As far as household appliances go, a refrigerator is a necessity and one that usually doesn’t give you any trouble. Most refrigerators can run reliably for up to 20 years, which is why it can be difficult to know when to call a repair person and when to look to replace it.
1. Not Running
OK, let’s start with an easy one first. If your food is not cold when you are getting it out of the fridge, it can be an obvious sign that your fridge is malfunctioning. However, before running straight out to purchase a new fridge, check the following first:
- Check there is power by unplugging the fridge and plugging in another appliance such as a lamp to see if the light comes on.
- Adjust the thermostat to its coldest setting to see if you can kick-start it back into life
If you have checked the above and the fridge still does not appear to be running, one final thing to try would be to turn the fridge off and let it defrost for approx. 24 hours. After that, turn it back on and see if it starts back running again.
2. Frost Build-Up
If frost has built up on the evaporator coils, the temperature within the fridge can fluctuate. Although the coils cannot be accessed without removing the back panel, you can check if this is an issue by looking for ice or frost build-up on the floor, ceiling and walls of the fridge.
3. You can hear it running
Although a fridge is not totally silent when it is working (you can usually hear a constant hum), if the hum gets louder, or you start to hear other noises coming from it, it may be the compressor failing or an issue with the condenser fan or coils.
Can the fridge be repaired?
Usually, a fridge can last anywhere between 10 and 20 years. if you experience any of the issue above, the first port of call can be to contact a skilled technician who may be able to identify the fault and fix it (for a fee).
However, remember that the older the fridge, the more expensive it may be to repair. Ultimately, if your fridge needs constant repairs, you may be better to look at replacing it as eventually, the cost of the repairs will exceed the cost to replace it.
I’ve bought a new fridge; how do I dispose of the old one?
If you have purchased a new fridge as your previous one could not be repaired (or you just fancied a new one), you must be careful how you dispose of your old fridge. Due to the substances used by a fridge to keep the inside cool, a fridge is classified as hazardous waste and as such, it must be disposed of responsibly.
Take it to the local tip
A fridge can be quite heavy, bulky and contains hazardous chemicals. Therefore, if you wish to take it to the tip or recycle centre yourself, please ensure that you have a few (strong) people to help and suitable transport. In addition to this, contact the tip/recycling centre first to confirm they accept fridges as not all of them do.
Waste Removal Company
Alternatively, you can use a specialist waste removal company like ourselves to remove your fridge. The advantage of using a company like Yes Waste is that we have fast response times, can collect from your property (whether it’s inside or outside) within a 2-hour time frame that we agree with you, and we’ll do all the moving and lifting too. Take a look at our fridge collection and disposal service for more information.
Please Note:
If you decide to use another waste removal company, please ensure that they hold a valid waste carriers license (ours is CBDU117809), are insured and provide you with the relevant paperwork that details your collection and specifying that the waste removed was a fridge.