How Test a Refrigerator Thermostat

Older refrigerators might not cool as well as they should.

Sometimes when you open your refrigerator door, you get the feeling that the temperature is not as cool as it should be. The setting on the refrigerator's thermostat used to seem quite cold, but now it does not seem to be consistent. You worry that your refrigerator might not be keeping your food from spoiling. As the refrigerator ages, the components wear down and the unit becomes less efficient. You can check manually to see if your refrigerator thermostat is working.

Things You'll Need

• Thermometer

Instructions

1. Turn the refrigerator thermostat to the coldest setting in the evening before you go to bed so that the door is closed all night.

2. Place a thermometer in the refrigerator in the mid-section about halfway down so you can get an average reading. Check the temperature in the morning to see how cold the coldest setting is. Jot it down.

3. Turn the refrigerator thermostat to the warmest setting, and place the thermometer in the middle of the refrigerator just before you go to bed. Check the temperature in the morning, and jot down this temperature.

4. Add the two temperatures together and divide by 2 to get the average. Then compare this to the standard, which is a range of 35 to 43 degrees Fahrenheit for the refrigerator and 32 degrees Fahrenheit and below for the freezer.

5. Adjust your refrigerator's thermostat to compensate, or call a repairman if the refrigerator is not cooling properly.

References

• Illinois EPA: Standard Operating Procedures for Monitoring Temperatures in Refrigerators and Freezers.