The Dangers of Fridge Overfilling Having too much food in your fridge doesn't just cause it to work harder, but it could also lead to blocked vents, which can damage your fridge.
How Full Should Your Refrigerator Be? When storing food items in your fridge, apply the ¾ rule. This rule means that you can fill your ¾ of the appliance with supplies without the risk of blocking its air vents.
Items in your fridge absorb cold air so they in turn help to keep other things cool. But don't overfill it as this has a big effect on how well it operates. Cramming loads of things into it limits the fridge's ability to circulate cold air so it has to work harder.
This makes the motor work too hard, which can lead to failure. And if the motor fails, your food will spoil! While we want to reduce our trips to the grocery store, packing both the refrigerator and freezer too full will likely lead to both food waste and possible failure of the motor and/or condenser.
Don't overfill your fridge. Inside your fridge the cold air needs to be able to circulate, as this is how it keeps the food chilled throughout. If your fridge is crammed full, the unit has to work even harder to make sure the air can circulate.
The optimum amount of food to fill in the fridge is three-quarters full. At this amount, there's enough space for the air to circulate freely inside and, at the same time, sufficient food to help each item cool its neighbour down.
If your refrigerator isn't cooling, it may be because food items are blocking the vents of the fridge and/or freezer compartments. Overstuffing your fridge with food can cause items to block the vents and prevent the cool air from circulating properly.
Overstocking/Understocking Causing Refrigerator Damage
It's a common thing that most people do on a regular basis, but this could actually cause refrigerator damage. Overloading your refrigerator can damage it by making it more difficult for air to circulate.
Another common cause of compressor failure is a build-up of dirt and dust. This can happen if the fridge isn't cleaned regularly or if there's a lot of dust in the air. Over time, the dirt and dust can clog up the compressor, causing it to overheat and break down.
Overstuffing your freezer may lead to the unit not working as it should. Food packages can block the evaporator fan and cause the temperature to rise. Take some time to organize and ensure no food items are blocking vents at the back of the freezer.
Keep it stocked
A full fridge is a happy fridge because the thermal mass of its contents helps maintain the temperature (or in other words, the cold stuff helps keep it cold). In a full fridge, the compressor won't need to cycle on and off as much, which will extend the life of the compressor and reduce running costs.
A standard fridge can support more than 40 pounds on top of it. In homes where space is limited, storing other kitchen appliances up there, like a toaster oven or microwave, seems like a terrific, space-saving solution.
In simpler terms, the refrigerant changes phase to gas much further along the length of the evaporator than when compared to a system that is optimally charged. This raises the risk of liquid flooding back into the compressor, especially in low load conditions.
Fridge temperature settings are generally numbered from 1 to 5, with 5 being the coldest. A fully stocked fridge may need to be set to a higher setting (around 3 or 4), whereas one with more space is best suited to temperature setting 2 or 3.
Temperature Basics
Keeping the refrigerator and freezer full can also help regulate the temperature inside. If they aren't full, try putting bags of ice in the freezer, or pitchers of cold water in the fridge.
The three most common reasons for failures that we see as a result of wear & tear are a mechanically locked compressor, failure of the fan motor, and dirty condenser coils. The refrigerator's compressor is the heart of the cooling system; without a working compressor the refrigerator cannot function.
Shutting off the power to the refrigerator will give all of its systems—including the compressor—time to reset. Power down your refrigerator by unplugging it from the wall or shutting off the circuit breaker connected to the fridge. Leave the unit unplugged for five to ten minutes.
The accumulation of ice within the refrigerator coils can cause the appliance to overwork and it's harder for the unit to maintain consistent temperatures. Overworked systems are more likely to fail and a professional technician will be needed to make the necessary repairs.
You can expect a standard fridge to stick out about six inches past the edge of the counter. While it doesn't seem like much, these six inches can be just enough to disrupt the kitchen work triangle. If you have a kitchen island in front of your fridge, these six inches can mean a lot of space.
Storage tip: Keep your freezer full, but not packed. Keeping your freezer around 75-80% full helps retain cold air. If the freezer is fully filled, food may block the internal air vents, making it harder to distribute cold air throughout the freezer.
The first thing you should do is check if the power supply to your refrigerator is working properly. Make sure that none of the plugs or wiring are loose or damaged, and check that the power outlet is still functional. If everything looks fine on that front, then it could be a problem with the refrigerator itself.
It's cool that you want to keep your fridge humming efficiently, but the amount of food you store in it doesn't matter. “A full refrigerator doesn't decrease energy use,” says researcher Jacob Talbot of the nonprofit American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).