What is that one appliance that has made a change in our lives, that also in a very positive way, YES!! that’s the Fridge.
Especially the mini fridges which have always been by our side whether we are in our bedrooms, hotel rooms, hostels, or any such capacity they are always there, and as a result, we always have access to cold beverages and yummy snacks whenever we want.
But ever think of the idea that your mini fridge is not working properly!! hmm…sounds creepy right especially since we have no clue how to repair it on our own, nor do you have the budget to afford a refrigerator technician, but!!! where there is will there is a way, do you know that these appliances can be fixed easily with little troubleshooting and repairing tricks?
Now let’s have a look at some easy tricks by using which you can repair your teeny one all by yourself.
If your tiny fridge has just stopped functioning properly just have a look at our recommended tricks to repair it. Just going through them you can easily get to the roadmap as to how to sort out the most common problems and VOLA!! you can get your best work again, which means it is ready to serve you these yummy snacks and drinks again.
Get Rid of It or Repair It?
In general, when an appliance stops working people are mostly like to replace it with a new one. But! is this a smart approach, well it might seem smart only for the people who have no skill at all.
Also, keep that in mind that the life span of a mini fridge is around 14 years, it may give you an idea as to how long you have been using one, though the warranty coverage is only for a year or two, and some fridges tend to work for longer periods if treated properly.
We also need to know the details about the model/make of the fridge it could be found either in the manual provided with the fridge or we can search it on Google as well, in fact, let’s share a bonus point you may find out some real-life experiences of people who encountered same issues and of course there’s some simple set of rules to follow to fix the problem.
When we dig deep into the search results we may realize that the problems that we are tackling are not new, in fact, many people have already dealt with them, and even been able to solve them, so it means that there must be some sort of techniques already present to solve these problems which we just need to follow.
You should always give it a try to fix your mini fridge yourself, as it doesn’t require any specific knowledge. Until and unless it is very clear that you cannot do anything to repair it by yourself.
Main Tips to Repair Mini Fridge
The problems that the fridges owners dealt regardless of the size or model are more or less similar to each other.
Every type of fridge whether it is mini or household; experiences almost the same types of problems.
We request you to please try the below-mentioned techniques before thinking of taking any professional help.
Just apply these tricks and you might get the problem solved even without the help of any experts.
1) Examine the Power Source
YES!! you read it right, sometimes the repairing could be that much easy. Let’s see how??
We all know that any electric appliance needs a constant source of power ie electricity to function properly, and if the appliance is causing a problem, you need to check the basic and first most important thing which is “The Power Source”
Lastly, check the electrical panel, there’s an option for the breaker on it, and there is a “safety switch”, which itself turns into the “off position”; so that to save the appliance from electrical faults, the breaker might get tripped as a result, you can just toss it back again and you might listen to the sweet music of the fridge turning on again.
In the end, it’s also important to check for the electrical panel, whether of it has been tripped and turned into the switch-off mode itself, this generally happens if there is some sort of electrical issue and the device protects itself against that.
2) Remove The Extension Cord
It is not at all a smart approach to use an extension cord as a source of power for the fridge, especially when the same extension cord is providing power to some other appliances as well. The fridge requires a lot of power, even the smaller ones, and it may cause the extension cord to overheat and melt.
The fridge needs to be plugged into a proper wall socket so that it could have its power source rather than sharing it with other appliances, which may result in overheating and damage to all the appliances at once, you can even make some changes in the room to make the fridge closer to the socket.
I would suggest getting rid of the core cause of the problem, whether it is the power board or the extension cord.
3) Testing and Cleaning of Gasket
A gasket (door seal) is an essential part of a refrigerator and it could be the reason for the problem as well.
If the fridge is not working and there is also a problem with the door, place a sheet of paper and try to close the door to check the shield, then pull on it if it is stuck in there, then the seal is not the problem actually but if it comes loose then it needs to be fixed on an urgent basis.
Also, try out the custom old method of cleaning every part of the gasket, let it dry, and do a paper test again.
Take a close look to find out if there is any leak or damage, if you figure it out you can always take the help of an expert on this, it is not that expensive and can increase the life of your fridge.
4) Check The Thermostat
You read it right, a simple and obvious reason for the fridge not working properly could be that the thermostat setting has been altered, even if it’s not done purposely but it does cause the problem, the solution is simple, just bring it back to its original position.
Yes!! the thermostat can also be the reason for the problem, sometimes the settings get changed by mistake and it is as simple as to turn it back, but keep in mind that even changing the position of the thermostat back is not helping and the fridge is still not working then it may be because either the compressor is not connected with the fridge or it has been broken down.
If you still can’t get the obvious sound that it is running properly, like the humming sound, it might be broken or disconnected from the fridge.
