Although there are many household and commercial appliances that people could probably get by without, the fridge is certainly not one of them. After all, it is difficult to think of another major appliance which remains in constant use. There can be little doubt that fridges and fridge freezers are essential pieces of equipment in everyday domestic life, in addition to being vital for the normal operation of many commercial enterprises such as convenience stores and eating establishments.
Perhaps it is because fridges work away constantly in the background that the majority of people take them for granted. They have become such an intrinsic part of modern life that they now go unnoticed. Children in the north-east will this year get to learn about what life was like before the fridge was invented, according to the Berwick Advertiser.
It seems that the only time the absolute importance of fridges to the normal function of our lives is realised is when they break down. As with all forms of technology, there are a number of mechanical malfunctions which can affect the performance of fridges or fridge freezers. Here are some of the more common reasons why a fridge may break down.
Not Running New Models In
Whether buying a new fridge for the home or commercial fridge freezers for a business, from dealers such as Fridge Freezer Direct, the manual will often recommend that the unit is left to run free for the initial few hours. This means not putting any foodstuffs into the fridge cabinet and letting it run idle. By doing this, the fridge can prepare itself for taking on a capacity load and the risk of an early malfunction is lessened greatly.
Over Filling the Cabinet
All fridges and fridge freezers are built to handle specific load amounts. The exact load capacity varies from model to model, so the manufacturer’s manual should always be consulted. By putting too many items in the fridge, the compressor motor may become overworked and break down completely. Although, according to the Radio Times it is predicted that the fridges of the future will be able to recommend healthy foodstuffs to us, unfortunately they cannot inform people when they are overloaded.
Overloading a fridge is not the only reason why a compressor motor may stop functioning. Sometimes, it may just be because the fridge is old and the compressor motor has simply reached the end of its useful life.
Leakage
All fridges use refrigerant liquids to cool the air of the interior cabinet. By varying the pressure of the refrigerant, it transforms from a liquid to a vapour, which creates the cooling effect. Occasionally, the refrigerant may leak which leads to the fridge no longer cooling its contents as it should. In these cases there is no other option but to get the fridge looked at by a professional, who can repair the leak and refill the refrigerant to the required level.