Fridge

Why is my Fridge dripping?

We recently posted a blog about fridges not cooling in the summer, which proved very popular, so we thought we’d also cover the second most common fridge complaint….a water leak.

We get lots of calls in the summer about water sitting in the fridge and sometimes on the floor (which is yet another good reason not to have hardwood floors in the kitchen!). Where is all that water coming from? Well, in the freezer there is a coil which is responsible for keeping everything cold. When the humidity is high in the summer, and you open the fridge door, all the moisture ends up on the coil. Of course it freezes once it’s there so over time ice builds up. Your fridge is equipped to deal with this though, using a heater. When the ice melts it drains down the back of the fridge and is evaporated by the heat of the compressor.

There are two reasons this water can become a problem. One is that the drain gets plugged; by dust, dirt or bits of food. The other reason could be that the heater is burnt out, which means the unit cannot defrost itself. More and more ice will build up and some will melt on the off cycle. This is an easy problem to avoid, just keep your fridge clean and well maintained…..and we hope this helps you through a hot summer!

Caledonia Integrated Services is an Energy Management, HVAC and Electrical company, serving Vancouver and BC area.
We actively encourage feedback, comments and questions. You can leave a message here, or look us up on Facebook and Twitter. Of course, you can always e- mail us too!

Refrigerator

My refrigerator is not keeping cool…what’s wrong with it?

It’s that time of year again, when we hear this a lot. Well, first the good news! 9 times out of 10, there’s nothing wrong with it. We need to go back to basics to explain this one….bear with us.

There are two coils in your fridge. One gets cold, one gets hot. The inside coil gets cold and the refrigerant (gas) moves the heat to the outside coil, on the bottom of the fridge. A small fan blows air across the coil and gets rid of the heat. The problem with this design is that all the dust and dirt on the floor under your fridge will be pulled onto the bottom coil and, over time, this will block its ability to eject the heat. In summer, this problem is exasperated because room temperatures go up. So, a room that is normally 18° C is now 22 or 24°C, making your fridge work harder to cool inside. This is why these issues always show up in the summer.

So, to save money and help your fridge last longer, clean the coil at the bottom of your fridge. It’s as easy as vacuuming it. (some manufacturers put them at the top just to make it a little more confusing for you!)

Now you can enjoy a cold beer, with a clear conscience!

Caledonia Integrated Services is an Energy Management, HVAC and Electrical company, serving Vancouver and BC area.
We actively encourage feedback, comments and questions. You can leave a message here, or look us up on Facebook and Twitter. Of course, you can always e- mail us too!