You should be able to rely on your refrigerator to serve up a frosty beer or an iced tea on the hottest, most humid days. But when every AC in the neighborhood is blasting, a drop in electrical power means your fridge has to toil harder than usual. One no-brainer way to keep your fridge running at peak efficiency? Don’t dally. Your fridge is sure to lose its chill if you stand there with the door open, so remember to keep shelves tidy and well organized so you can locate and retrieve items quickly. For more advice, we asked Electrolux’s Benjamin Liebert for his top tips to help a fridge keep its cool when the weather’s hot—and reduce your energy bill year-round.
1. Don’t overload it. Air can’t flow evenly through a fridge if it’s jam-packed. A too-full fridge makes the compressor work longer and consume more energy.
2. Make sure the door gasket is in good shape. Clean away any crumbs or gunk obstructing the gasket seal, make sure it fits well, and replace it if it’s torn.
3. Clean the condenser coils. Wipe down or vacuum the coils on the back (or sometimes at the top) of the fridge to remove dusty buildup.