What Causes Overheating in Appliances and How to Fix It When You Can
Even though we're heading into September, we all know that summer isn't done with Texas just yet. As you go around your house you might notice that your refrigerator is too hot, or that your stove is hot in an area that shouldn't be. We'll often blame the summer heat, but is that really the answer? Sometimes, there's more to it than that and it takes a closer look to fix the issue, rather than setting it aside for another day.
Some of these you'll be able to fix for yourself, some of them will require professional help. If you suspect that the problem is there, please don't hesitate to call a professional as the damage can be much larger than the appliance just being too warm.
General Tips
Before we dive into specifics, let's start with general issues that can lead to an appliance overheating, whether it's large or small.
Yup, that's the first point. Every appliance in your home is at risk of overheating, although the reasons vary. Your dryer, your washer, your refrigerator and freezer, your stove, your oven, your microwave, your HVAC system, all of them can overheat.
With that in mind though, there are warning signs that you can regularly look around for if you notice that the area around an appliance is warmer than is normal. Some things to look for include, frayed cords, discolored outlets, broken outlets, cracked outlets, or smoke.
If you do see any of these signs, turn it off, whatever it is, immediately and unplug it. The problem can all too easily go deeper than the appliance itself. It might be that the electrical connection for the outlet is drawing too much power and is causing the appliance to overheat because of that excess.
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Is Your Refrigerator Overheating?
The harder the condenser works to keep the inside of the refrigerator cool, the more heat is released in the process. If your refrigerator is old or dirty or if your kitchen is enclosed, all of these can lead to the whole room heating up OR the refrigerator overheating.
Clean the condenser coils
Over time, the coils on your refrigerator gather dust. The coating of dust isn't just about your allergies or your kitchen looking nice. it's also about the health of your refrigerator. Condenser coils rely on exposrue to the air both on hot and cold sides and the dust blanket prevents that access to air for the dispersion of heat.
Check these three places
- The back of your refrigerator
- Under a back panel inside of the fridge
- Behind the bottom vent.
If you can't get to it yourself, there's no shame in calling in a friend or a professional for some assistance.
Clean or change the air filter (if it has one, not all of them do)
Some refrigerators are built with an extra filter that sits between the coils and the rest of the kitchen. Keeping that filter clean improves the performance over time. An important note is that unlike your car or your HVAC unit, this isn't typically a mesh or fabric filter. Instead it'll be a metal screen that can be removed and cleaned in your sink using the sprayer.
If the screen is damaged or the metal is corroded in some way, it needs to be replaced.
Check the fan
Your refrigerator also has fans that directs the air flow around and through your refrigerator. The fan draws air over the cold coils and directs the hot air out of the lower vent (that's why it's always warm there, even in winter>) Just like everywhere else though, it means that dust can accumulate. Find the fan and give it a close look. It might need to be cleaned, repaired or replaced. It's actually a good idea to regularly turn your refrigerator off and wipe down the fan, once a quarter or so.
Is Your Freezer Overheating?
Much like your refrigerator, the outside of your freezer being warm sometimes is normal. Having it hot all the time, or to the point that you're scalding yourself, is not.
Your freezer also has condenser coils and a fan just like your refrigerator that need to be checked and cleaned regularly. The difference here is that in order to clean either of these you'll need to turn off the freezer so that you can get access to them. The coils will most often be near the bottom front of the unit, and behind a base grill. You'll want to use a vacuum hose with a soft brush for cleaning them.
The fan on the other hand, is something that either works or it doesn't. If the fan isn't activating or isn't running when it is activated, it won't cool the coils, this in turn means that the refrigerant never cools off, and your freezer will get extremely hot to the touch. In that case, the fan needs to be replaced.
A final thing that can cause issues is the sealant for your freezer. The rubber seal around the door of your freezer, no matter what style it is, is there to keep all of the cold air in. If the seal is cracked, damaged or removed, it won't seal properly, and your freezer starts working overtime to try and keep things cold. An easy way to check if the seal is an issue is to see if you have cold air leaking out of the doorframe. If that's there, you probably need to replace it.
Is Your Stovetop Overheating?
It sounds silly to say that a stovetop can get too hot, but it's true. Although they're meant to reach fairly high temps, they shouldn't be hot enough to make your kitchen warmer. Some of the reasons they might though are the following.
Placed Too Close to a Wall
If you have a stove that is placed directly against a wall, it will reflect that heat back at you, the stove and the rest of the room.
