Store your fridge upright to avoid damage to the inside mechanisms and sealed systems. Keep the door open or ajar to prevent odours and moisture build-up. Don't place anything between the door and the fridge to keep it open if it pushes against the seal – this can damage the seal.
Only completely empty your refrigerator and freezer if you'll be away from home for over a month at a time. Once it's empty, wipe down the inside with a rag and cleaning solution. Turn off the temperature controls and unplug the fridge after everything is dry. Also, turn off the ice maker.
If it was used and not sanitized before storage and not kept with the door cracked opened: about a month and then the whole thing is hazardous waste. Unused? Until too much refrigerant leaks out, which should be +20 years.
If you are going to be away for more than a month (or will be placing the unit in temperature-controlled storage), we recommend the following: Remove all food and turn off the circuit breaker or fuse that supplies power to the refrigerator or unplug the cord from the wall receptacle. Turn the icemaker off.
If the food warms up, the bacteria will reach harmful levels faster.” For this reason, the USDA recommends that food left in an unplugged, unopened fridge for more than four hours be tossed. (Frozen items left in a full freezer stay good for two days; in a half full freezer it's more like 24 hours.)
Don't use the fridge outdoors or anywhere it is likely to come into contact with the elements. You won't save energy by turning your fridge off for short periods of time because it will just use more energy to cool down again when you do turn it back on.
The longer you leave it, the less chance you will have mould. You can leave the doors open for the whole time the fridge is in storage, however we find that if the fridge has magnetised door seals, these will demagnetise and your fridge won't seal as well when you close the doors again.
We know a refrigerator doesn't work best when it's overstuffed. However, we know it won't work well being empty either. Food absorbs the cold air, which helps to chill the food next to it. When the refrigerator is too empty, the appliance is working very hard (and costing you money) just to cool a few items.
A fridge in the garage won't generally last as long as an indoor fridge because it will have to work harder to maintain suitable internal temperatures. However, this is less likely to be an issue if you live in a mild climate without extreme temperature fluctuations.
Give it space. Make sure your refrigerator isn't pushed up against a wall so air can circulate freely and better disperse heat from the condenser.
We recommend turning off or unplugging electronics and appliances even if they are off or in idle mode because some devices continue to draw energy even when “off.”
PROP THE DOOR OPEN
Place a block or a small container in the door to keep it from closing completely. This way, moisture won't get trapped inside and contribute to molding. You can also place an empty container of baking soda inside the open fridge to absorb any moisture or odors that do start building up.
It is important to leave your fridge to settle after moving to protect the appliance's internal parts and to ensure that the fridge continues to work to maximum efficiency. When moving a fridge, the compressor oil can leak into the refrigeration system, causing a blockage if the appliance is turned on too quickly.
It's actually better to fill your fridge three-quarters full of food. That way 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.
Let it stand
In transit, your appliance gets shaken around, so it's best to let everything settle before you plug it in. If it was transported upright, give it at least an hour before you plug it in. If it was transported on its side, turn it the right way up and leave it for at least four hours.
It's true: Leaving the door open while you put away groceries or search for a snack is costing you. When you open your refrigerator, the cold air that keeps your food fresh escapes and is replaced by warm air from the room.
From the test results, energy consumption of refrigerator with door opening was found to increase compared to the same product without door opening. Depending on the number of door opening about 7-30% more energy consumption has been observed as compared to closed door condition.
As we said above, if your appliance has been left open for less than a couple of hours, then you will be fine to just close the doors and move on. However, if it's been longer than two hours you may need to throw away any perishable foods and reset your fridge.
Yes You Can! Make sure you clean the refrigerator before leaving it alone to produce fungus and bacteria from leftovers. Wipe out water from it. Make sure your Refregiretor dosent have something that can decompose, because you are planning to turn it off for a month.
'You won't save energy by turning your fridge off for short periods of time because it will just use more energy to cool down again when you do turn it back on.
When you unplug the fridge, all the ice from the freezer section will melt and it will get water everywhere. This towel will soak up the water to avoid that. Some mini fridges have a tray that collects this water; if yours does, use that and just watch it to make sure it doesn't overflow.
If you already have mold growing in your fridge that's been unplugged for a while, it will have that musty smell which is hard to ignore. Check the fridge over on the inside, checking the fridge and the freezer areas of it to find out where the mold is growing.
On average, refrigerators use 300-800 watts of electricity. It costs an average of $20 a month or $240 a year to run a refrigerator. A refrigerator's actual energy use is typically much less than the stated wattage because they cycle on and off throughout the day.
The USDA mostly recommends throwing away foods that display mold but suggests that some foods can still be eaten if you remove the mold. For example, on firm fruits and vegetables with low moisture content, like cabbage, bell peppers and carrots, you can cut off at least an inch around and below a small mold spot.