Discussion:
turning off a refrigerator when house not in use
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Deodiaus
2018-05-11 20:33:01 UTC
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I have a refrigerator that is not in use as the snowbird went North for the next 6 months. She does not want to turn off the refrigerator as she claims that the last time that she did that [20 years ago], the refrigerator went bad and it cost a lot to fix that. Was that just a quirk, or do refrigerators somehow go bad (lose freon) if left not running?
Ed Pawlowski
2018-05-11 20:37:06 UTC
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Post by Deodiaus
I have a refrigerator that is not in use as the snowbird went North for the next 6 months. She does not want to turn off the refrigerator as she claims that the last time that she did that [20 years ago], the refrigerator went bad and it cost a lot to fix that. Was that just a quirk, or do refrigerators somehow go bad (lose freon) if left not running?
It won't lose freon just sitting. She's just a little nuts.
trader_4
2018-05-11 20:44:34 UTC
Permalink
Post by Deodiaus
I have a refrigerator that is not in use as the snowbird went North for the next 6 months. She does not want to turn off the refrigerator as she claims that the last time that she did that [20 years ago], the refrigerator went bad and it cost a lot to fix that. Was that just a quirk, or do refrigerators somehow go bad (lose freon) if left not running?
There is no mechanism for a fridge to lose refrigerant because it's turned
off. The compressor and motor are one unit, the motor is sealed inside,
there are no gaskets, seals, etc that could leak. I would turn it off.
Terry Coombs
2018-05-11 21:58:13 UTC
Permalink
Post by trader_4
Post by Deodiaus
I have a refrigerator that is not in use as the snowbird went North for the next 6 months. She does not want to turn off the refrigerator as she claims that the last time that she did that [20 years ago], the refrigerator went bad and it cost a lot to fix that. Was that just a quirk, or do refrigerators somehow go bad (lose freon) if left not running?
There is no mechanism for a fridge to lose refrigerant because it's turned
off. The compressor and motor are one unit, the motor is sealed inside,
there are no gaskets, seals, etc that could leak. I would turn it off.
  And block the doors open ...
--
Snag
Ain't no dollar sign on
peace of mind - Zac Brown
g***@aol.com
2018-05-11 22:01:34 UTC
Permalink
On Fri, 11 May 2018 13:33:01 -0700 (PDT), Deodiaus
Post by Deodiaus
I have a refrigerator that is not in use as the snowbird went North for the next 6 months. She does not want to turn off the refrigerator as she claims that the last time that she did that [20 years ago], the refrigerator went bad and it cost a lot to fix that. Was that just a quirk, or do refrigerators somehow go bad (lose freon) if left not running?
There is some anecdotal evidence that some will not come back from
being turned off but I suspect they were on their last legs to begin
with.
Turn it off and leave the door open a bit.
Tekkie®
2018-05-14 21:01:46 UTC
Permalink
Post by g***@aol.com
On Fri, 11 May 2018 13:33:01 -0700 (PDT), Deodiaus
Post by Deodiaus
I have a refrigerator that is not in use as the snowbird went North for the next 6 months. She does not want to turn off the refrigerator as she claims that the last time that she did that [20 years ago], the refrigerator went bad and it cost a lot to fix that. Was that just a quirk, or do refrigerators somehow go bad (lose freon) if left not running?
There is some anecdotal evidence that some will not come back from
being turned off but I suspect they were on their last legs to begin
with.
Turn it off and leave the door open a bit.
As another poster stated; block the door open or lock it shut. The ultimate
purpose is to keep a child from locking itself in and suffocating.
--
Tekkie
Bob F
2018-05-14 21:16:03 UTC
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Post by Tekkie®
Post by g***@aol.com
On Fri, 11 May 2018 13:33:01 -0700 (PDT), Deodiaus
Post by Deodiaus
I have a refrigerator that is not in use as the snowbird went North for the next 6 months. She does not want to turn off the refrigerator as she claims that the last time that she did that [20 years ago], the refrigerator went bad and it cost a lot to fix that. Was that just a quirk, or do refrigerators somehow go bad (lose freon) if left not running?
There is some anecdotal evidence that some will not come back from
being turned off but I suspect they were on their last legs to begin
with.
Turn it off and leave the door open a bit.
As another poster stated; block the door open or lock it shut. The ultimate
purpose is to keep a child from locking itself in and suffocating.