Covered or Clogged Stove Vents
Your stove vents are meant to be one of the ways your stove cools off, but if the the air vent has become clogged by debris, dust or food, your stove will continue growing hotter instead.
To fix it, remove the filter from the range. That's going to be underneath the hood and shouldn't be difficult to remove. Then set the filter in your sink and hose it off with your sinker's hose. If that doesn't remove everything, look for an all-purpose degreaser and follow the directions.
Melted or Warped Burners
As odd as it might sound, the burners on your stove, whether gas or electric, can become warped. They're designed to direct the heat of your stove, but if they've become damaged, they'll heat unevenly. Repeatedly using a burner even after this can cause patches and hotspots on your stove making it too warm. Sadly, this isn't one that can be fixed with a cloth and some good soap. Instead, you'll need to call in a professional if you suspect a warped or damaged burner.
Damaged Oven Insulation
And a final one that can cause your stovetop to overheat is if the oven's insulation is damaged or breaking down. As odd as that might sound, its true. The insulation for your oven keeps the internal temperature of your oven consistent and keeps the heat from escaping into the rest of the room.
If your oven's insulation is breaking down, you need to call a professional in to replace it or get a new oven. Continuing to work with damaged insulation means that insulation can get into your food, into your lungs, or if you're unlucky, catch fire.
There might be hope other than the the insulation though. If it's the seal to the door of your oven that's busted, and not the internal insulation, that could be what's venting the hot air up towards your stove and causing the confusion. That is a much easier fix, and can be done by someone handy or by calling in a repair tech.
Ovens can Overheat too
Just like your stove, it sounds odd to think that your oven might get too hot. But as we've mentioned when it comes to the self-clean feature of older models if your oven gets too hot, it can become toast.
Some ways to check if your oven is overheating is to compare the internal temperature to the temperature you set it to using a digital thermometer. You can also take a look at the heating elements and the heat sensor. And you can make sure the the oven fans are working properly.
Unfortunately, other than unplugging your oven and making sure that everything is properly cleaned (not utilizing the self-clean button...) there's not much you can do at home. if your oven is overheating, that's a definite time to call in a professional.
Is Your Dryer Overheating?
Your dryer is much the same as your oven, whether it's gas or electric, it can cause serious problems if it's overheating. On a scale from bad to worse, you could cause damage to your clothes, you could cause damage to the dryer, or it might flat out catch fire. So, it's not one to fool around with. If you notice any of the following, please unplug your dryer and call a professional.
Shutting down
Many dryers today have a built-in safety, if they get too hot, they automatically shut off. Unfortunately, it doesn't always trigger and it's not a guarantee to prevent a fire.
Error Codes
If you're getting an error code of E3 or HE it can indicate overheating, but you'll need to check your manual or the manufacturer's website to be certain.
Burning Oder
If something smells like it's burning, it is probable that the dryer is overheating, and your lint might also have caught fire. Don't ignore that one. Check the drum and air vent for smoke and empty out the lint trap even if you don't see any. It's better safe than sorry.
Tips for Keeping Your Appliances From Overheating
Not all of these are going to work all of the time. Appliances break, parts wear down, vents or fans are clogged, and you might not notice it. BUT there are still steps you can take to lengthen the life of your appliances and help them to keep cool.
Keep it clean
Give it a rest
Check out the condenser
Your refrigerator, your freezer, and your dryer all can have condensers in them, so keep an eye on them especially during the summer months.
Don't overload your outlets
Call for repair if you have frayed cords
As you've seen by now, there's nothing wrong with the outside of an appliance like your refrigerator or freezer being warm, even on a cold day. And it's perfectly normal to worry about it, even when you know it's normal. The best thing you can do is to let that worry guide you in keeping a cleaning schedule for your appliances, as well as a regular maintenance visit. Doing these two things you're more likely to spot minor issues before they become major problems.
As we said at the top, please be cautious and don't underestimate the danger that some of these present. If you see something or smell something, investigate as that can be the difference between needing to call a repair technician or needing to call the fire department.
Have you had issues with your appliances overheating? Have you seen causes that we missed out on? Let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook page. As always we love to hear from you.
If it turns out that your freezer is more than you can fix, or your dryer is shutting off on it's own, give us a call at ((214) 599-0055). Or you can reach out to us via our contact page. We'll work with you to not only set up an appointment time that works for you but also to get your home running smoothly again. At Appliance Rescue Service we're here for you.
Courtesy of Ben Schumin