The bad news is that refrigerators are one of the most expensive appliances in the average home today. The good news is that refrigerators that receive proper care and usage can last for many years of service, a feat that is pretty remarkable when you think of how many times a day these appliances are opened and closed. In fact, according to a popular home information site, a well-cared for refrigerator could last as long as 17 years. If you would like to give your refrigerator a longer life span while enjoying a more efficient operating cost to run it, the following tips will help. 

Give it a really cool location

A refrigerator that is exposed to excessive heat, such as being located in a sunny spot or next to an oven or other heat-producing appliance, will have to work much harder to reach and maintain the proper interior temperature. This means that the motor, condenser, and fans will turn on and off more frequently, causing excessive wear on the parts and higher energy usage bills. To avoid this problem, choose to locate your refrigerator well away from your stove and out of direct sunshine.

Pack it correctly 

Unlike freezers that work most efficiently when they are full of tightly packed food packages, a refrigerator works best when there is ample space between foods for the cold air to circulate freely. Resisting the urge to stuff leftovers and veggies into every available space inside your fridge will allow it to use less energy to maintain the proper temperature and also help to keep your refrigerated foods fresher longer.

Another point to remember when packing foods into your fridge is that too much humidity can make your fridge work much harder than it otherwise would. To keep humidity levels within the proper range, always use lids or plastic wrap to cover liquids or high-moisture foods and allow hot foods to cool to room temperature before placing them inside your fridge. 

Mind the gasket 

The door gasket of your fridge is one of the first signs of wear that results from heavy usage. When the gasket begins to leak because it has hardened, slipped, broken, or changed shape, it causes cool air to seep out of the appliance. Then the motor and moving parts of the refrigerator will be forced to engage more often to make up for this loss, using additional energy and creating more wear on the appliance. 

Refrigerator owners who discover their appliance's gasket is leaking or notice any other unusual or worrisome issues with their refrigerator should always contact a reputable refrigerator repair service and schedule a repair call as soon as possible.