Your refrigerator kept at home can also become a time bomb, are you making these 5 mistakes?:

News India Live, Digital Desk: The most silent and reliable companion of our kitchen, ‘fridge’, which is at our service 24 hours, can also be dangerous. We often consider it to be a simple machine and ignore its safety, but this small carelessness can cause a major accident. Recently, a heart-wrenching news came from Madhya Pradesh, where a refrigerator kept in the house suddenly exploded and a 14-year-old child was badly injured.

This incident forces us to think that how can our fridge become a walking ‘bomb’? In most of the cases, it is due to our own common mistakes and lack of knowledge. If you also want your family to be safe, then know these things today itself.

Why might your fridge explode?

To keep the fridge cool, a compressor and coolant gas system works inside it. When this system goes wrong, it creates danger.

1. Compressor overheating: The compressor of the refrigerator is located at the bottom behind it. If the refrigerator is kept close to the wall, the compressor does not get air to cool itself and it starts overheating. It may burst if it gets too hot.
2. Leaking coolant gas: The coolant gas used in refrigerators (such as R600A) is highly flammable. If there is any leakage in the pipeline of the refrigerator, this gas can come out and catch fire even from a small electrical spark, which can cause an explosion.
3. Wrong or cheap servicing: Many times, to save money, we get the refrigerator repaired by a local mechanic. Charging wrong gas or using poor quality parts also increases the pressure on the compressor and the risk of blast increases manifold.
4. Voltage Fluctuation: Sudden power surges can also damage the compressor motor, creating a risk of short circuit and fire.
5. Being too old: Every machine has a lifespan. The wiring and plumbing of very old refrigerators become weak, due to which there is always a risk of gas leaks and short circuits.

5 important tips to keep your fridge safe

You can save your family from such major accidents by taking some easy precautions:

1. Give the fridge space to ‘breathe’: Always keep the refrigerator at least 6 to 10 inches away from the wall so that the compressor gets enough air to cool.
2. Use a separate and robust socket: Never plug the refrigerator into an extension cord. For this, always use a separate and good quality power socket installed on the wall.
3. Regular cleaning is very important: At least twice a year, thoroughly clean the dust and traps on the condenser coils and compressor behind the refrigerator. A thick layer of dust also heats up the compressor.
4. SERVICING ONLY FROM AUTHORIZED CENTRES: In case of any fault in the refrigerator, always get it repaired from the registered and trusted service center of the company.
5. Don’t ignore strange sounds or smells: If there is a strange smell (like a gas leak) coming from the refrigerator or a rattling sound from the compressor, do not take it lightly. Switch off the fridge immediately and call a mechanic.

Your fridge is for your convenience, don’t let it become a hazard. A little awareness on your part can avert a major accident.