Each year, thousands of householders rip out their fridge freezers and have new ones installed. While some people do so because their old ones have become faulty, many folks buy new ones because they’ve grown tired of their existing ones.

The truth is, as with any kitchen gadget or appliance in your home, fridge freezers lose their efficiency and usefulness if they don’t get adequately maintained. If you’re no longer a fan of yours, put your payment card back in your pocket. Here are some ways to love your existing unit again…

Give your fridge freezer a deep clean

Do you find that your fridge freezer often emits a foul odour? If so, it’s easy to assume it might be a fault of the unit itself. But, the reality is fridge freezers rarely become faulty and emit bad smells.

What’s more likely is you have some food or drink that has leaked onto a tray and become spoilt. Every few months, it’s worth taking the time to give the inside of your fridge freezer a deep clean.

Spending some time with warm water, washing-up liquid and cloth can work wonders on both the appearance and smell of your fridge freezer. Plus, it’s a good opportunity to dispose of any old food and drink that you’ve forgotten and has gone past their use-by dates.

Replace your water dispenser filter

Fridges with built-in ice makers and water dispensers are great because they offer ice and cold water on-demand. But, the downside is they require occasional maintenance to operate at their best.

Have you noticed that your water has a strange smell? And perhaps your ice cubes don’t look as good as they should? The issue might be down to your dispenser’s water filter. Fridge dispensers should typically have a replacement water filter every six months.

It also makes sense to run some lemon juice or water diluted with lemon juice through the lines to help clear out any residual contaminants.

Defrost your freezer

Are you finding that you have less space to put food inside of your freezer compartments? The chances are high that you haven’t defrosted your freezer. Did you know that even so-called ‘frost-free’ freezers can still have a build-up of ice?

The easiest way to defrost your freezer is by turning it off and letting the ice melt. Don’t attempt to hack at the ice with a sharp object like a screwdriver. Otherwise, you could end up damaging the freezer and even cause refrigerant gases to escape!

Consider defrosting your freezer at a time when you’ve got few frozen items inside of it. Any frozen food can get temporarily stored in a cool box with some ice packs or bags of ice to keep them cold.

Check that your fridge freezer is level

Lastly, if the thing you hate the most about your fridge freezer is the noise it makes, the solution might be simpler than you think! It’s worth checking that it’s level, otherwise excess noises can occur when the refrigerant motor operates.

Modern fridge freezer units usually have adjustable feet on them. You might need an adjustable spanner to turn each foot. Use a spirit level to check that your fridge freezer is level before you finish.

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.