The arrival of a new home appliance usually gets us excited, but it is very important to be clear on how to perform the first installation and use in order to ensure its correct operation and maximum duration over time. With refrigerators, it is important to let them rest a while before turning them on so that they work properly. But how long should you wait to plug in a refrigerator? At oneHOWTO we will explain in detail.
Why do we need to wait before turning on the refrigerator?
Once we buy a refrigerator, it has to be removed from the store's warehouse, it should be brought to a vehicle and then transported to our house. Once it gets to our home, it also has to be moved to the place where you want it to be in the kitchen.
All this means that the gases and liquids inside the appliance, which are responsible for cooling it properly, have also been on the move, so it is important to give the fridge some time for the liquids and gases to stabilize prior to turning it on.
This applies to all brands of refrigerators and freezers; however the resting time for each may vary.
What to consider when choosing a place for the refrigerator?
You probably have a space you previously chose to place the refrigerator in your kitchen, however, to ensure proper functioning of the appliance, it is very important that you consider some aspects before placing the new refrigerator to this place:
- Make sure the floor is completely flat, without inclinations of any kind. If there are, you'll need to level it properly before placing the refrigerator there.
- It is important that the place of installation does not get any direct sunlight, nor should it get too hot because air circulation is important.
- It is very important that the fridge is never too tight in the space provided. There must be a margin of at least 3 cm (1.18 in) on the sides, and from the back of the refrigerator to the wall you should leave a space of at least 5 centimeters (1.9 in).
- If there is an area above the fridge with furniture or bookshelves, there should be a gap of 10 cm between the top of the refrigerator and the shelves. These spaces help the heat of the appliance be properly released without it overheating.
It is also important that the refrigerator cable is never stepped on or rolled, it must be properly maintained to prevent damage. Now you know about these important tips, let's move on to knowing how long to wait to plug in a refrigerator.
How long should you wait to plug in the refrigerator?
Regarding how long to wait to plug in a refrigerator, each manufacturer has different recommendations. If the refrigerator has been transported lying down, you should wait between 6 and 8 hours to turn it on, because you need to allow the liquids and gases to stabilize when placed vertically. If it has been transported vertically, you can wait less time.
It is always important to refer to the appliance's manual before turning on the refrigerator to respect the waiting time recommended by the manufacturer. These are the time recommendations for certain brands:
- Indesit recommends waiting at least three hours
- Samsung advises you wait two hours
- LG recommends waiting 1 hour
- Bosch between 2 and 4 hours
- Teka: at least 2 hours
Other recommendations
You should also clean the inside of the refrigerator with a cloth moistened with water and baking soda. Likewise, most manufacturers recommend waiting between 3 and 6 hours for the refrigerator to reach the proper temperature before putting food in it. Reading the manual carefully is key to keeping your appliance in perfect condition for longer.
At oneHOWTO we have prepared other articles on this appliance that may be of interest, so we invite you to read:
- How to store food in the refrigerator
- How to clean a refirgerator that smells
If you want to read similar articles to How long to Wait to Plug in a Refrigerator, we recommend you visit our Maintenance and home security category.