The last days of the holiday can be an exhausting one, between packing up your stuff, traveling back to your hometown, and getting ready to return to your “regular” life after you reach home. A stale-smelling 4 door refrigerator full of rotten food is the last thing you want to experience at home.
Your refrigerator essentially is one of the most energy-consuming appliances at home. If you’re leaving for some days or weeks, switching it off could be too risky since your food is going to rot while you are away.
If you won’t be away for too long, you can still save energy by switching off your ice maker. Remove food items that you expect to easily spoil while away and try to adjust the temperature to the warmer side. If there is room inside the refrigerator, put water jugs inside. This will help in regulating the temperature. Likewise, put ice bags into the freezer.
But keeping your refrigerator running is a big waste of energy if you are going to be away for a month or a season. When the machine needs to be winterized, review the handbook to decide what particular measures to take. To drain the waterline, you have to call for professional help. Otherwise, follow these easy tips for you to set your fridge for the vacation.
Turning Off Your Refrigerator for Shorter Vacations
Clear all perishable food from the fridge. Check your doors and other drawers for secret foods that can get spoiled when you’re away.
Turn ice maker off. If it keeps on running when you’re away, it will freeze up with the lack of daily ice removal. And this might negatively affect your equipment.
If you have a water dispenser on your fridge door, pour four glasses of water through the spout upon return. This will help you avoid any decayed taste of water that may have accumulated.
Lastly, adjust the temperature to a warmer environment if all food contents have been removed, or leave the temperature as you would normally do when you leave any condiments inside the fridge. Since you’re leaving only for a fairly short amount of time, you’re not necessarily going to shut off the whole refrigerator, but instead, set it up in a way that it can be left on its own for a bit.
Turning Off Your Refrigerator For Longer Vacations
Switch the ice-maker off if they have one in the refrigerator. Push the fridge away from a wall so that you can reach the water shut-off regulator. Switch the knob to its off position.
Switch off the fuse that controls your refrigerator or simply unplug the appliance. If your refrigerator has its water dispenser, find its water reservoir, which commonly is found behind its produce section. Then, remove it and drain it empty, if possible.
Remove contents that include food products and drinks from the beverage refrigeration division of your appliance, as well as the freezer. Into a quart of water, stir in one tbsp. baking soda. Soak a piece of cloth into your mixture and utilize it in cleaning the insides of your appliance. Use a dry cloth and wipe the insides to let the surfaces run dry.
Leave the baking soda box open inside the refrigerator. Then, open and leave another box inside the freezer. While you are away, keep the fridge doors open for the fridge and the freezer. The exposure to air and the baking soda can prevent mold, which causes unpleasant odors, from developing in the appliance.
If you’re spending a week with your family out of town or planning a month-long trip around the world, you should get your refrigerator ready for your absence. What you switch off and how you handle the appliance depends on how long you plan to be away.