I have a refrigerator that is not in use as the snowbird went North for the next 6 months. She does not want to turn off the refrigerator as she clai ms that the last time that she did that [20 years ago], the refrigerator w ent bad and it cost a lot to fix that. Was that just a quirk, or do refrig erators somehow go bad (lose freon) if left not running?
It won't lose freon just sitting. She's just a little nuts.
he next 6 months. She does not want to turn off the refrigerator as she cl aims that the last time that she did that [20 years ago], the refrigerator went bad and it cost a lot to fix that. Was that just a quirk, or do refr igerators somehow go bad (lose freon) if left not running?
There is no mechanism for a fridge to lose refrigerant because it's turned off. The compressor and motor are one unit, the motor is sealed inside, there are no gaskets, seals, etc that could leak. I would turn it off.
And block the doors open ...
There is some anecdotal evidence that some will not come back from being turned off but I suspect they were on their last legs to begin with. Turn it off and leave the door open a bit.
BTW while you have it off and empty is a good time to take all the shelves out and give it a good scrub. A lot of those "musty" stories coming from fridges that sit turned off are probably because they were dirty and growing bacteria inside. Scrub it out real well and give it a spritz of very diluted bleach or lysol to kill the bacteria.
snipped-for-privacy@aol.com posted for all of us...
As another poster stated; block the door open or lock it shut. The ultimate purpose is to keep a child from locking itself in and suffocating.
r the next 6 months. She does not want to turn off the refrigerator as she claims that the last time that she did that [20 years ago], the refrigerat or went bad and it cost a lot to fix that. Was that just a quirk, or do r efrigerators somehow go bad (lose freon) if left not running?
IDK how a kid can get locked inside any home fridge made in the last 50 yea rs or so to begin with. I've never seen one that had a latching type door. I have seen freezers that had key type locks, but those need the key to manually turn to lock it, so again a kid couldn't get inside and lock it closed. Maybe fridges from the 50s and earlier, eg ice boxes, like Ralph Cramden and Alice had were the ones where kids could get locked in. Or current commercial, big ones.
freon) if left not running?
When was the last time you saw a refrigerator with a door that latched? Was it on Happy Days or a Bogart movie? They all have had magnetic "weather" strips that hold the door shut. If you leave the shelves in it, the fridge is no more dangerous than the one in your kitchen now anyway.
freon) if left not running?
I already addressed that. If you have it empty anyway, that is a great time to give it a good scrubbing and that will stop the rotten smell. The smell comes from the scum that collects on the walls and shelves.
About 5 minutes ago...
I doubt they have a sub zero or an Eisenhower era fridge in a rental.
BTW how often do you look in there to be sure there are no kids hiding in there?
(lose
There should not be that much moisture in a frost free fridge. One of mine is reading 15% RH and the other one 10%. That is at 38F. When that warms up the RH will drop a lot.
snipped-for-privacy@aol.com posted for all of us...
Whew, I never thought I would get such derision! Oh well, I'll keep quiet.
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