Monday, September 26, 2011

Reduce Health Hazards: Care your Refrigerators

Refrigerator occupies an important position in the house hold, it sustains the life of the perishable food items. People want to protect their foods but do give less importance for the cleaning of the device itself. An ill maintained refrigerator can do the exact opposite purpose and hold a threat to your health. Employing simple procedures to clean the refrigerator can extend the life and increase the efficiency also. This cleaning process is not that tiresome and requires less than thirty minutes.

Condenser coils, the area which is prone to heavy dusts. These dusty condenser coils make the refrigerator to work harder and thus decrease the life span and increase the energy bills. Use a vacuum or a broom to remove the dust piled up. Remember to clean these coils once in two months, especially at homes with pets. Condenser coils will either be located behind or beneath the refrigerator, depending on the model. Remove carefully the grills located at the bottom to access the coil located underneath. For the coils located behind, you can pull the unit from the wall. Extra care should be taken to plug the device out from power supply so as to avoid hazards.

Drain hole and drip pan are areas which have to be functioning properly, as the refrigerator mainly rely on these areas to remove condensation. Food particles and other deposits accumulated here are to be removed. Follow the instructions in the user’s manual to remove the drip pan then clean these areas properly. These areas has to be given a special care as they bear water most of the time which helps in the proliferation of slime moulds which could prove harmful for your health.

Clean gaskets on the doors provide better sealing of the cold temperature inside and keeping the warm air outside. Gaskets thus become a vital tool to increase the efficiency of the refrigerator. Check for the weaker spots on the gasket, if you find any damaged areas on the gasket, consider replacing the gasket. If the damage is only less or it has become dirty, then clan the gasket with cleaner and wipe it dry.

Change the water filter regularly according to the recommendations given in the owner’s manual. You might have to change it every six months depending on the water quality you are using. One should always bear in mind that, the water coming out through a dirty filter is dirtier and can cause dangerous health hazards. The level of eh refrigerator is also an important feature to reduce the energy loss. On an uneven surface, the doors might not close properly and result in the consumption of extra energy to burn your wallets off. This can be easily done with a water or spirit level.

This cleaning process consumes less time and requires lesser equipments. Following these tips will surely keep you and your wallet healthy and safe.