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Due to holiday breaks and festive seasons, some households no longer need to use the refrigerator. To prevent potential electrical issues and save energy, they opt to disconnect it during this time...
1. Can leaving the fridge unused for an extended period cause damage?
Due to holiday trips and festive gatherings, some families may no longer require the use of the refrigerator. As a precaution against potential electrical issues and to conserve energy, they consider unplugging it...
To answer this question, refrigeration technicians have some advice for customers when not using the fridge for an extended period.
If not used for 5 – 7 days
If the family goes to the countryside for a holiday lasting 5 – 7 days and no longer needs to use the refrigerator, it's advisable to clean up and reduce excess food inside. Adjust the fridge to the lowest cooling level and leave it running on electricity before departure.
All modern refrigerators have a self-cut-off feature when the desired temperature is achieved.
Therefore, if there's not too much food inside and the fridge isn't frequently opened, the internal temperature will be maintained at a stable level.
As a result, the fridge will frequently self-cut-off, stopping operation and saving a significant amount of energy.
If the fridge is not used for an extended period
If it's determined not to use the fridge for an extended period (>1 month), it's mandatory to unplug it to save energy.
Use bubble wrap to wrap around the fridge to prevent mice and cockroaches from entering and causing damage to the electrical wires or nesting inside.
Store the refrigerator in a dry, clean place to avoid moisture and mold.
When reusing the fridge, perform a thorough cleaning to eliminate fridge odors and harmful bacteria inside.
After cleaning the fridge, use tea leaves or coffee grounds placed inside and let the fridge run for about 4 – 5 hours to disperse the cold air inside.
Only then, start putting food back into storage.
In the case of a fridge left unused for an extended period, some unintended malfunctions may occur.
You can refer to some of our published articles on the website to find the most reasonable troubleshooting solutions.
For the initial operation, the refrigerator needs to run continuously for 6 – 7 hours before it begins freezing.
The fridge will cool in the freezer compartment first, and then the cold air will flow down the cooling compartment to preserve food.
In some cases, the freezer may still freeze normally, but the cooling compartment won't have cold air.
HANDY TIPS
If you're away from home for 5 – 7 days and there's still food in the fridge, or to help minimize odors in case of UNEXPECTED POWER OUTAGE, follow these steps.
You can apply the following method to prevent food spoilage and eliminate odors.
Use large bowls filled with water, then place them inside the fridge.
The water will freeze into ice; when your home experiences a power outage, these ice bowls will act to cool the inside of the fridge.
This method ensures a consistently cool environment inside the fridge.
