One of the souvenirs that never fail when we travel to a city or country are magnets, both for our personal use and to give them as gifts to our friends or family. The most common is that they are placed in the refrigerator, with cases in which they are completely flooded with this type of objects, with which to remember the trips made in the past.
However, even though it is customary to place them on this appliance, there is a reason why they should not be stuck on the refrigerator. This mainly concerns the latest generation refrigerators, which are very likely to have sensors on the front that They could conflict with the magnets.
The magnetic field created by these memories can cause panels and elements that require digital automation to malfunction. Sometimes they produce only an imperceptible error, but over time this can end up damaging the device, causing some of its electronic elements to stop working.
The culprit for these problems is related to the materials with which the magnets are made, where there is usually a strong presence of neodymium, considered the most powerful material of its kind, and that is why it is used for permanent magnets.
Placing a magnet next to a refrigerator that has a built-in display will not completely destroy the operation of the appliance, since just a few will hardly have a negative effect, but it can become a real problem when the refrigerator is full of magnets, without control. In older or simpler models, there will be no problem if you want to decorate the refrigerator by occupying all or a large part of its space, but in more modern models you should abandon this practice.
Tips and tricks to extend the life of your refrigerator
To extend the life of a refrigerator, it is therefore advisable not to add too many magnets, especially if it is a new model, but there are many other tricks that can be applied to achieve this. As a general rule, a refrigerator has a lifespan of between 10 and 16 years, a not insignificant period considering that it is used 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. However, if it is misused and poorly maintained, This durability can be significantly reduced.
Here are some recommendations to extend its useful life:
- Temperature control: Having the right temperature to properly preserve food is very necessary and will also influence the operation of the appliance itself and the effort it will have to make to reach the desired temperature. For this reason, it is important to find a balance between keeping food in good condition and achieving greater efficiency, and that is why experts recommend setting a temperature between 4 and 5 degrees Celsius.
- Do not open the door too far: A very common mistake in homes is to leave the refrigerator door open when deciding what to cook, or even when gathering the different ingredients to prepare a recipe. That is why it is important to be clear about what you want to take out of the refrigerator so that, as soon as you open it, you quickly grab the products and avoid too much cold air escaping, which would cause the appliance’s motor to have to work harder to maintain the optimum temperature.
- Door inspection: The door seals are responsible for keeping the cold air inside the refrigerator, so it is very important that they are kept in good condition and always clean and free of any damage. Otherwise, they will have to be repaired and replaced if necessary. It is essential that there are no leaks and that they can be guaranteed to be properly sealed, thus ensuring efficient operation.
- Location: Before buying a new refrigerator, it is important to know where you want to place it, and you should avoid placing it near heat sources such as the oven or the hob, in addition to making sure that it is at a moderate temperature. Likewise, it will be necessary to leave at least 10 cm of distance between the appliance and the wall.
- Don’t overfill the refrigerator: Having a full refrigerator is something that many people like because they can have many options to cook dishes for lunch or dinner. However, you should not overdo it, because the products can clog the ducts responsible for expelling the air inside the refrigerator, which will affect its ability to cool all parts of the refrigerator as well as its operation and durability.
- Do not introduce hot dishes: When hot food is placed in the refrigerator, the appliance experiences a rapid increase in temperature inside, and as it is programmed to always maintain the same temperature, the motor will have to work harder to be able to reach the desired temperature, which also means greater consumption.
By following these tips and recommendations, it will be possible to maximize the durability of the appliance, in addition to obtaining a much more efficient use of an appliance present in every home and that generally works uninterruptedly.
