No one wants to go back to using ice boxes to keep food fresh--except maybe the iceman. Instead, we'll keep paying the electric bill and enjoying cold leftovers. And we live in confidence that if it's broken, we can fix it.

How Does It Work?

A refrigerator is a large appliance for chilling food. A motorized compressor forces refrigerant through two sets of metal coils. In one set, the refrigerant becomes a gas and absorbs heat. In the other set, the gas changes into a liquid and disperses that heat to the room air.

Most refrigerators today have a system for eliminating frost. A timer turns on a defrost heater about every 12 hours to warm the evaporator coils on the back of the refrigerator. Some freezers also include an automatic defroster while others must be defrosted manually. The melted frost from either system drains into a pan under the refrigerator and evaporates.

What Can Go Wrong?

Before taking anything apart, first make sure that the cause isn't misadjusted refrigerator or freezer controls, typically located inside and at the back of the refrigerator.

Refrigerator-freezer units are relatively trouble free. Repairs to the sealed refrigeration system, the compressor, condenser coils, and evaporator coils, are best left to a professional. But repairs to most other parts are relatively easy. Lint and dust clogging the condenser coils is one of the most common refrigerator problems. When airflow across the coils is blocked, the unit may run continuously or not run at all. Regular vacuuming of the coils will prolong the life of any refrigerator. The refrigerator may stop operating. The unit may cycle too often. Food may not be kept cool enough or be kept too cold. The defrost system may fail. The refrigerator may make too much noise. Door seals may fail.