Mini fridges come with a nice amount of advantages like low-powered consumption, compact form factor, and more. They get all those pros while functioning nearly as good as normal-sized fridges. However, mini fridges can sometimes not get cold enough. And it isn’t obviously clear how it happened, as well as how to solve the problem. So, how to make a mini fridge colder?
What makes a mini fridge less cold?
There are many factors that can make the mini fridge less cold, and they require just a little attention. With the factors mentioned below, you can inspect and figure out what happened and fix it to save some money from having to call a technician.
Thermostat
The first thing to check is the thermostat to see if the temperature is accidentally adjusted, and change the temperature if it is the case. This may have happened simply because someone else accidentally changed the figure while using the fridge.
You can check and change the temperature easily from outside of some of the modern mini fridges using the touch panel on the door.
Mini fridge position
Your mini fridge’s position is crucial in how efficient it can run since it affects the temperature inside the fridge. Here’s why:
- Every object in a certain confined space will try to reach a mutual temperature by either gaining or losing heat.
- With a cold object among many warm objects, the mutual temperature will be closer to the warm objects’ temperature.
With this knowledge, you can easily fix the problem by placing the mini fridge away from heat sources, like ovens, stoves, microwaves, etc.
Distance between the mini fridge and the wall
Here’s a brief information on how a fridge works: it uses a machine to suck the heat inside of the fridge out, which makes the inside space colder. Then the heat is dissipated through the rear of the fridge.
The dissipated heat acts as another heat source which can affect the mini fridge. If you only leave a small space between the fridge and the wall, 2 things happen
- The fridge can’t dissipate the heat probably
- The dissipated heat can be trapped and affect the back of the fridge, which further reduce its performance
You can simply fix this by leaving a decent space between the fridge and the wall. This not only lets your fridge work more efficiently, but also increases the life soak of your fridge.
Further reading: Best Mini Fridge Under $200
Insulation
While the outside temperature can affect the inside temperature, you should keep the inside space of the fridge well insulated so the outside heat can’t get inside directly.
The door is obviously the part that needs to be well-insulated. You need to close the door correctly and make sure the seal around the door is intact.
Check the door to see if there is any chill air escaping from the inside. You will need to seal the gasket if it is the case.
You can seal the gasket by removing the old gasket, clean the edges of the door, seal the holes, then put it in. If the air is still escaping, you will need to replace the gasket entirely.
Vent cleaning
The vent is where the heat is sucked out from the inside of the fridge, and people often block this vent by the items inside the fridge.
So try to find where the vent is inside the fridge and see if there is any item blocking the vent, then simply remove it.
Storing cool food and drinks
With cool items, the fridge won’t have to work as hard to colder them compared to your items.
If there is a hot item inside, the temperature sensor will try to ramp up the compressor, which results in higher temperatures and increased power consumption.
Additional tips to make a mini fridge colder
- Don’t open the fridge’s door too often to prevent outside heat from getting inside.
- Don’t leave too much space inside the fridge. If you don’t have much food or sometimes nothing to put in the fridge, you’d better place some bottles of water in it.
- Leave decent spaces between items so the air can circulate more efficiently.
- Close the door properly to make sure the fridge is well insulated.
- Try to defrost and clean the fridge at least once per 6 months to maintain the fridge’s performance.
- Clean the underside of the fridge and the compressor since the dust gathering under the fridge can affect the fridge’s performance.
Further reading: How to Defrost a Mini Fridge Faster?
Frequently asked questions
Why is my mini fridge warm?
It is normal if you notice the outside of your fridge gets warm. The reason is that the heat dissipates from the cooling process and this action also helps to prevent moisture forming on the outside of the fridge. Therefore, you sometimes find that it is warm or rather hot to touch.
How long does a mini fridge get cold?
Normally, it takes about 4 hours for a mini fridge to cool down after it is being plugged in. After 24 hours, the refrigerator is completely cooled to the set temperature.
What temperature should a mini fridge be set at?
It is the recommendation for the FDA that your fridge should be kept at or below 40° F (4° C), and your freezer at 0° F (-18° C) to make sure your food fresh longest and prevent bacteria that may cause foodborne diseases.
Does the mini fridge get colder on 1 or 5?
The refrigerant power is shown by the numbers on the temperature dial of your mini fridge. The rules for coldest settings are “the higher the number, the colder the fridge will be”. Therefore, if you set it to 5, your mini fridge will become the coldest.
What should I put in my mini fridge?
Items you should always keep in your little fridge are:
- Cheese
- Chocolate
- Water
- Milk
- Orange juice
- Fruit
- Pizza leftovers
- Vegetables
- Plain Greek yogurt
Conclusion
Overall, there are many factors that can make the fridge less cold. These factors aren’t usually not obvious right away, but they are easy to solve once you know what to look out for.
Reference
To Make a Mini Fridge Colder – Kitchen Guide, pixelfridge.com, Retrieved on Nov. 5, 2021
