Troubleshooting Difficult Home Appliances

How To Clean Your Refrigerator Evaporator

Is your refrigerator not running as efficiently as it should be? Do you notice the engine running and loudly throughout the day? Does your food not seem to be as cold as it used to be? If so, you may need to have your refrigerator serviced. However, there are many things that you can do on your own that could improve the efficiency of your refrigerator. This article explains how to check and clean your evaporator coils and fans.

Identifying the Evaporator Coils

First, do not confuse the evaporator coils with the condenser coils. The condenser coils are on the outside of the unit and they have a zigzag design. On a side note, you should always make sure that the condenser coils are free of dirt and dust. However, it is more important to make sure that the evaporator coils are clean. Often, you can find the evaporator coils just by looking for ice buildup along the inner walls of your refrigerator. Evaporate or coils are usually behind a small vented panel near the back of the refrigerator.

Finding and Cleaning the Evaporator

The first step is to unplug your refrigerator and empty it out see you can easily access the evaporator coils. This means you'll have to figure out what to do with some of your time sensitive foods while you are working on your unit. To remove the axis panel to your evaporator coil, you might need to first grade boys some ice and then take out a couple of small screws. Some access panels just slide right off without any tools.

The evaporator coils are basically made out of small aluminum ridges, or fins. These help transfer heat out of the refrigerator I it, which causes the unit to cool off. So, if you evaporator coils are blocked by ice or dirt, they will not be very effective. First, try to clean your coils with a hose vacuum. If this does not get the job done, you will need to be a little more creative. You can either wipe them down with a wet rag, or try to clean between the fins with a cotton swab. If you soak the cotton swab in alcohol, you can wipe away dust and gunk buildup between the fins.

If you notice rust on your coils, you might need to have them replaced. In fact, if you noticed rust or severe decay on your evaporator unit, you should call in a professional (like those at Ray's Appliances) to service it.