How often should I clean my refrigerator coils?

A refrigerator works by moving heat out of the box and releasing it into the room, and the condenser coils are where that release happens. Blanket them in dust and the heat has nowhere to go — so the compressor runs longer to achieve the same cooling. It is one of the cheapest efficiency wins in the house and takes about fifteen minutes.

Finding them

Coils are either on the back of the fridge or underneath it behind a toe-kick grille at floor level. Underneath is more common on newer units — and much dustier, since they are inches from the floor. Pull the grille off; it usually unclips.

Doing it

• Unplug the fridge first. You are putting a brush near a fan and electrical components.
• Use a coil brush — a long, narrow, flexible brush made for this — plus a vacuum with a crevice tool.
• Brush loose, then vacuum. Going straight in with the vacuum only gets the surface layer.
• Vacuum the fan blades and the floor underneath while everything is open.
• Replace the grille, plug it back in, and let it run.

Why pets change the number

Pet hair mats into the coil fins in a way household dust does not — it forms a felt-like layer that insulates far more effectively than a dusting. In a home with a shedding dog or cat, twice a year is the realistic floor, and every four months is not unreasonable.

What you get for it

Clean coils mean shorter compressor cycles, a measurably lower share of the electric bill, and less heat dumped into the kitchen. More importantly, the compressor is the expensive part and effectively not worth replacing — anything that reduces its workload is buying years at the far end of the appliance’s life.

Worth pairing with the other two five-minute fridge jobs: wiping the door gaskets so they seal properly, and replacing the water filter if there is an ice maker or dispenser.