Safety Tips for Moving a Refrigerator

Moving home appliances while shifting to a new house is a tedious job. Not only it is time-consuming, but their massive sizes often makes it impossible to do the job single-handedly. Appliances like refrigerators need a very careful handling. Hence, if you are planning to shift to a new house, or you need to transport your refrigerator for any reason, make sure you have someone to help you around. Risk while transporting appliances such as refrigerators mostly comes in the form of damage to delicate internal components. Hence, make sure you avoid bumpy rides while moving it from one location to the other.

Before Moving a Refrigerator

Take out all the contents from the refrigerator. Defrost the refrigerator at least 6 hours before moving it. Remove all the trays, shelves and other detachable parts from the refrigerator and pack them separately. Switch off the power supply and remove the cord from its socket. Bind the door of the refrigerator with a rope or cord. Do not use a tape as it can damage the finish of the refrigerator or may leave a residue. If possible, arrange for a dolly, as transporting a refrigerator on a dolly is the safest and easiest option. You can rent a dolly from home improvement stores or ask around for one.

Safest Method of Moving a Refrigerator

The best and the safest method to move a refrigerator is moving it in an upright position. If the refrigerator has to be carried to a short distance or up/down the stairs, the best way is to lift it by 2 - 3 strong people. While lifting the refrigerator, make sure you don't tilt it too much. If the new location is only a few blocks away, use an appliance dolly to transport the refrigerator. Lift the refrigerator and slowly place it on the dolly and then roll the dolly to its new position. If the place is considerably far, hire a truck and transport the refrigerator to its new location. While doing so, make sure it is in an upright position.

Transporting It On Side

This is not recommended, unless in absolutely unavoidable circumstances. Laying the refrigerator on its side involves a risk of running the oil from the compressor into the cooling tubes. If you must, lay the refrigerator on the opposite side of the discharge line. Check your user's manual to locate the position of the discharge line in your refrigerator. Never lay the refrigerator flat on its side. Let the top end be positioned at a higher level than the lower end. This way, you can reduce the risk of oil running into the cooling tubes.

Transporting On Its Back

This is the most unsafe position for transporting a refrigerator. In case you cannot avoid it, at least make sure it is not completely laid on its back. Prop the top end at some height from the base. You can place a box under the top end so that it makes an angle with the base.

After Moving the Refrigerator

Once the refrigerator is positioned at its new place, set it upright. Leave it in the upright position for at least a couple of hours before plugging in. This helps the oil to flow back in the compressor. After plugging in, it takes the refrigerator about 72 hours to return to its ideal cooling temperature. If you still experience problems with cooling, do not hesitate to call a professional repair person.

While the above tips mostly assure safe transportation of a refrigerator, one should always go through the manual to understand model specific safety guidelines.

Article Source: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/moving-a-refrigerator-how-to-move-a-refrigerator.html

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