Forum Topic

Fridge working inefficiently

The fitted fridge in our new flat doesn't function terribly efficiently, as follows.Items left at the front - and in the door of the fridge especially - don't chill very well eg butter is runny. And the exterior of the fridge door is warm to the touch, as is the knife drawer built in above the fridge.Yet the fridge interior at the back is extra cold. That is, butter left at the back freezes solid, indeed there is a permanent frosting of ice on the interior back wall of the fridge.I'm not completely certain that the fridge door closes as tight as it ought, so might it be that the seal isn't tight enough, causing the motor to work harder to expel warm air from inside, which explains both the effective cooling at the back and the warmth around the front and top of the fridge?

Richard Cathcart ● 2250d8 Comments

I have two fridges of different makes and both are like that, even though the door closes fine.

Claire Moran ● 2250d

There is a drain hole inside back of the fridge which gets blocked.This may or may not be the problem but it's worth checking.A pipe cleaner will do the job which is available from the tobacconist near the fruit and veg stall in CHR.

Adrian Irving ● 2250d

Rereading my post I can see it may not be clear.The drain hole is inside the fridge towards the bottom of the back panel.

Adrian Irving ● 2250d

RichardIt may also be that you have too much in your fridge. This hinders air circulation and can give the result you describe.

John Hickman ● 2250d

I was also going to mention the drain hole, if you have ice forming at the back of the fridge then that is often a sign the drain hole is blocked. You will see something a bit like a sloping ‘gutter’ on the inside back wall of the fridge, and the drain hole will be at the lowest point of the ‘gutter’.

Andrew Jones ● 2250d

That's the design of the fridge and as it should be.The coldest part of the fridge is the back panelas you've noticed. This is simply because this panel contains the only cooling element in the fridge.And unlike say freezers which also have elements in in the sides. In short because there is no artificial air circulation in a fridge compartment this means there is a constant temperature gradient running from the back - coldest to the front and door - warmest. The front of the shelves and the door also get hit by any warm air entering the fridge whenever the door is opened.Inside the fridge the bottom shelves at the back are usually the coldest part of the fridge.Its often simply a case of storing things in the most suitable zone of the fridge. This may requirea bit of trial and error if changing from a fridge with a different design where this feature/shortcomingmay have not been so obvious. Basically in the past fridges were much better insulated as they didn'thave to fit in such tight spaces.The more items you store in a fridge the more efficient it will be, as stored items serve as a  cold storewhich help maintain a lower overall temperature.  michael adams

Michael Adams ● 2250d

To Adrian's point, a turkey baster does the trick as well. May be a bit messy, but it gets the job done. It flushes out whatever is clogging the drain hole.

David Lesniak ● 2249d

You say it is fitted. Is there air flow around the fridge. We bought a new flat with fitted fridge and there was no ventilation either above or below in kicker board. Totally illegal! And dangerous. I would check this first it could be overheating especially if door feels warm.

Sean Wales ● 2249d