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Fridge not cold enough? Here are 7 ways to keep your fridge cool in hot weather
With over a decade of experience at Which?, Tom covers everything from tech advice to money-saving tips, and highlights the best deals during major sales events.
Hot weather can affect your fridge's performance, with some models struggling to stay cool in summer, but there are steps you can take to improve their efficiency.
To help keep your food and drink cool during a heatwave, we asked a Which? Trusted Trader for advice on ideal fridge temperatures and what to do if your fridge is struggling to stay cool.
If your current appliance isn't coping with the heat, our rigorous lab tests reveal which fridges and fridge freezers maintain safe temperatures year-round, including high-scoring Best Buy and Eco Buy models.
Find the best fridge or fridge freezer for your home with our expert advice
For advice on fridge maintenance, we reached out to Which? Trusted Trader Gary Harris, who runs Harris Refrigeration Service in Kent.
At the time of writing, Gary's company has a customer score of 4.9 on the Which? Trusted Traders website. His staff carry out repairs on a wide range of refrigerators, and the company has more than 25 years experience of fixing faults.
How cold should my fridge be?
The ideal temperature for your fridge is between 0°C and 5°C. At anything over 8°C, harmful bacteria can grow rapidly on your food.
As warm weather arrives, you'll need to check the thermostat dial to ensure it remains steady. Your fridge is designed to operate within a specified ambient temperature range – the temperature of the surrounding environment – which can be found in the manual or product specifications.
Most fridge freezers in the UK are designed to work in temperatures of up to 32°C, although Gary told us many fridges operate more efficiently when the temperature is between 18°C and 25°C.
'Anything higher than 32°C could mean your fridge has to work hard to keep its internal temperature constant. If your fridge struggles in normal conditions, it will have to work even harder during hot weather.'
Gary added that this could be a particular problem with integrated models because they might lack the ventilation space around them that you get with freestanding models.
Our rigorous fridge reviews and fridge freezer reviews reveal which models can keep their cool in temperatures of up to 35°C.
Do fridge freezers cost more to run in hot weather?
Your fridge freezer works harder to stay cool in hot weather. Our research confirms that, as you would expect, this affects energy use and running costs for all types of fridge freezer.
They’re not all affected at the same rate, however. Our lab tests can help you find the most efficient models.
How to fix a warm fridge
1. Make space around it
'The best thing you can do is give your fridge a bit of a gap at the back,' says Gary.
'Make sure you have some air circulating around the coils at the back of your fridge. That should help keep your fridge cool, even when the weather gets warm.'
Some manufacturers specify how much of a gap to leave – the typical recommendation is 25mm around the fridge. However, manufacturers are innovating with new designs and materials to make better use of space, so check your manual to see what they recommend for your model
2. Keep it clean inside and out
It's worth tackling the grime inside your fridge before a heatwave. In other words, add appliance maintenance to your spring-cleaning to-do list.
Gary says: 'Unplug your fridge and pull it out from the wall so you can clean the back as well as the front.
'Make sure you give the compressor vents at the bottom a gentle brush and vacuum – you can use an old toothbrush or the brush from a dustpan and brush for this task. If these vents get blocked, it can change the temperature inside the fridge. Keeping them clean will help the air flow.'
Discover how to deep-clean your fridge and leave shelves and drawers sparkling.
3. Don’t overfill the shelves
People tend to cram their fridges to the point where the appliance struggles to do its job, according to Gary.
He explains: 'You need to have gaps around your trays and drawers. Never fill your fridge right up to the very top with food, either – you need to have a gap at the top to keep the air flowing.
'Fridges that are jam-packed prevent the cold air from circulating, which can result in the internal temperature becoming too warm.'
4. Think about where to locate your fridge
If your kitchen design allows it, try to keep your fridge away from radiators, ovens and boilers – the warmer parts of your kitchen.
Gary told us: 'I've seen a lot of fridges positioned next to boilers, and it means your fridge will have to work harder to keep cool.'
5. Don't leave the door open
When you're taking food out of the fridge, you want to get in and out as quickly as you can, especially during warm weather.
When the fridge door is opened, cold air escapes and warmer air enters. This exchange pushes up the temperature inside, and the appliance has to work harder, using more energy, to get back down to the set temperature.
What to do when your fridge freezer breaks down Save your food – and the day – with our step-by-step guide on what to do when disaster strikes
6. Check the door seals
Damage to the seals around the appliance's doors allows warm air inside, forcing your fridge or freezer to work harder to maintain the set temperature.
When you have a moment, check the seals for any tears, warping in the corners or even spots where the seals have hardened.
Note that you can replace appliance seals yourself, and the job is sometimes as simple as pulling out the old ones. In other cases, you might have to loosen some screws that keep them in place. New seals are available online for £30 to £100.
If you're struggling with a problematic appliance, work through our guide on common fridge freezer faults and how to deal with them
7. Try adding ice
If you're worried about your fridge breaking during hot weather, Gary suggests placing ice on the top shelf to cool the inside of the appliance.
Defrosting frozen food in your fridge will also help, plus it’s the safest method of thawing your food and helps to cool the inside of your appliance. This means the compressor will have less work to do and the amount of energy required to keep your fridge chilled will be reduced.
We've rounded up food storage tips to help keep groceries fresh. See our guide: storage tips to help make food last longer
Our expert fridge and fridge freezer tests
As part of our in-depth tests, we check each model's ability to keep contents chilled in a hot room. Our experts raise the temperature in our test chamber to 35°C, replicating a heatwave, to find out whether the gel packs inside the fridge remain safely chilled.
Below, we've rounded up three Which? Best Buy fridges and fridge freezers that maintain a stable temperature in hot rooms.
| Model | Type | Which? test score | Temperature stability in a hot room | Energy efficiency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Sign up to reveal Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations Unlock tableGet Digital access £9.99 per month, cancel at any time. Already a member? | Under-counter fridge | 81% Best Buy, Great Value, Eco Buy | ||
| Freestanding fridge freezer | 79% Best Buy, Eco Buy | |||
| Freestanding fridge | 78% Best Buy, Eco Buy |
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