Leaving it shut is likely to end up with a really smelly mess.
g***@aol.com
2018-05-15 02:00:37 UTC
Permalink
Post by Bob F
Post by Tekkie®
Post by g***@aol.com
On Fri, 11 May 2018 13:33:01 -0700 (PDT), Deodiaus
Post by Deodiaus
I have a refrigerator that is not in use as the snowbird went North for the next 6 months. She does not want to turn off the refrigerator as she claims that the last time that she did that [20 years ago], the refrigerator went bad and it cost a lot to fix that. Was that just a quirk, or do refrigerators somehow go bad (lose
freon) if left not running?
Post by Bob F
Post by Tekkie®
Post by g***@aol.com
There is some anecdotal evidence that some will not come back from
being turned off but I suspect they were on their last legs to begin
with.
Turn it off and leave the door open a bit.
As another poster stated; block the door open or lock it shut. The ultimate
purpose is to keep a child from locking itself in and suffocating.
Leaving it shut is likely to end up with a really smelly mess.
I already addressed that. If you have it empty anyway, that is a great
time to give it a good scrubbing and that will stop the rotten smell.
The smell comes from the scum that collects on the walls and shelves.
Bob F
2018-05-15 05:14:48 UTC
Permalink
Post by Deodiaus
Post by Bob F
Post by Tekkie®
Post by g***@aol.com
On Fri, 11 May 2018 13:33:01 -0700 (PDT), Deodiaus
Post by Deodiaus
I have a refrigerator that is not in use as the snowbird went North for the next 6 months. She does not want to turn off the refrigerator as she claims that the last time that she did that [20 years ago], the refrigerator went bad and it cost a lot to fix that. Was that just a quirk, or do refrigerators somehow go bad (lose
freon) if left not running?
Post by Bob F
Post by Tekkie®
Post by g***@aol.com
There is some anecdotal evidence that some will not come back from
being turned off but I suspect they were on their last legs to begin
with.
Turn it off and leave the door open a bit.
As another poster stated; block the door open or lock it shut. The ultimate
purpose is to keep a child from locking itself in and suffocating.
Leaving it shut is likely to end up with a really smelly mess.
I already addressed that. If you have it empty anyway, that is a great
time to give it a good scrubbing and that will stop the rotten smell.
The smell comes from the scum that collects on the walls and shelves.
And left over moisture that might take months to dry out.
g***@aol.com
2018-05-15 05:48:13 UTC
Permalink
Post by Bob F
Post by Deodiaus
Post by Bob F
Post by Tekkie®
Post by g***@aol.com
On Fri, 11 May 2018 13:33:01 -0700 (PDT), Deodiaus
Post by Deodiaus
I have a refrigerator that is not in use as the snowbird went North for the next 6 months. She does not want to turn off the refrigerator as she claims that the last time that she did that [20 years ago], the refrigerator went bad and it cost a lot to fix that. Was that just a quirk, or do refrigerators somehow go bad
(lose
Post by Bob F
Post by Deodiaus
freon) if left not running?
Post by Bob F
Post by Tekkie®
Post by g***@aol.com
There is some anecdotal evidence that some will not come back from
being turned off but I suspect they were on their last legs to begin
with.
Turn it off and leave the door open a bit.
As another poster stated; block the door open or lock it shut. The ultimate
purpose is to keep a child from locking itself in and suffocating.
Leaving it shut is likely to end up with a really smelly mess.
I already addressed that. If you have it empty anyway, that is a great
time to give it a good scrubbing and that will stop the rotten smell.
The smell comes from the scum that collects on the walls and shelves.
And left over moisture that might take months to dry out.
There should not be that much moisture in a frost free fridge. One of
mine is reading 15% RH and the other one 10%. That is at 38F. When
that warms up the RH will drop a lot.
Bob F
2018-05-15 16:39:40 UTC
Permalink
Post by g***@aol.com
Post by Bob F
Post by Deodiaus
Post by Bob F
Post by Tekkie®
Post by g***@aol.com
On Fri, 11 May 2018 13:33:01 -0700 (PDT), Deodiaus
Post by Deodiaus
I have a refrigerator that is not in use as the snowbird went North for the next 6 months. She does not want to turn off the refrigerator as she claims that the last time that she did that [20 years ago], the refrigerator went bad and it cost a lot to fix that. Was that just a quirk, or do refrigerators somehow go bad
(lose
Post by Bob F
Post by Deodiaus
freon) if left not running?
