How to Clean Refrigerator Condenser Coils

Dirty condenser coils...Yuck!

Forced air refrigerators or built-in refrigeration units need to have their condenser coils cleaned at least twice a year. In fact, if you have pets you may want to clean them even more often than that! The reason is because as dust and dander gathers in and around the coils, it prevents the condenser from working properly. The refrigerator is now working twice as hard to keep your food cold, and as such, your electric bill is paying the price-or rather, you are! Here is how to easily clean your refrigerator's condenser coils to help keep it running more efficiently.

Things You'll Need

• Vacuum cleaner with wand-attachment nozzle
• Screwdriver

Instructions

1. The first thing you should always do when working on your refrigerator is either unplug it from the outlet or turn off the breaker supplying power to it. Don't worry about your food going bad; the interior of the fridge will remain cold for a few hours after power loss and this job only takes a few minutes.

2. Next, on the bottom front of your refrigerator there should be a grill-like cover panel. If you have never cleaned your condenser coils before, then this grill will probably look kind of hairy itself! Some models have panels that simply snap off, while others may need to be unscrewed. Remove this panel.

3. Turn the vacuum cleaner on and use the wand and nozzle attachment to clean out all of the dirt and debris that has accumulated under your refrigerator. Then, focus the nozzle on the condenser coils. Try to get as much dust as possible out of the coils.

4. When you feel that the vacuum has sucked up everything it possibly can, turn your attention on that dirty cover plate. Use the vacuum to clean out the grills and remove all of the dirt. For the best results, give it a nice wash with some hot bleach water.

5. Dry off the cover plate and install it back on the refrigerator. Plug the refrigerator back in or turn the breaker back on. That's all it takes to clean your condenser coils and keep your refrigerator running as efficiently as possible.

Tips & Warnings

• If your refrigerator has condenser coils located on the backside, it doesn't require cleaning quite as often as models that have the coils underneath. Once a year should be fine, but if you have never cleaned them, now would be a good time!

• Appliance stores sell a special long-handled brush that can help remove some of the dust that has accumulated on your condenser coils if you really want to get them clean.