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To keep your refrigerator running efficiently, clean its condenser coils at least twice a year. (If you have a refrigerator with the black coils mounted on the back, these coils don’t require semi-annual cleaning.) Here’s how to do it:
1) Pull the refrigerator away from the wall and unplug it. (If your refrigerator has front legs used to level the appliance, push these upward and set your refrigerator on its wheels before moving it.) Or, if it’s a built-in model, turn off its circuit breaker.
2) Remove the cover panel to reveal the coils and cooling fins. On most models, the kick plate or top trim plate simply lifts off. You may have to remove a few screws to remove a back cover.
3) With a long, narrow nozzle on your vacuum, or a refrigerator coil brush—a special long- handled brush that looks somewhat like a bottlebrush—clean out all the dust and debris. Be careful not to bend or dent the cooling fins.
4) Replace the cover, and then plug the electrical cord back in or turn the circuit back on. Push the appliance back in place.
