How to clean refrigerator coils on the bottom of the fridge??

[Chuckanut]

I like to clean the refrigerator cooling coils every year both to save energy and reduce the work load on my refrigerator.

However, my refrigerator has the coils on the very bottom of the device. Only the front coils are cleanable as they block any vacuum device from reaching the back coils.

So, what to do to clean the back coils?

Any ideas appreciated.

 

[Big_Hitter]

have you tried using a lawn blower?


it may make a mess but might work

 

[jazz4cash]

Try to find something like this....it is still pretty tough. I used one of these along with a shop vac and crevice tool.

Ge Refrigerator Condenser Coil Brush PM14X51| Appliance Parts 365

Here's another option....
http://www.harborfreight.com/dryer-vent-brush-96163.html

 

[braumeister]

I like to clean the refrigerator cooling coils

Talk about someone who needs to get a life!

 

[Retch The Grate]

We just had to have a fridge repaired because the underside had never been cleaned in the 13 years the landlord has owned it. in addition to going in through the front, the repair guy rolled the fridge out from its cubby, unscrewed the panel on the bottom and cleaned it out from the back as well. That worked for a day, then he came back again and replaced the fan that had indeed burned out from a decade+ accumulation of dust/hair/I don't want to think about it.

So, pull it out, unscrew the panel on the bottom, lots of access to the back region of the fridge underside.

 

[Texas Proud]

Talk about someone who needs to get a life!

You would be surprised how much junk gets on them...

I cleaned mine after 5 years and there was a BIG pile of stuff... fridge started working better also...


To the OP... I just used compressed air... I have a small air compressor I brought in and had at it... still did not clean as well as I could the front, but still better than leaving them alone....

 

[Walt34]

You would be surprised how much junk gets on them...

I cleaned mine after 5 years and there was a BIG pile of stuff... fridge started working better also...

I hate to think of the mess of a leaf blower or compressed air. It is understatement to say that DW would be displeased if I did that.

Agree with taking off the back panel and use a vacuum cleaner. If nothing else works try the tool suggested by jazz4cash. As cheap as it is there is small risk.

Decades ago I did refrigerator repair and the physics haven't changed. Yes, it makes a big difference whether the condenser coils are insulated with dust or not.

 

[H2ODude]

Compressed air or stout leaf blower would work great, but if the refrigerator is in the kitchen, I can't imagine the mess. My garage doubles as a woodworking shop and I've discovered that air compressor nozzle on the small stuff followed by the leaf blower is best way to clean the shop of saw and sandust. And yes, I have fairly good air scrubbers and dust collectors to try to keep my lungs clean. For refrigerator I'd try a shop vac and some sort of improvised brush. Maybe a trip to pet store for aquarium brush?

 

[aja8888]

Ahhh.. coil cleaning...best done from front and back of the fridge in most cases..

I just finished repairing our fridge a few weeks ago. Defrost timer was out. Bought a new timer, defrost heater, thermostat, and cleaned the condenser coils. Used a coil brush from the front and then vacuumed out what I could. Then rolled the unit out and removed the lower back cover where I got to check the condenser fan motor and vac out the rest of the dust on the coil that I could not reach from the front.

http://www.amazon.com/Flexible-Dryer-Vent-Refrigerator-Brush/dp/B0046OEAHK

Took apart the freezer inner panel and changed the defrost heater and thermostat then changed out the timer which was in the fridge side. All good, works better than new and cost ~$120 for parts.

 

[meierlde]

I hate to think of the mess of a leaf blower or compressed air. It is understatement to say that DW would be displeased if I did that.

Agree with taking off the back panel and use a vacuum cleaner. If nothing else works try the tool suggested by jazz4cash. As cheap as it is there is small risk.

Decades ago I did refrigerator repair and the physics haven't changed. Yes, it makes a big difference whether the condenser coils are insulated with dust or not.

Actually you might just put the vaccuum in the blower mode. Most tank type vacuums have a second place to put the hose that makes it a blower. On Electroluxes you find this under a cover labeled blower. It does now blow as hard as a leaf blower. I have a shop vac in the garage and use it in blower mode to remove the clutter that accumulates on the riding lawnmower during mowing.

 

[Walt34]

Yes, that could work. A lot depends on the layout of the specific refrigerator and how accessible the condenser is.

 

[Redbugdave]

Yeah, I blew mine out with the air compressor. I found out that you do not want to do that inside the house.

 

[Texas Proud]

Yeah, I blew mine out with the air compressor. I found out that you do not want to do that inside the house.

Mine was not that bad.... I had already cleaned out as much as I could before the air... and our refrig is in a corner of the kitchen... there is also cabinets on the one side.... so, three sides had something there and then the refrig was in front (I had pulled it out so the crap kinda stayed in the area where the fridge normally stays)....

 

[jazz4cash]

I think using a blower could push the dust further into the fins of the condenser.

 

[freebird5825]

This product might be useful.

http://www.amazon.com/Swiffer-Duste...36611185&sr=1-1&keywords=swiffer+extender+kit

I would use some strong tape to secure the duster head to the handle so it does not get pulled off when pulling it back out of very tight spaces.

Remember to unplug the frig before poking around !

 

[Happyrick]

Here is what works for me and what my local repair lady did. She had a soft sided tool bag and after she tipped the refrigerator back she placed the front edge of the refrigerator on the bag and went to work with her small portable vacuum. Now I do the same a couple of times a year (it's a dog hair trap otherwise) with a little help from my DW we tip it back, I place a 3 inch block of wood under the front edge and go at it with the vacuum and a flashlight. Mine is a large double door, side by side, won't recommend it if your not comfortable tipping a big heavy appliance full of stuff, YMMV.

 

[Chuckanut]

I appreciate all the advice. It looks like I will end up emptying the thing and tipping it back a bit to see what I can get at. That's about the best I can do and it will have to be enough.

 

[Nunthewiser]

I used a brass test-tube type brush (very gently) on our stupid Samsung. I had half a mind to put a garbage bag under it and hose it off, but the all the electronics would have been offended again.

 

[gettingthere]

My solution was to stretch an old, clean, tube-sock wooly side out onto a yardstick and move it back and forth over the coils, pull it out, vaccuum off & repeat until no more dirt comes off.




Probably not the best way, but better than not cleaning it at all.


I have a long flexible brush designed to aid in cleaning lint from a dryer, but it is a bit too flexible for the cleaning the coils. Although, now that I think about it, maybe I can attach the brush to the and yardstick somehow to do a better job.


Be sure to turn off or unplug the refrigerator first.

 

[Walt34]

I had half a mind to put a garbage bag under it and hose it off, but the all the electronics would have been offended again.

Well, if you're gonna get serious about it use a 3,000 psi pressure washer....

 

[Nunthewiser]

^^ not in Mama's kitchen...besides she was using the pressure washer on the house.