Though I believe that changing the thermostat is not rocket science and could be done at home, yes for a layman it could be difficult so there is no harm in taking the help of a professional.
The thermostat can easily be replaced at home with a simple tool kit, but you can always take the help of an expert if needed.
5) Examine Condenser Coils
The refrigerator stays cool because of the condenser coil as they remove heat from it.
The first fridge should be at a distance of three inches away from the wall, so coils don’t get overheated as it can cause their break down.
Also, clean the condenser coils, and remove all the dust this should be done twice a year, as most of the repair issues in fridges only arise because of this single problem. Check its performance after a few hours of cleaning to see if it is working properly or not, then try the next approach.
6) Vents Cleaning
A continuous flow and cold air are integral for the proper working of the fridge, this flow could be interrupted in case if the vents got blocked due to frozen food or beverages or ice inside, both these issues could be solved, first, the ice is needed to be melted, for this switch off the fridge and then use hot air blown to it, secondly clean the fridge inside out and use brushing technique to remove small food particles from it.
When the cold air couldn’t travel easily through the fridge it can cause issues because the working of the fridge mainly depends upon the cold air, the vents may get clogged with ice and food and as a result, won’t be cooling from inside. This could be fixed by melting the ice in the fridge by using a hair dryer and any food particles with a toothbrush.
Also, make this a practice not to pack any food near the vents and also give them enough space to spread the cool air inside the fridge properly and you won’t be having this problem again.
7) Apply A Defrost Technique
It’s always the best idea to apply the century-old classic technique of defrosting, as today all the fridges come with a freezer segment and as a result, the clogged ice may cause problems.
Most of the mini fridges share their space with a small freezer section and it’s not a surprise that the ice build-up may arise some issues.
To apply the defrost technique, you need to take out all the food and the drinks, put them into another fridge or in an ice box, unplug the fridge and give it a few hours so that the ice completely melts away.
Clear the defrost drain pan which is at the bottom of the fridge and give everything a complete wipe-down before turning it back.
8) Fans’ Inspection
Many fans work inside the mini fridge and any of them having any issues can cause the problem in the fridge.
You can always perform a quick check on any of the two fans to see if they are to be blamed, and of course, the experts’ help is always there and if are unable to rectify the problem yourself.
In some models, there are condenser coils present underneath the fridges, and in some, are on the back side of the fridge, if it is located underneath the fridge, these fans can get clogged with dirt and dust, so clean them first.
Finally, check the evaporator fan, which is located inside the back panel of the fridge, and clean it also, if you notice that the fan blades are broken, then it needs
replacing.
9) Start Relay Checking
A start rely helps to start the compressor of the fridge, if they get damaged or become faulty it means that they can’t give power to the compressor inside the fridge and as a result, the fridge won’t cool down.
You can always test the start rely with the tool named “multimeter”; It helps to check if the current is running through the rely properly or not, and if there is no flow of current means no voltage is present, in that case, the rely has got to be changed but it’s always better to take the help of an expert if you don’t have the technical knowledge.
10) Compressor Check
The role of the compressor is to push the gas through the condenser coils, so it plays a very important role in the fridge.
So in general if the compressor isn’t working, the fridge won’t be working either, so you can do a quick look and check and there are clear faults associated with it.
If the compressor isn’t turning on or if it is making that strange noise, you will be needing a new one.
But, do keep this in mind that this is the most expensive part of the fridge, and it can’t be easily replaced, you can take the expert advice also and if it is causing you a huge amount of money then you better buy a new mini fridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are a proud owner of a mini fridge then repairing one is a very useful skill to have.
But some other things come in handy that is needed to be learned so that we may know how to get the best use of the fridge properly and at the fullest, so here we have answered some most conmen-related questions to give you an insight that what it is all about.
Is Mini Fridge Suitable For Camping?
It is not a smart approach to take the mini fridge camping as they are not built to be moved in this way.
Their compressors are very fragile and when handle harshly during transportation they could be easily broken.
So, it is better to take a camping cooler or a small tabletop fridge for camping and outdoor activities.
What Would Be An Ideal Size For The Mini Fridge?
We can easily spot a mini fridge because as compared to the standard-size household fridge they have their set of dimensions to keep them in this group.
The standard size of the mini fridge may vary from 1.7 cubic feet to 4.5 cubic feet, smallest size available in the market measures around a teeny size of 20.5 inches whereas the larger 4.5 cubic feet model is around 43 inches tall.
Is Energy-Efficiency A Important Feature of Mini Fridges?
All the models are different from one another, some are energy-efficient whereas the new models are more earth-friendly.
In general, a standard compact refrigerator should consume less than 23942 kilowatt-hours a year to be considered energy efficient for a manual model, or it should be less than 318.4 kWh/year for the partial automatic defrost.
