is nothing to tinker with. Refrigerators have many different electrical components. The smartest option for you is to call in a professional trained in refrigerator repair and with a background in electrical work.
Caution: If you were to try and fix the repair yourself, it could cause an electrical fire.
Best Practices for Maximum Efficiency
Again, the refrigerator is the lifeline of your house, fully stocked with food, drinks, medication, and other household essentials. We know it is vital to have same-day service or the fastest service you can find.
Now, don’t forget that food is only suitable for up to four hours without power, and hot items must be stored in a working refrigerator after two hours of cooling.
For fluctuating temperatures…
If your fridge is overstuffed with food, it can cause blockage to the vents and prevent the cool air from circulating properly. This causes a fluctuation in temperatures which is unsafe for food the food you will be preparing for your family.
A squeaky-clean refrigerator is the best way to have proper circulation throughout your appliance. When your refrigerator is empty and food is in a safe cold place like a cooler, you can remove your shelves and drawers and give it a good clean. Then sit aside for proper drying. Toss out expired food and place the food you want to keep back inside the clean fridge.
- Clean out old food at least once a week.
- Wipe up spills when they happen to prevent mold.
- Randomly look at your refrigerators’ temperature.
- Keep a container of baking soda open in the fridge for extra fresh storage.
Quality Service and Professional Refrigerator Repair
In conclusion, calling a refrigerator expert will be the best option for you and your family. You don’t want the most used appliance left sitting without power or broken parts.
A DIY job or someone unfamiliar with refrigerators, like a handyperson, can often make problems worse. Don’t make a mistake- call a professional for the best refrigerator repair and appliance maintenance, too.
Atlanta Appliance Services For Professional Refrigerator Repair and More
Atlanta Appliance Services is your reliable and local appliance repair service. Our technicians are experts in repairing all types of appliances. Additionally, we install dishwashers, dryers, and refrigerators, to list a few. Call us at (678) 928-8472 to solve the mystery of your particular appliance repair issue or to schedule an appointment.