Super Handyman: Prolong your refrigerator’s life with these maintenance tips

The refrigerator (formerly known as the “ice box”) has come a long way since its original creation. Today’s units work very efficiently and do a great job of keeping food fresh. Of course, with all appliances, regular maintenance is required to keep it in good working order. Here are a few things you should do at least a couple of times a year to ensure a long life for your refrigerator.

Ÿ The coils that are located along the back or bottom of the refrigerator are critical to the cooling within the unit. It’s very important that they be kept clean and free of dust bunnies. A vacuum cleaner is one way to go, but you can use a feather duster, bottle brush or some other tool to get the coils clean. You can create a custom tool by holding a long, cardboard tube on the end of your vacuum hose and using it to get at the dust. Another approach might be to blow the dust out from the coils and vacuum it away as you work.

Ÿ Be careful not to dislodge the drain pan, which usually is located just under the appliance. As the refrigerator self-defrosts, moisture drains down into this pan and evaporates away.

Ÿ The doors should be cleaned where they come into contact with the front of the unit. Most will have a gasket, and you should clean both surfaces with a mild cleanser and a rag. You can smooth on some petroleum jelly for a good seal if you want. If the gasket has become damaged or no longer fits properly, you should replace it. This is easy to do by just removing screws around the edges and installing the replacement.

Ÿ Check the level of the whole unit by placing your level on top of it. The front wheels can be adjusted by turning them with a wrench to lower or raise them. The appliance should be level in every direction — front to back, diagonally and side to side.

Ÿ Clean out the inside as well. Use baking soda and water to scrub the surfaces. Follow with a disinfecting wipe-down with bleach and water. Add a small container of baking soda to the shelf to keep odors from building up.

Ÿ Clean the fridge once a month to get rid of “dead” food.

Ÿ A little bit of cleaning can add years to the life of this important member of your household.

Look for rubber bands in unusual places

Rubber bands aren’t expensive. But when you need one and you don’t have one, they might as well be worth a fortune. Don’t worry; you probably have them all around your house and you just don’t know it — yet. You can make a rubber band by cutting 1/4 inch off the opening of a rubber glove. If you have one rubber band and you need two, cut it in half, lengthwise. An extra-large rubber band could be made from old pantyhose or even an old bicycle inner tube.

Butter tub lid stands in for putty knife

There are times when you need a putty knife for certain projects. For some reason, those are the times when you can’t find one, or maybe you don’t even own one. You can make one from the plastic lid of a butter tub or something similar. Just wash off any butter or whatever was in the tub. Cut the lid in half, and you will have two putty knives. These are great for spreading spackle, adhesive and many other repair compounds.

Super hints

Ÿ Wear gloves when you are working with a freshly sanded piece of furniture. The grease oils from your skin can cause damage to the surface of unfinished wood. Wipe it down with mineral spirits to remove any oil that you might have transferred by accident.

Ÿ I add a little more freshness to my house by putting a dryer sheet in the return air grille in our hallway. I clipped it to the inside of the grille with a paper clip, and it spreads a little extra fresh air around the house. It’s a small thing I do once a month. During the winter, I swear it cuts down on the static electricity in the air.

Ÿ Some light bulbs last longer than others. Look for “service” light bulbs when you need to replace one that works in extreme conditions. A service bulb won’t cost that much more but will last longer, in most cases.

Q. We have moved into a new house and are starting to get things hooked up and running. My refrigerator doesn’t seem to be working the same as before. What temperature is it supposed to read inside the refrigerator and the freezer?

A. Ideally, the refrigerator should run at about 34 F. The freezer should be about 5 F. You should have a way to adjust them both, although the temperature inside each is controlled by the same compressor. Make sure the coils are clean, the door seals are good and nothing is blocking the vents.

Q. I have a wooden strip that runs through my driveway. It has started to splinter and break up. I am assuming I need to replace it with something, maybe more wood. Is this correct?

A. Yes. You need to remove the rest of the wood and clean out the indentation. You either can use another strip of wood or switch to rubber. These are available at home centers and hardware stores. Caulk can be used to secure it if you need that.

