Clean the refrigerator’s condenser coils
Dusty coils make the compressor work harder.
Who: You can do it yourself, or have an appliance repair technician do it. On many models, nobody: GE models since 2001 with NeverClean need no cleaning; Whirlpool says it’s normally not needed, and on some models it’s for a technician only.
How often: Only if the manual says to: most GE models since 2001 and most homes never need it; with pets, dust or a garage, every 3-6 months. For: the refrigerator, freezer.
Safety first
- Unplug it or turn its breaker off. Don’t disturb the water lines.
- Wear safety glasses, don’t bend the fins, and secure the grilles before the power goes back on.
- Coils on top: the fins are sharp; wear long sleeves and gloves.
- Coils on the back: don’t roll the fridge over cords or tubing.
What you need
- A coil brush.
- A vacuum with a soft brush or crevice tool.
How to do it
- Check the manual first: NeverClean, or a technician-only note, means stop.
- Find the coils: under the fridge (behind the base grille), on the back, or on top.
- Base grille: open both doors, put your hands at the ends, push in at the top and pull up at the bottom.
- Vacuum the grille, the space behind it and the face of the coil with the soft brush.
- Snap the grille back on its clips, plug it in, and vacuum the floor. Coils on the back: pull the fridge out, brush, and push it back carefully. Coils on top: breaker off, gloves on.
Needs attention
- It runs but isn’t cold enough.
Call an appliance repair technician if
- The manual says a certified technician.
Keep track of it
Add your home to My homes: each piece of equipment gets this on its own schedule, with “Mark done” and reminders you can turn on.
Sources
Your owner’s manual comes first: where it says something different for your model, follow it.
Still stuck?
Email us at hello@tradewrench.com. Tell us which page you were on and what you were trying to do.