One of the most difficult tasks of moving is to solve the problem of transportation of refrigerator. Despite its impressive size, this is a very fragile device. When a new refrigerator is purchased, there are no problems with transportation because the trading companies themselves deliver cumbersome home appliances. This is done by specially trained employees who know how to move home appliances, how to carry it through the stairwells without bringing damage to them. During the move, many owners have to solve the problem of transportation of device on their own, because not everyone has the opportunity to use the services of professional movers and an equipped car. Here we prepared for you some moving tips which would be very useful for you. The refrigerator can be transported, if only it is properly prepared. Several consecutive simple measures will allow transportation to be carried out, keeping the equipment in excellent condition.
How to prepare the fridge for moving
Empty your fridge completely of all drawers, shelves and any removable details. Freezer also should be free of food, ice cube trays and so on. It is important to remove everything that can shift around inside and outside the fridge, even magnets. Glass shelves should be removed and transported more carefully. If there is a huge amount of frost has accumulated in the freezer, it is necessary to defrost it for several hours. Thus, it is preferable to check the day before the move whether there are much frost or not in the freezer. Wipe out the inner chambers and make them dry. Even if you are going to move the device to another room it is necessary to empty it anyway. To protect the shelves and small details wrap them into soft blanket or towels. Fasten all the doors of the fridge using solid rope. It is recommended to wrap the technique by packing material to protect its surface from scratches and cracks. If you can’t find suitable wrapping material on the entire surface of the device, you need to protect at least the outer corners. Don’t move the fridge on your own; find some helpers to assist you because it is important to consider doors, corners and downstairs in the process of moving. Take moving rollers end set up them under the feet of the refrigerator so that you can slide it. Moving dolly with large base would be also preferable. The fridges have very fragile and sensitive inner mechanism that’s why keep it only in the upright position to avoid leaking coolant and pressure on the compressor.
Transportation in a moving truck or sedan
When the fridge is on the dolly, roll it carefully to the truck. Make sure that you don’t tilt the refrigerator too much when loading it into the truck, because the oil in the compressor may leak into the cooling tubes when the device is tilted too much. If it is moving truck then it would be easier to load the fridge as such vehicle has a truck ramp that gives you opportunity to roll your device up without difficulties. Lift the fridge slowly into the truck and strap it by rope or bungees so that it doesn’t move from braking or sudden turning. Before transporting it is also important to pay attention to the compressor. Many manufacturers equip the devices with special transport bolts, which simply need to be tightened. If they are absent, the compressor is fixed with the cardboard pads.
If you move the device into the sedan and laying the refrigerator on its side is unavoidable, it can be a headache. This is where the question arises – how to transport the refrigerator in a horizontal position, if you have no another option? You can decrease the risk of damage to a minimum following the rules given below:
- In order not to damage the surface of the refrigerator, the bottom of the truck should be covered with a thick blanket, foam or several layers of soft cardboard.
- Don’t lay the refrigerator on its back or on its doors. It is possible to lay it only on its sides.
- Try to lay the device so that its pipes are directed upwards.
Setting up your device
When you bring your refrigerator to a new place it is still necessary to clarify when you can turn on the device after transportation. It takes some time for the oil to return to the compressor. The duration of waiting after carriage is usually indicated by the manufacturer in the documentation. If the passport of the equipment is lost, you should know that the time of the switching-on of the refrigerator after delivery depends on several factors, the most important of which are the position of the device during transportation and the temperature of the air in the street. It is recommended to wait at least for 3 hours before plugging it in to allow the oil to move back to the compressor. Following the tips given in this article you can easily move your refrigerator without any difficulties and damages.
