Refrigeration

Fridges and freezers that won’t cool, leak, buzz or seal — diagnosed in the order a technician would.

A warm fridge is the most expensive appliance failure in an apartment: you lose the food, you may lose the deposit, and a call-out fee starts around $100 before any parts. Most of the failures we cover here are fixable in an evening with a $15–$40 part.

All Refrigeration guides 20 in this section

Before you call a technician
  • Check the door seal first — the dollar-bill test takes 30 seconds.
  • Never chip ice with a knife; use warm water and a plastic scraper.
  • Give a fridge 24 hours to stabilise after moving it before judging it.
  • Keep the condenser coils clean — dust is the silent efficiency killer.