Is Your Refrigerator Running? You Better Keep Up With It!

Is Your Refrigerator Running? You Better Keep Up With It!

During the Warmest Months, Follow Five Basic Tips from Lowe's to Keep Your Refrigerator Humming

MOORESVILLE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- You remember the old prank call we all received or called ourselves, is your refrigerator running? You better go catch it. During July when it is heating up across the country, it is not a case of catching the refrigerator, but keeping up to prevent it from overheating. Just like regular car maintenance, your appliance needs regular service. Refrigerators work 24 hours a day and are one of the largest users of electricity in your home. As temperatures reach or surpass 90 degrees, you don't want your refrigerator suffering from heat exhaustion and breaking down before a big meal. Lowe's experts have some simple preventive measures for everyone to follow to keep your refrigerator in working order.

Maintenance Tips:

One important tidbit before you get started on the to-do list is to set your refrigerator temperature between 38 and 42 degrees Fahrenheit and the freezer compartment between 0 and 5 degrees Fahrenheit. If you set the temperature too low, it could cost you more to operate and add undue stress to the cooling system.

These are the top five trouble-free chores and all you need is a rag, warm water in a bucket and soap.


        Clean the condenser coils once a year with a vacuum cleaner or a dust
   1.   rag. The condenser coils are on the back or bottom of the refrigerator
        behind a protective plate. Unplug the refrigerator and roll it out for
        easy access to the refrigerator cabinet.

   2.   Clean the defrost pan, usually located atop or beside the compressor.

   3.   Clean all the door gaskets with warm, soapy water to ensure a tight seal
        between the cabinet and doors.

   4.   Remove any clutter and items you store atop the refrigerator. They
        restrict the natural flow of air needed for proper operation.

   5.   Change your water filter every 6 months.



For those who need more than one refrigerator or freezer to store all of their food, it is best not to keep the second appliance in the garage. Your refrigerator will work extra hard (while raising your energy bill) to keep cool in the hot garage.

Replacement Tips:

If you haven't kept up with your updates and your refrigerator has quit working, you are probably looking for a new one to arrive quickly. In addition, if you have a refrigerator purchased in the 1990s, it can cost as much as 50 percent more to operate than current models available with ENERGY STAR(R) ratings.

The newest refrigerator models are more energy efficient and offer a wide selection of features to fit your storage capacity, buying frequency, and lifestyle needs. Each model offers its own benefits, but a few thoughts to keep in mind:

    --  Top-mount refrigerators are still popular because of their ergonomic
        design, basic functionality and energy efficiency. And for anyone on a
        tight budget but still looking for energy savings, a Frigidaire 18 Cubic
        Foot top mount is a great value at less than $500.
    --  Side-by-Sides offer food storage flexibility with multiple interior
        shelving and door bin capacity - great for those buying in bulk. New at
        Lowe's is the exclusive Whirlpool Gold refrigerator, which offers
        technology to stop liquid from spilling over the edge of the shelves, 25
        percent more shelf space and a new, in-door ice system that enables easy
        removal of the ice bucket.
    --  Bottom mounts provide convenience, allowing easy access to the fresh
        food compartment because it is on top of the frozen food compartment,
        which isn't opened as often.
    --  French door models offer the largest fresh food capacity with two
        opposing fresh food compact doors that can be opened simultaneously,
        accommodating even the largest entertaining platters. The bottom freezer
        is accessed by the use of a full extension drawer, putting frozen food
        within easy reach. Try Samsung's new FlexZone drawer, an adjustable
        temperature drawer capable of temperatures between 29 and 42 degrees.

When shopping for and researching the appliance that is right for you and your family, visit www.lowes.com/appliances. Go to www.lowes.com/videos for how-to videos or stop by your local Lowe's store to learn more from the experts at Lowe's.

About Lowe's

With fiscal year 2009 sales of $47.2 billion, Lowe's Companies, Inc. is a FORTUNE(R) 50 company that serves approximately 15 million customers a week at more than 1,700 home improvement stores in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Founded in 1946 and based in Mooresville, N.C., Lowe's is the second-largest home improvement retailer in the world. For more information, visit Lowes.com.


    Source: Lowe's Companies, Inc.