Refrigerator Maintenance: Keep the Condenser Clean

 This post is provided by Fred’s Appliance Academy and used for training purposes.  

As the summer months approach and as temperatures rise, customers may notice that their refrigerators will be running a lot longer than usual.  Their refrigerators may be warm if not hot to the touch. These symptoms may be caused by a dirty condenser or a faulty condenser fan motor caused by a dirty condenser.  We recommend checking the condition of the condenser regardless of the customer complaint.  

These types of issues just don’t happen in the summer months, in fact, they can happen at any time of the year especially with customers that have pets in the home. The condenser is part of the sealed system and is designed to expel the heat from the refrigerator.  We recommend that customers clean the condenser every 6 months.  If you have pets, we would recommend checking every other month since hair clings to the condenser.  

To Clean a condenser coil:

• Use a vacuum to clean, a brush also works but on its own will not remove the dust. It will just move the dust around
• If the buildup will not come off with a vacuum, take 3 towels and cover the front and sides of the bottom of the refrigerator.  Ensure that you get the customer’s permission before attempting this more extreme measure.  
• Then take compressed air and blow the dust from the back of the unit. The air is being pulled in from the front bottom of the unit.
• Some condensers can be accessed from the front but the back will still need to be maintained.

By keeping the condenser clean the unit will run more efficient and help extend the life of the refrigerator. Offering to clean the condenser on every job no matter if a tech is there for the refrigerator or for a different appliance is a great way to help your customers prevent future repair issues.