You may have felt too embarrassed to ask this question loudly but you must have thought about it inside your head. That tiny little voice in your head is unsettling especially when you can’t find answers. It could be frozen lettuce or rotting vegetables in your refrigerator-that may have caught your attention. We only think about the temperature setting of our refrigerator when the unit stops working the way it should. Whatever the reason may be, handling the tricky temperature setting is not an easy feat. Your call to the local refrigerator repair service could be entirely unnecessary and all you needed to do was to rotate those dials. As the temperatures are plummeting, adjusting those dials is even more important. Here is a brief guide for refrigerator users.
Think About Food Storage Safety
Typical disease-causing bacteria thrive at temperatures above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends keeping the refrigerator temperature below 40OF to slow down the growth of bacteria. Food is considered safe for consumption when it is stored below the given temperature. It does not mean that you should set it at the lowest possible setting but it is best to maintain the temperatures between 38OF and 40OF. Below 38OF, food starts to freeze.When it comes to the freezer, it should be kept at 0OF. This ensures that foods are properly frozen for safe storage.
Consider The Factors Influencing The Temperature
Keep in mind that a wide variety of factors can influence the temperature of your refrigerator. One of the most important factors is the change in the ambient temperature of the room. These changes may be seasonal or triggered by some other factors. In winters, the colder temperatures of your home can cause your refrigerator to cool down a few more degrees. While summers can have the exact opposite effect. So, it is possible that a certain temperature setting that worked well for summer months is not good in chilly days. A study by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers found out that changes in ambient temperature can affect the interior temperature even when the door to the unit is closed. If you are thinking that frequent opening or closing of the refrigerator door may be the reason, you may be right to some extent. Check the door gasket. Any leaks in the gasket cause cold air leaks and affect the cooling efficiency of the unit.
Learn How The Temperature Controls Work
Most of us believe that the two dials given in the fridge control the temperature setting of the freezer and refrigerator separately. It may be true for high-end models but not for the standard refrigerators. One of the dials controls the production of cold air. All the cold air is generated within the fridge unit so this dial will direct the unit to make more or less cold air. The other dial is designed to control the amount of cold air that is released from the freezer into the refrigerator compartment. If you want to find out the functions of knobs in your unit, wait till the compressor is running. Now turn one of the knobs to the warmest setting. If the compressor stops, you have turned the temperature dial. If the compressor keeps running, you have operated the baffle that controls the release of cold air from the freezer.In certain cases, you experience issues with your temperature setting but adjusting the knobs doesn’t seem to work. It may be a faulty thermostat. Find an affordable refrigerator repair service to replace it.
Invest In Refrigerator Thermometer
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends investing in a refrigerator thermometer. It is a simple, cheap, and easily available device that can be used to keep up with your refrigerator temperature settings. Place the thermometer in a glass of water and put it in the refrigerator. Record the temperature after 5-6 hours. If it is not according to the settings, readjust the temperature knob and recheck.
Still Struggling With Temperature Adjustment?
Hire the best refrigerator repair service in town to fix the issue before it gets worse.
