Moving large appliances, such as the fridge, within a home is often tricky, which is why even the thought of moving them interstate can be quite stressful. That is why when faced with the decision of how to move a fridge, most people choose professional movers for the same. People should plan ahead and prepare the fridge for moving it across states. The below given handy guide offers step-by-step details of moving a fridge by minimising the risk damaging aspects.
What Makes Moving The Fridge So Challenging
Before learning about how to move your fridge interstate, it is important to learn about the challenges of moving the appliance. Most fridges are bulky which makes them too cumbersome to move around, let alone moving them from one city to another. Moreover, these appliances often feature delicate and sophisticated circuitry which can be damaged with even the slightest mishandling. Another common problem faced by people when they move a refrigerator is the risk of scratching and denting its surface. Additionally, the improper placement of the fridge during transportation can damage its cooling pipes and leakage of compressor oil making it unsafe for use. Given these various issues, it is not surprising that most people seek the services of professionals for moving their fridge interstate safely.
Preparing A Fridge For Moving
To ensure the safe transportation of the fridge while moving it interstate, people need to make the preparations beforehand. This is because the fridge stores a wide variety of perishable items and unlike most other appliances it can be simply switched off and packed for moving. Preparing the fridge for the interstate move involves following a comprehensive checklist of things to be done for transporting the fridge safely to its new home. The most important steps that people making the move need to follow in this context include the following.
Empty the Fridge
To start preparing the fridge for moving, start by emptying all its contents. Stop buying any new groceries or other items that need to be stored in the fridge for at least a couple of weeks before making the move. Store any frozen items taken from the freezer in the cooler with enough ice to keep the items chilled from the time they are removed from the fridge until reaching the new home. Use the other everyday items to make and enjoy a going away feast with friends and neighbors. People can also choose to give away any unused food to a nearby charity or homeless community in their neighborhood rather than throwing it in the dustbin.
Defrost The Fridge
The next step after emptying the fridge is defrosting it to ensure that any remaining ice melts away to prevent leaks. For this, people should check if the fridge has a manual or automatic defrost setting and then proceed accordingly. It is also important to understand that most new units come with no-frost or frost-free technology. Since these units do not require manual defrosting, people can simply switch off the fridge and move on to the next step.
Clean The Fridge
Once the fridge is empty and the melted frost has evaporated, the next step is to give a good clean and disinfect its various surfaces. It is advisable to use a mixture made of baking soda and water to clean surfaces thoroughly. Remove any remaining water and ice in the built-in water filter and ice maker respectively. The individual shelves and drawers should be removed and left soaking in soapy water for some time. Use toothpaste to remove stubborn stains from the water line and other areas. Follow up by wiping the fridge completely dry with a soft cloth to prevent the build-up of mold and mildew due to any trace amounts of moisture. The fridge doors should be left open for at least 12-24 hours. Leaving the doors open will help eliminate any smells and odors.
Pack The Shelves and Drawers
After the shelves and drawers of the fridge have been cleaned, they should be wiped dry and kept separate for packing. The glass shelves should be wrapped in packing paper or bubble wrap before placing them in a mirror box. Warp the shelves and drawers individually and then find storage space for them in the moving boxes of appropriate sizes. The fridge should never be moved with the shelves and the drawers placed inside as it can increase the risk of damage.
Wrap The Fridge
In order to move a refrigerator, it is important to wrap the fridge in a protective covering to minimize the risk of denting and scratching and damaging its internal mechanisms. However, before doing so they should secure the doors and bundle up the power cord tightly. It is advisable to invest in good quality packaging materials to lay a fridge. The fridge should be first wrapped in a layer of professional-grade protective wrapping. This should be covered with a layer of protective moving blankets which should be secured to the fridge with the help of packing tape. However, it is important to ensure that the packing tape does not come in direct contact with the surface of the fridge as it can leave permanent marks on the surface.
Create A Pathway
Before loading the fridge onto the upright position, it is important to move it outside the home safely. For this, it is advisable to measure the width of the fridge as well as that of the doorways and passageways with a measuring tape. This is essential to create the right pathway for moving the fridge outdoors without damaging it in any manner. The door handles of the appliance should be tied to prevent the door from opening suddenly. In the case of narrow doorways, it is advisable to remove the doors temporarily until the appliance is moved outside.
