Moving a Fridge: Do’s and Don’ts

Are you planning on moving your fridge and freezers? Do you need to move house and bring your refrigerator with you?

Moving appliances is a challenging task, as most units found in houses or establishments are huge and heavy. The best thing you can do is to check the user manuals for your fridge and freezers before moving your unit.

Also, you can go over this list of moving fridge do’s and don’ts to help make your move a success.

Do’s for Moving Your Fridge and Freezer

1. Unplug your fridge prior to moving it

Unplugging your unit is the first thing you need to do before moving the fridge or freezer for safety purposes. It’s also important for initial defrosting.

2. Defrost your freezers for at least 24 hours

Letting your fridge stay still for 24 hours gives it enough time for the evaporator to defrost completely and the lubrication fluid and oil to have enough time to settle. Unplugging your unit also prevents damage to your unit’s cooling system before moving.

3. Remove food and drinks inside

Empty your fridge and your fridge freezer. Remove all food, drinks, frozen items, and vegetables inside. You can opt to keep your food in moving boxes to bring it with you to your new home, or you can donate it to a charity within your neighbourhood.

4. Clean the units thoroughly

Clean your freezers well. Thoroughly clean all the glass shelves, water filters, and other counters to prepare your refrigerator for transport. Also, make sure that the whole unit is completely dry from humidity or mildew, otherwise, this could potentially damage it.

5. Remove all detachable parts

Don’t forget to remove all the parts like the glass shelves, trays, counters, storage pans, covers, ice trays, and water dispensers. This will also ensure that these items won’t be damaged and may not cause any accidents during the transfer.

6. Keep a measuring tape handy

Include a measuring tape when coming up with your needed materials for transfer. A measuring tape is necessary to get the exact measurements of the fridge and refrigerators so you can compare them with the dimensions of your passageway and the door.

7. Clear any obstructions along the way

You may need to clear out the hallway to allow passage of the freezer safely. There may be times when you need to remove fixtures and doors of your flat, so careful planning is required when moving house.

8. Secure the door

Make sure that you have securely closed or strapped the fridge door together to prevent it from coming loose and incurring damage along the way. You can also have the power cord taped to the body of your unit.

9. Deodorise the inside of the fridge/freezer using activated charcoal

Should defrosting the fridge and freezer take a couple of days, you may choose to put activated charcoal inside. Make sure that it has a sturdy and soft container to remain intact during the travel and won’t damage the unit’s interior.

10. Wrap the fridge/freezer in packing material

Make sure that you have a set of complete packing material for your fridge or freezer. Roll out the packaging material throughout the refrigerator and securely tuck it.

You can use either a bubble wrap,  a moving blanket, or a shrink wrap. These packaging materials wrapped around the unit will prevent it from getting scratched or damaged from any unexpected strong impact.  

11. Insert flat timbers or planks underneath the fridge

One of the last things you have wanted to do is scratch the floor of your house. You can use flattened timber pieces which you can buy or rent at a nearby hardware depot. The smooth surface of the plank will lessen the resistance between the fridge and the floor.

12. Make use of moving dollies

Another option is to have the refrigerator quickly moved by a moving dolly. Just slip the moving dollies underneath the fridge and then use moving straps to secure them and move out your fridge or freezer.

13. Carry and move the unit with care at all times

Carefully push away the fridge from the wall, tilt it, slide the flattened timber or plank underneath, and slowly put it upright again. Check that the plank is correctly inserted and slowly move it away.

After sliding the dolly to the bottom, slowly put the refrigerator and freezers to a stand upright. Then gently push them toward the hallway.

14. Have the fridge/freezer loaded in the moving truck gently

You can use a mechanical lifter to put the fridge inside the truck or a more extended and sturdier inclined plank to push the dolly to the moving vehicle.  Strap the refrigerator well inside. Now it should be suitable for transport.

15. Have the unit settle for at least 12 hours

Let the unit stand in an upright position and unplug it for 12 hours before using it. But if you accidentally put it on its side, you should wait at least 24 hours before plugging it.  Check that the thermostat is on and wait for another hour to load your food inside.

Don’ts for moving your fridge and freezer

• Don’t have your fridge and freezer tilted more than 45 degrees, whether upward or downward while moving your fridge. This might cause it to lose its balance and topple off.
• Don’t forget to strap it well inside the moving vehicle. It is best to put additional measures to prevent it from overturning during travel.
• Don’t let the fridge or freezer rest on its side. It is dangerous to settle it that way, and it may cause damage to the cooling system of the unit.
• Don’t use the fridge unless you have allowed it to wait for more than twelve hours. Letting the fridge stand without plugging for several hours will ensure that all oils, lubricants, and compressor have settled safely before plugging it.
• Don’t forget to label the box with a marker on which way should you let the fridge stand in an upright position, should you be using a box while moving

Moving fridges and freezers is challenging, especially when moving interstate, but having some tips at hand will help you accomplish such a task safely and quickly. Take note of these dos and don’ts carefully so you can move your units from one house to another successfully.