Frequently Asked Questions About Domestic Refrigerator Repair:
Storing freezers and refrigerators when not in use for 6 months
Hi. I'm trying to find information about whether it's better to leave a fridge and freezer running or to turn it off and leave the door propped open if someone is going away for six months.
Yes a refrigerator that isn't in use for this period of time should be left with the doors ajar and shut down, but not by turning it off on the control. It should be unplugged from the power source because many frost free designs have heaters placed underneath the strike plate (the contact surface in between the two doors), that stay on even when the control is in the off position. The mullion heaters, as they are called, are there to prevent moisture from accumulating on the strike plate in humid weather environments.
Chest type deep freezers however are made differently. When these are shut down after a few months of operation they tend to rust out the Freon lines in-between the two walls and then are impossible to repair. For this reason they are best left running. To save energy, if no food is being stored in it, turn the control to its minimum setting. Also make sure there is plenty of free air space around it and nothing is touching it. Of course leave the door closed.
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