Use A Moving Trolley
Using a moving trolly or appliance dolly is an integral part of the solution for how to move a fridge. Slide the trolly or dolly underneath the fridge, which should be fixed to the trolly using a strap or bungee cords. However, care should be taken that the refrigerator is handled by two people while it is placed on the trolly and also when it is moved. The ideal moving position is with one person holding and pushing the trolly while the other supports the fridge to prevent it from toppling over.
Move The Fridge Carefully
It is important to move the fridge slowly and carefully to minimize the risk of damage. The fridge should be transported upright position to keep its internal circuity safe. Special care should be taken while moving the fridge down the stairs to prevent it from falling down the stairs and damaging the water lines. When moving down the stairs, the trolly should be pulled back so that the fridge is tilted at an angle of 45 degrees so that it does not jut out forward and tumble down. Similarly, using a plank to move the fridge into the transportation truck is highly recommended to make the ascent easier and more balanced.
Secure The Fridge For Transportation
Simply placing the fridge upright in the transportation truck and away from other furniture is not enough to ensure its safe delivery to the new destination. Rather, it is important to secure the fridge to the floor of the truck with additional straps to prevent it from falling sideways. It is also advisable to place the fridge straight inside the truck in a position where it is less likely to get knocked around or topple sideways when the truck passes over speed humps or needs to make sharp or deep turns.
Restarting The Fridge
Once the fridge has been transported to the new home and unwrapped, it is best to wait for some time before plugging it in and restarting it. This time can be used to replace the shelves and adjust the placement of the fridge for maximum convenience. Even after the fridge has been plugged back in, it is advisable to wait for the recommended time suggested by the manufacturers before stocking it up with food and other items.
Following the above steps makes the process of moving a fridge interstate relatively easier and stress-free irrespective of the distance that needs to be covered. In addition to the above steps, people trying to move their fridge to a new destination in a moving truck should learn the answers to the below questions to maximize refrigerator safety while moving it.
How long do you have to turn a fridge off before moving it
While there is no set time to turn off the fridge before it is to be moved, doing so at least 24 hours before moving is highly recommended. However, the actual period may depend on the size of the fridge and the defrosting technology it uses. Units that feature zero or no frost technology can be turned off even 12-18 hours before the fridge is to be moved.
The idea is to give ample time for any remaining ice in the fridge freezer to melt and also enable the oils and fluids inside its pipe to settle down. Not turning off the fridge in time can damage the appliance due to water leakage or the fluids and oils flowing into the compressor. People, who need to transfer their fridge to a storage unit, should turn it off at least one week before the move.
Can you move a fridge right after unplugging it
Technically, it is possible to move the fridge right after unplugging it although it is highly advised against by the experts in the field of how to move a fridge. Doing so increases the risk of damage to the fridge and its inner workings making it unfit for use in the new abode. This is because the fridge has not cooled down and defrosted properly to eliminate the risk of water leakage and prevent oil and fluids from flowing into the compressor.
Moreover, moving the fridge after it has just been unplugged leaves little time to empty it and clean it before it is moved. This increases the risk of bad odor and promotes the growth of mold and mildew due to the moisture still present in the fridge leading to bad odor and bacteria growth.
How long after moving a fridge can you turn it on
The duration for which people need to wait to turn on their fridge after it has been moved depends mostly on how it was transported. In most cases, when the fridge has been transported in an upright position, it can be plugged in and turned on almost immediately after it is unpacked at the new location. The waiting time for turning on the fridge may also vary from one model to another and checking the user manual for manufacturer’s instructions for the same is highly recommended.
If for some reason, the fridge has been transported in a position where it was laid down on its back or side, some precautions need to be taken. In such cases, it is advisable to wait for at least a few hours after setting up the fridge in the upright position to plug it in. This is necessary to give enough time for the refrigerant oils and fluids to settle properly.
Can a new fridge be laid down for transport
Moving a fridge, irrespective of whether it is old or new, into a laid-down position is not recommended. However, in many situations doing so might be unavoidable, and it is best to take the necessary precautions to avoid the risk of damaging the appliance. The fridge should be laid down with extra padding placed under it to minimize the chances of the surface getting scratched or dented. The fridge should also be secured with additional straps to minimize its movement during transportation. The French-style refrigerator doors of big refrigerators should be bound with a rope to prevent them from swinging open. Also, the refrigerator laying should be done such that the hinged side should be placed at the top.
Summing Up
Using the above best tips can provide an effective solution to the problem of how to move a refrigerator safely across states. It is equally important to follow any care instructions provided by the manufacturers to further minimize the risk of damage in the moving truck.