Today, no household in Singapore can do without a fridge. It is one of the most valuable appliances to own in your home, which is why you would want it to perform at its best consistently. All too often, your fridge may suddenly not be cold, and you’re left to wonder how to fix it. Whether it is a Samsung, Hitachi or Bosch fridge, it may require fridge repair services eventually.

However, there are a few factors you have to first know about commercial fridge repairs and consider. A great place to begin is knowing the answer to how cold a refrigerator should be. According to FDA, the refrigerator’s temperature should be set to 40°F or lower, while at 0°F should be the temperature of your freezer.

Our team at EconCool can help you diagnose any potential problems, including the fridge not cooling or preserving your food, and will walk you through the commercial fridge repair steps and explain when you should let the professional take care of it.

Fridge Repairs For Samsung, Hitachi, Bosch, and More:

It’s not the best feeling, coming home from work one evening, exhausted and hungry after what feels like the longest day to a fridge that has stopped functioning. When you open the fridge door, you realise there is no cold air coming through, your fridge items have a funny odour, and as for your freezer, the ice has melted and your meats have thawed.

Fuhh! And you wanted to just grab and make something quick and easy to eat. As the best fridge servicing company in Singapore, we have gathered some easy measures you can take to fix your fridge as it may not be entirely serious. But hey, do contact us if the issue still persists; we’re always ready to help you!

Easy Fridge Repairs You Can Try

Often time your fridge is not broken even though it isn’t cool. Below are some steps you can take to save yourself a hefty services fee or an embarrassing conversation with a fridge repair technician!

1. Check Whether Your Refrigerator’s Plugged In

Yes, it may sound ridiculous, but many people are quick to assume without considering to ensure if the power is even connected to their fridge. So let’s try not to be this careless.

2. Thermostat Has Been Lowered Without Realising

Trust us, this can happen. First, identify the location of your thermostat and check to see if it’s set according to the appropriate temperature. The thermostat for side-by-side freezers/refrigerators is typically positioned in the back, but the thermostat for over-under units is usually located under the fridge.

3. Fridge Door Can’t Be Closed Properly

When you close the door, will the light in the fridge also turn off? Otherwise, the door may not be functioning correctly. Gaskets, the flexible elastic band around the doors’ edges that seal them shut, can tear and allow warm or damp air into your refrigerator. Replace your gasket if it has been pulled.

4. Cold Air Unable To Circulate

When you have stacks of boxes and jars blocking the vents, the cold air can be obstructed from circulating correctly through your fridge. Therefore, you would need to properly organise your fridge by clearing out some of the stored food that may be blocking the airflow, resulting in your refrigerator from cooling correctly.

If your refrigerator or freezer temperature is still not where it should be after going through this checklist, you may be dealing with a more severe problem. There are symptoms that your warming fridge is causing you more problems than an overloaded chest freezer, but fret not, our team provides the best household and commercial fridge repairs in Singapore!

When You Need Professionals For Domestic or Commercial Fridge Repair

A warm refrigerator isn’t necessarily the easiest to fix. In addition, it can be challenging to figure out which part is causing the problem when you have a malfunctioning part. Our EconCool professionals in Singapore have compiled a list of typical refrigerator and freezer problems, as well as where they occur and how to resolve them.

• Faulty Refrigerator Compressor

What compresses and pushes the refrigerant vapour into the coils outside of the fridge is your compressor. It creates heat that forms hot gas, which cools and absorbs heat from the freezer and fridge. Your compressor or the compressor start relay could be faulty if your freezer fan is running as usual, but your fridge is not cold.

The Fix: It’s far easier and less expensive to replace the compressor start relay than it is to replace the compressor. Purchasing a new relay and testing it with your current compressor can reveal if you require a new compressor or whether your current problem has been resolved.

You’ll need to safely separate the compressor from the suction and discharge lines before replacing it. Before releasing the bolts that keep the compressor in place, you’ll need to remove the electrical package and cut the high and low lines. You can remove the ground wire by moving the part closer to it. Your suction, discharge, and process lines will all need to be connected to your new compressor. Welds will be required to keep the lines in place. Before evacuating the new system and dumping the new charge, make sure to move the rubber grommets from your old compressor to the new one and switch over the crossover line.

• Clogged Condenser Coils 

The compressor produces hot gas which will be carried up by the condenser coils up to the evaporator coils. Travelling at high pressure, the refrigerant cools and turns back into a liquid. When a condenser coil is clogged, it can produce a poor circulation of air which restricts your fridge’s ability to keep cool.

The Fix: Clogged coils always need a good clean. Before removing the toe grill, turn off the power to the refrigerator (check your owner’s manual to determine if you can remove it without any additional procedures). Next, push the coil brush into the condenser coils to remove the accumulated dust, which can vacuum off before reinstalling the toe grill.

• Condenser Fan Isn’t Functioning

As the compressor and condenser coils work, the condenser fan keeps them cold. When the compressor is functioning, the fan should also run. If the condenser fan fails, the temperature inside the refrigerator can rise, causing the compressor to overheat.

The Fix: To begin, make sure the condenser fan is spinning freely and is not obstructed by anything. Dust or other debris may be preventing the blades from turning correctly. The condenser fan motor may need to be changed if nothing keeps the blades rotating. A new fan motor can be purchased from a local appliance parts distributor or directly from the fridge manufacturer. Simply unfasten the mounting screws holding the fan in place and carefully remove the unit from the motor compartment to replace the motor. Next, remove the mounting bracket that connects the old motor to the blades and replace it with the new one.

• Bid Farewell & Say Hello To New Fridge Unit

In rare cases, your refrigerator may have reached the end of its useful life (or at least, it will cost you less money just to buy a new unit instead of constantly repairing your current one). So, how can you know if your refrigerator is on its final legs or simply needs a tune-up?

According to most consumer evaluations, the age of your refrigerator and the cost of repair are the best indicators of when you should replace it. Though lifespans vary depending on the type of device, most units require a first repair within the following time frame:

• 7 years for bottom-freezers, with the possibility of future repairs
• 5 years for side-by-side refrigerator/freezers with the case of further repairs
• 3 years for top-freezers with additional maintenance between 3-6 years, and replacement after 7 years

The basic rule of thumb should be that unless your refrigerator has sentimental value if the repair exceeds the cost of buying a new unit, choose the new one!