Post by Bob F
Post by Tekkie®
Post by g***@aol.com
There is some anecdotal evidence that some will not come back from
being turned off but I suspect they were on their last legs to begin
with.
Turn it off and leave the door open a bit.
As another poster stated; block the door open or lock it shut. The ultimate
purpose is to keep a child from locking itself in and suffocating.
Leaving it shut is likely to end up with a really smelly mess.
I already addressed that. If you have it empty anyway, that is a great
time to give it a good scrubbing and that will stop the rotten smell.
The smell comes from the scum that collects on the walls and shelves.
And left over moisture that might take months to dry out.
There should not be that much moisture in a frost free fridge. One of
mine is reading 15% RH and the other one 10%. That is at 38F. When
that warms up the RH will drop a lot.
I am talking about the moisture collected withing the insulation and
between it and the inner surface of the fridge/freezer. Any
inside/outside air that finds a path in will bring moisture that will
condense on cold surfaces and find it hard to escape.
Uncle Monster
2018-05-15 06:08:59 UTC
Permalink
Post by Deodiaus
Post by Bob F
Post by Tekkie®
Post by g***@aol.com
On Fri, 11 May 2018 13:33:01 -0700 (PDT), Deodiaus
Post by Deodiaus
I have a refrigerator that is not in use as the snowbird went North for the next 6 months. She does not want to turn off the refrigerator as she claims that the last time that she did that [20 years ago], the refrigerator went bad and it cost a lot to fix that. Was that just a quirk, or do refrigerators somehow go bad (lose
freon) if left not running?
Post by Bob F
Post by Tekkie®
Post by g***@aol.com
There is some anecdotal evidence that some will not come back from
being turned off but I suspect they were on their last legs to begin
with.
Turn it off and leave the door open a bit.
As another poster stated; block the door open or lock it shut. The ultimate
purpose is to keep a child from locking itself in and suffocating.
Leaving it shut is likely to end up with a really smelly mess.
I already addressed that. If you have it empty anyway, that is a great
time to give it a good scrubbing and that will stop the rotten smell.
The smell comes from the scum that collects on the walls and shelves.
When I was working I did a lot of refrigeration work and one thing you should do every now and then and especially with a refrigerator that is going to be idle for a while is to pull out and clean the drain pan. An amazing variety of cooties make their home there and they stink! It would be a good time to clean the condenser coil too. o_O

[8~{} Uncle Fridge Monster
trader_4
2018-05-14 21:52:11 UTC
Permalink
Post by Tekkie®
Post by g***@aol.com
On Fri, 11 May 2018 13:33:01 -0700 (PDT), Deodiaus
Post by Deodiaus
I have a refrigerator that is not in use as the snowbird went North for the next 6 months. She does not want to turn off the refrigerator as she claims that the last time that she did that [20 years ago], the refrigerator went bad and it cost a lot to fix that. Was that just a quirk, or do refrigerators somehow go bad (lose freon) if left not running?
There is some anecdotal evidence that some will not come back from
being turned off but I suspect they were on their last legs to begin
with.
Turn it off and leave the door open a bit.
As another poster stated; block the door open or lock it shut. The ultimate
purpose is to keep a child from locking itself in and suffocating.
--
Tekkie
IDK how a kid can get locked inside any home fridge made in the last 50 years
or so to begin with. I've never seen one that had a latching type door.
I have seen freezers that had key type locks, but those need the key
to manually turn to lock it, so again a kid couldn't get inside and
lock it closed. Maybe fridges from the 50s and earlier, eg ice boxes, like
Ralph Cramden and Alice had were the ones where kids could get locked in.
Or current commercial, big ones.
g***@aol.com
2018-05-15 01:57:53 UTC
Permalink
Post by Tekkie®
Post by g***@aol.com
On Fri, 11 May 2018 13:33:01 -0700 (PDT), Deodiaus
Post by Deodiaus
I have a refrigerator that is not in use as the snowbird went North for the next 6 months. She does not want to turn off the refrigerator as she claims that the last time that she did that [20 years ago], the refrigerator went bad and it cost a lot to fix that. Was that just a quirk, or do refrigerators somehow go bad (lose
freon) if left not running?
Post by Tekkie®
Post by g***@aol.com
There is some anecdotal evidence that some will not come back from
being turned off but I suspect they were on their last legs to begin
with.
Turn it off and leave the door open a bit.
