Los Angeles Appliance Repair: Refrigerator Repair

How much clearance do I need behind my refrigerator/freezer?
If the unit has a large black, grid-like device on the back, you should leave at least 1 inch of space between the grid and the wall, and avoid "building-in" the appliance. If there is no grid on the back, you may push the unit all the way to the wall.
Can I change my manual defrost refrigerator to frost-free?
No. There are numerous component, internal wiring, and design differences.
Refrigerator Repair: How do I change the seal around the door?
Follow the instructions that come with the seal. A person with moderate repair skills can replace the seal. If you have the appliance model number, you can order the seal from our parts order center.
How do I pull the refrigerator away from the wall to clean?
Virtually all refrigerators made in the past 15 years stand on built-in rollers. Often you need to retract the front leveling legs before trying to move the unit. Unloading the food from the unit first, really helps too. Grab the refrigerator near the bottom and pull it straight out, taking care not to damage your floor. Check out our Easy Glide Tracks in the accessories section to make this process easier.
Can shelves be added to the refrigerator/freezer?
Usually. If there is room in your unit for an additional shelf, and the necessary hardware in the walls and/or ceiling, you can add a shelf. To order the shelf from our parts order center, you will need the model number of the unit.
How often should I clean the coils under the refrigerator?
At least once a year. See our Maintenance Tips section for further details.
Refrigerator Repair: How do I prevent shelves and brackets from breaking?
Many of the plastic parts in your refrigerator/freezer are fragile. Take care not to load--or force--too many items onto the shelves or slam the door.
Does the freezer get warmer during self-defrost?
Yes. The freezer temperature increases by about 20 degrees during the defrost cycle. This is normal and doesn't affect the quality of the food in your freezer.
Refrigerator Repair: What is freezer burn, how can I prevent it?
Freezer burn is dehydration caused by food being exposed to the air in the freezer. Often the wrappings used in supermarkets don't prevent dehydration. Re-wrapping foods in airtight containers or wrappings usually avoids this problem.
It's not unsafe to cook and eat freezer-burned food, but the resulting meal is often tough and tasteless!
Refrigerator Repair: My refrigerator seems to run constantly. Is that normal?
It's generally not normal. If your refrigerator/freezer runs constantly it may:
Have a dirty condenser coil. See our Maintenance Tips section for help in cleaning it.
Not have adequate clearance around the appliance for proper air flow
Have a bad seal on one of the doors
Have a light bulb that is not going off when the door is closed
Have excessive frost build-up on the internal evaporator coils
Have a defective thermostat
Be low on refrigerant