I need to replace my kitchen refrigerator.
I actually do try to clean coils regularly but the double A coils on the bottom of my current one were pretty much impossible to clean.
Are there any that still have the coils exposed at the back, or at least in a configuration you can get a brush or vaccuum onto them?
I've not seen one in years. Go to home depot where they have a lot on display and check out the cheap ones but I don't think they have them on the back any more.
If you want a really nice unit you can be sure they are not on back.
I use a long skinny bristly brush - from the dollar store - < bottle brush ? vase brush ? .. >
and the vacuum cleaner - it's not ideal but it works. I don't think I've seen a new fridge with coils on the back for about 20 years .. John T.
People here have reported using a leaf blower or an air compressor to blow the dust out.
More like 30 or more -- -
I have a small refrigerator in the basement I use for drinks, leftovers, etc. I got it cheap from a hotel that was upgrading. So it's that intermediate size, bigger than a dorm room fridge but smaller than a full size.
The coils are in back. And apparently natural convection currents keep them clean - they look as good now as when I bought it.
Let me refine my question then.
Given that I am unlikely to find coils on the back, what bottom coils are easiest to clean? A coils are bad, you can only reach one of 4, or 2 of 4 if you pull it out and remove the plate on the back. The refrigerator I had before this one had a flat bottom coil that I could actually get clean from the front.
There is no panel on the front to remove? Really.
Maybe you could set a vacuum cleaner to blow instead of suck, and that would get the dust off. Or a shop-vac.
BTW, why is the dust a problem? We come from dust and return to dust. Maybe your dust includes previuous residents of your house.
HaHa after doing the best I could with small hose on suction, I blew out with shop vac. Still messy. I want to do that with gas dryer, but take outside and use gas blower. I did that with a used one for another person. Lots of stuff came out everywhere.
Greg
There is a big missed opportunity here. The manufacturers should design in filters. It would be a revenue generator for them if they were designed to be replaceable and I'd rather do that than have them clog and increase energy usage or kill the unit. Even one of those washable types would be a big plus, keep out big stuff, pet hair, etc.
I'm not putting too much air through that. The compressor is just behind the coil and I don't want to break it with a blast of air.
What's that? you say a compressor is hermetically sealed and indestructible?
maybe so, but.............several years ago the start cap and relay went bad. Sears sold me the OEM guaranteed to fit replacement parts and I replaced it. Well, it didn't fit, but I was able to get it connected anyway and it has worked for probably about 8 years now. Pain in the butt working inside there, too. But anyway, the cover didn't fit back on and it's kind of dangling there.
I have the same thing here on the central air outside unit. It had one of those fancy ECM motors, it failed. I replaced it with a $95 basic PSC motor. So, I had to add a cap. I bought the cap and the bracket that fits it. Somehow I put it in intending to put the bracket on it later, but then it sat for awhile and now I can't find the bracket. I know it must be around somewhere, I know I had it, I saw it. So, the cap is still minus it's bracket. I should just fasten it with a zip tie I guess, but I know the bracket has to show up one day, so I've been waiting and now it's been a couple years. I guess I could just buy another one, but I had to pay like $8 for that one.
I've got a Whirlpool WRT311FZD, 20.5 cu ft with freezer on top. The coils run along the width of the fridge immediately behind the front grill near the floor. The grill easily snaps out and back in. The fins on the coils are easily seen and cleaned using either our vacuum's soft brush and/or the Venetian blind attachment.
And now for a snip from the Whirlpool page:
***** When should I clean the condenser coils? There is typically no need for routine condenser cleaning in a normal home operating environment. However, if the environment is particularly greasy or dusty, or there is significant pet traffic in the home, the condenser should be cleaned every 2 to 3 months to ensure maximum efficiency. *****No need? I guess you could argue there is no real need, since most people never do it. But I've looked at mine and they do get covered with a layer of dust, that can't be good for either energy efficiency or maybe lifespan.
Always a need, question is how often. It varies with environment and everyone is different.
When I lived in CT I would dust furniture every couple of weeks and dust was very visible. Here in CT, I've not seen any accumulated dust in 14 months. Not totally sure why. Oil hot water heat vs heat pump, window AC versus central, different trees outside, less carpet, less window opening. Frequent dog visits vs no pets.
I've not even peeked at the coils yet but will soon. Same Samsung French door in both houses.
I've heard leaky return air ducts running through an attic with cellulose insulation is a very bad combination.
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