As another poster stated; block the door open or lock it shut. The ultimate
purpose is to keep a child from locking itself in and suffocating.
When was the last time you saw a refrigerator with a door that
latched? Was it on Happy Days or a Bogart movie?
They all have had magnetic "weather" strips that hold the door shut.
If you leave the shelves in it, the fridge is no more dangerous than
the one in your kitchen now anyway.
rbowman
2018-05-15 03:03:46 UTC
Permalink
Post by g***@aol.com
When was the last time you saw a refrigerator with a door that
latched? Was it on Happy Days or a Bogart movie?
About 5 minutes ago...
g***@aol.com
2018-05-15 04:21:25 UTC
Permalink
Post by rbowman
Post by g***@aol.com
When was the last time you saw a refrigerator with a door that
latched? Was it on Happy Days or a Bogart movie?
About 5 minutes ago...
I doubt they have a sub zero or an Eisenhower era fridge in a rental.
g***@aol.com
2018-05-15 04:22:51 UTC
Permalink
Post by rbowman
Post by g***@aol.com
When was the last time you saw a refrigerator with a door that
latched? Was it on Happy Days or a Bogart movie?
About 5 minutes ago...
BTW how often do you look in there to be sure there are no kids hiding
in there?
Tekkie®
2018-05-16 20:38:20 UTC
Permalink
Post by g***@aol.com
Post by rbowman
Post by g***@aol.com
When was the last time you saw a refrigerator with a door that
latched? Was it on Happy Days or a Bogart movie?
About 5 minutes ago...
BTW how often do you look in there to be sure there are no kids hiding
in there?
Whew, I never thought I would get such derision! Oh well, I'll keep quiet.
--
Tekkie
Uncle Monster
2018-05-16 22:22:34 UTC
Permalink
Post by g***@aol.com
Post by rbowman
Post by g***@aol.com
When was the last time you saw a refrigerator with a door that
latched? Was it on Happy Days or a Bogart movie?
About 5 minutes ago...
BTW how often do you look in there to be sure there are no kids hiding
in there?
I eat small children and I keep the unfinished portions in the refrigerator. I don't want it to go rancid. ^_^

[8~{} Uncle Hungry Monster
Peeler
2018-05-16 22:37:07 UTC
Permalink
On Wed, 16 May 2018 15:22:34 -0700 (PDT), Auntie Senile Moron drooled and
Post by Uncle Monster
I eat small children and I keep the unfinished portions in the
refrigerator. I don't want it to go rancid. ^_^
Gee... this is SO "funny" and "original" again, you boring senile piece of
Yankie shit!
Post by Uncle Monster
[8~{} Auntie Hopeless Moron
g***@aol.com
2018-05-11 22:04:57 UTC
Permalink
On Fri, 11 May 2018 13:33:01 -0700 (PDT), Deodiaus
Post by Deodiaus
I have a refrigerator that is not in use as the snowbird went North for the next 6 months. She does not want to turn off the refrigerator as she claims that the last time that she did that [20 years ago], the refrigerator went bad and it cost a lot to fix that. Was that just a quirk, or do refrigerators somehow go bad (lose freon) if left not running?
BTW while you have it off and empty is a good time to take all the
shelves out and give it a good scrub. A lot of those "musty" stories
coming from fridges that sit turned off are probably because they were
dirty and growing bacteria inside. Scrub it out real well and give it
a spritz of very diluted bleach or lysol to kill the bacteria.
Uncle Monster
2018-05-12 00:12:18 UTC
Permalink
I have a refrigerator that is not in use as the snowbird went North for the next 6 months. She does not want to turn off the refrigerator as she claims that the last time that she did that [20 years ago], the refrigerator went bad and it cost a lot to fix that. Was that just a quirk, or do refrigerators somehow go bad (lose freon) if left not running?
The refrigerator that broke down was probably due to the extra load put on the compressor because it had to start from scratch. It stressed the aged compressor to the breaking point. There is a lot less of a load put on a compressor when it starts with a cold refrigerator. I'd look at how much it costs to keep a closed refrigerator running so it would be conveniently cold when the snowbird returns. You can buy a Kill-A-Watt Electricity Monitor from Home Depot for $20.00 and it will measure how much power the refrigerator uses when it stays closed. Good luck. ^_^

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Kill-A-Watt-Electricity-Monitor-P4400/202196386

[8~{} Uncle Fridge Monster
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