7 Best Tips On How To Move A Fridge
5th July, 2019
Moving a fridge doesn’t have to be a nightmare – you just have to know what you’re doing. Follow this easy step-by-step process and you’ll be an expert on how to move a fridge:
Step 1: Switch off and disconnect your refrigerator the night before moving
Step 2: Thoroughly clean your fridge by removing all food and disinfecting all surfaces
Step 3: Remove interior glass shelves and wrap separately
Step 4: Move the fridge without scratching the floor
Step 5: Wrap your refrigerator in professional packing wrap before covering it in blankets
Step 6: Slide a moving trolley underneath the fridge and fasten a strap around it
Step 7: Move your fridge carefully and slowly.
Step 1: Switch Off and Disconnect Your Refrigerator the Night Before Moving
When transporting a fridge you need to give the evaporator enough time to defrost, or you risk damaging it during transit. Turning your fridge off the night before will also give the oils and fluids enough time to settle and stop moving through the compressor. If your fridge has an automatic ice maker, you will need to disconnect the water hose and remove all ice from the compartment to prevent leaks, spills and damage while moving a fridge.
Step 2: Thoroughly Clean Your Fridge by Removing All Food and Disinfecting All Surfaces
As soon as you’ve turned your fridge off, you need to start the process of removing all the food and giving it a good clean. As soon as you turn the fridge off it will start to warm up. A warm, dirty fridge makes for a very unpleasant odour so put some effort into the cleaning process if you want to enjoy a fresh fridge at your new address.
Step 3: Remove Interior Glass Shelves and Wrap Separately
In order to move a fridge freezer safely, you need to minimise the risk of any damage. A common mistake people make is forgetting to remove the glass shelves inside the fridge. Once you have cleaned and disinfected the shelves, you should wrap them in packing paper or bubble wrap and move them separately. If you leave them inside the fridge, they can bounce around and shatter, leaving you to painstakingly remove all the glass from your fridge and foot the bill for a new set of shelves.
Step 4: Move The Fridge Without Scratching the Floor
Knowing how to move the fridge without scratching the floor is a key aspect of any fridge move. If you’re lucky, your fridge will have wheels on it, meaning all you have to do is gently roll it out of its location. If your fridge doesn’t have wheels, you’ll need to be a little more careful. You don’t want to shuffle your fridge across the ground because the sharp surfaces underneath will damage the floor. Instead, you should rock the fridge backwards and slide a sheet or a large piece of cardboard underneath the fridge. Then all you have to do is rock the fridge back the other way and feed the sheet under the other section of the fridge and you’ve got the perfect protective mat for your floor.
Step 5: Wrap Your Refrigerator in Professional Packing Wrap Before Covering it in Blankets
A fridge is a significant investment. When moving a fridge you need to invest in quality packing materials that will protect it from dents, bumps and scratches, as well as damage to its internal mechanisms. To do this you need to encase your fridge in two layers of protective wrapping. The first step involves using professional packing wrap to provide the first layer of protection. After this you should cover the fridge in moving blankets and secure the blankets to the fridge with packing tape. Never let packing tape come in direct contact with the surface of the fridge as it can leave a residue and permanently mark your fridge.
Step 6: Slide a Moving Trolley Underneath the Fridge and Fasten a Strap Around It
Once you have completely covered every surface of a fridge you need to figure out how to move a refrigerator. The best way to do this is to slide a moving trolley underneath the fridge and use a strap to fix the fridge to the trolley. You need two people for this step as one person needs to rock the trolley back while the other person pushes the fridge forwards. If you’re moving the fridge onto a moving truck, the person holding the trolley should always go backwards, with the person at the front providing support and preventing the fridge from toppling forwards. Make sure you secure the fridge once it is inside the truck so it doesn’t bounce around during transit.
Step 7: Move Your Fridge Carefully and Slowly
When it comes to knowing how to move a refrigerator, one of the most important steps is the transit process itself. During transit, you need to ensure that your fridge is moved carefully and slowly. Remember, fridges should always be moved in the upright position to protect the internal mechanisms. So, you don’t want to speed around round-abouts or over speed humps, risking knocking your fridge over. When it comes to moving a fridge, slow and steady really does win the race.
Finally, once your fridge has arrived at its new destination, don’t forget that you need to wait at least three hours before you turn your fridge on, just to let the internal mechanisms and fluids settle correctly.
There you have it – transporting a fridge doesn’t have to be a nightmare at all!
How To Move Your Fridge Into Storage
Kent Storage has created a quick guide to help you prepare your refrigerator for storage.
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Check our handy step-by-step infographic guide on how to store your refrigerator in storage.
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