How to Reduce Your Electricity Bill and Fix Your Own Fridge

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The seals on your fridge are vital to its operation and as they are made of rubber, can degrade over time. Mine looked fine and I regularly cleaned and checked them but then I recently found a slight gap at the top of the fridge. I only knew this after getting up onto a stool to clean the top of the fridge.

This made sense as the thermometers given to me by my local council, the Mornington Shire, showed a slight increase in recent weeks. I have two of these. One goes in my fridge and the other in the freezer. I rotate the fridge one between compartments and the fridge door where most people keep their milk. It is important to check the door in particular as this tends to drop in temperature compared with the main compartments as it is subject to the room temperature.

If you think you have an electrical issue, then call a qualified tradesperson. If your fridge is over 6 years old or you have visible seal issues such as gaps then I would consider replacing them as soon as possible.



I went to the manufacturer's web site to find my fridge and they had lists of spare parts available including the seals. The model number of the fridge was inside down the bottom. You will need this to make sure you are ordering the correct part. I used the model number to order both a fridge seal and a freezer seal to replace both of them at the same time. My vegetable bin had a crack and was not sliding well so I ordered all with free shipping due to the size of the order.

The parts came within 3 days and I ensured I had the correct size before taking it out of any packaging. The seal came straight off and I pressed the new one into place. This all took about ten minutes, making sure the seal was in the correct groove and it was on symmetrically.

After this, the fridge was running noticeably quieter and I lamented on the thought of the extra electricity it had been consuming as it strived to reach the temperature I had set much lower than it needed to be.

Within a few hours, the temperature inside all compartments and the door space had dropped by 3 degrees. This may be a great way to spend your weekend as the savings you make can be used elsewhere. Anyone that knows me well knows my leisure time on the peninsula is usually at the Peninsula Hotsprings. Now I'll be coming back to an ice cold drink and no constant 'whirrrrrr' of a fridge in need of care.

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