Q. We need to have a “rain sensor” for our sprinkler system in our city. How do you hook these up, and where can you get them?

A. Check your hardware store or a sprinkler supply house. Most are fairly simple to install, and they hook up to your existing control box, and it’s something the average do-it-yourselfer can do. They really will help you save water.

Reader tips

Ÿ With my health issues, I have a lot of pills that I am taking. The exercise program I put myself on really has cut down on a lot of them, but I’m still taking a few. I decided to start recycling the bottles, and found I could store a lot of hardware in them. The hardware is all sorted out, and each bottle holds something different. I put all the screws in orange bottles and the nuts in white. The green bottles hold nails. I have used a marker on the top of each to list the sizes, which I used a guide to determine. Now my shop is really organized, and I am doing more projects there, too. I even am working on creating an exercycle with the plans I got from your website. Thanks, and I hope you can benefit from my letter.

Ÿ Our deck steps are a little slippery when it rains. I used some old rubber floor mats to take care of this problem. I cut them to fit the steps, and then glued them in place with some exterior building adhesive. I plan to use tacks on the corners when the weather gets nicer. They seem to be pretty secure, and they really are helping.

Ÿ When my garden hose started leaking, I decided to fix it. I bought an inexpensive repair kit and cut off the damaged part of the hose. I had trouble getting the repair sleeve in place, so I used soap and water on the hose to make it easier. It worked! I was able to make repairs, and haven’t missed the length I cut off at all. I saved money and water.

Ÿ I’m not a great house cleaner, but I have to keep the place clean by myself. I found that I can clean the shower wall and keep it looking good longer if I use paste wax on the surface after I clean it. The wax prevents water and soap scum from sticking to the surface.

Ÿ I have tried everything to get the rank smell out of my dishwasher. I switched detergents, cleaned the inside surfaces with baking soda, poured vinegar and water inside and let it run through a couple of cycles, but the smell just wouldn’t subside. I finally put some hair conditioner inside, thinking the softener might cut the smell. It worked. I have no idea exactly why, but it did. I guess the smell was caused by some acid or something that the conditioner reacted with. Now I will put some in every few months to prevent the smell from coming back.

Shop talk

Ÿ For outdoor furniture, you can’t beat PVC plastic pipe. It’s lightweight, inexpensive, easy to work with and weather-resistant. You can build just about any piece of furniture once you have learned the basics. We have put together a sheet detailing the basics of working with this plastic pipe. Another good summer project might be a wooden picnic table. We also have plans for a very simple, long-lasting family picnic table made from wood. This table is a one-piece design, which is both safe and convenient. You can have both sheets for only $1. Bring on the family fun!

Ÿ Stanley Tools has an Energy Meter that is designed to help you manage household electrical usage and save up to 20 percent annually on your bills. You plug the appliance or tool into the side of the Energy Meter and plug that into the wall outlet. In a very short time, the sophisticated meter can actually project energy-consumption costs by the hour, month or year for that appliance. With this knowledge, you can learn what your appliances cost you to run. Use it on TVs, computers, freezers, vacuum cleaners and everything else you use, and see where you can cut your energy costs. Take a look at it online at www.stanleytools.com and find a dealer in your area.

Ÿ Ready for the perfect ratcheting wrench? Try the Ratcheting ReadyWrench. This amazing wrench has 16 of the most popular SAE and metric sizes built right into the wrench, so you don’t have to bring a whole box of tools to the job. The different sockets are color-coded to make picking the right one even easier. The ratcheting action is super smooth and never misses, and the offset design is an added bonus. The whole tool is built tough to last a long time and even comes with a lifetime warranty. It’s super handy, and it will end up being your favorite tool to use on most projects. Check it out at www.blackanddecker.com and at your hardware store and home center.

Ÿ Write to Al and Kelly Carrell in care of the Daily Herald, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006 or visit the Carrells’ website at thesuperhandyman.com.

© 2011, Cowles Syndicate Inc.