Vacuum or brush off your refrigerator coils to boost efficiency

As a rule, refrigerators are the most dependable of all large appliances, faithfully guarding the eggs and OJ. Even so, they do fail to do their jobs adequately on occasion, and when they do, the results can be disastrous because expensive food can spoil in a hurry. Though most problems call for a professional, there are a few simple repairs you can handle yourself by checking the power, controls, condenser coils, and other parts outside of your refrigerator's hermetically sealed system. Remember that a good way to lengthen the life of a refrigerator is to clean the condenser coils once a year—or more frequently if they get dirty.

• Pull the refrigerator away from the wall, and unplug it. Or, if it's a built-in model, turn off its circuit breaker.
• Remove the cover panel to reveal the coils. On most models, the kick plate or top trim plate simply lifts off. You may have to remove a few screws to remove a back cover.
• With a long, narrow nozzle on your vacuum, clean out all of the dust and debris. (At an appliance parts store, you can buy a special long-handled brush for this job that looks somewhat like a bottle brush.)
• Replace the cover, and then plug the electrical cord back in or turn the circuit back on.

Tips to Reduce Your Freezer or Fridge's Energy Use from the Department of Energy