Most of us don’t know how our fridge works – we just expect it to. But as a savvy “Internet Grandma” explained in a new video, learning how to take care of it with some simple maintenance can end up saving you thousands.

The bucket

Internet grandma Babs (@brunchwithbabs) shared a helpful explainer review what refrigerator coils are, how to clean them and why this is important.

@brunchwithbabs Did you know?!? Your refrigerator is one of the most energy consuming devices in your home!!! Keep your batteries clean and you can reduce the amount of energy your refrigerator uses by up to 30 percent. If your coils are full of dirt, dust and pet hair, your fridge is working twice as hard. Do these 3 steps to ensure your fridge is not “hot” and you can save over 30% on the energy you burn to keep your food cold. Step One – Before you start – turn off the fridge. You can also unplug if you can access the outlet. Step Two – ID where your condenser coils are. Condenser loops are sometimes on the bottom, sometimes on the top, and sometimes on the back. Some have screws to get to the coils, some lift right up. Step Three – Use a soft brush attachment for your vacuum cleaner and gently vacuum the coils. Vacuum vertically so as not to damage the condenser “flanges”. And that’s it. Remember that your refrigerator works a lot like an air conditioner – if these coils are blocked by dust bunnies – your fridge is overworked. Always remember to leave some space between the wall and your fridge when putting your XO Babs fridge back #refrigerator #flush #cleaning ♬ original sound – Babs

“You want to save money on electricity and preserve the lifespan of your refrigerator? You have to clean this,” she begins.

She shows how to locate the refrigerator’s coils – an external component that releases heat from the cooling system – by finding them either behind, on top of, or sometimes under the fridge.

“They’re probably full of dust, dirt and pet hair,” she says, showing the camera her own dusty coils.

To clean them, she attaches a soft brush attachment to her vacuum cleaner and gently runs it in vertical lines up and down over the coils and their filters.

“15 minutes of work and I just saved 11% on mine the energy bill“, she enthuses, “and so could you.”

How it works

In the video’s caption, Babs explained that coils affect the operation of the refrigerator because blocked loops make the cooling system work harder to keep the refrigerator cool.

“Your refrigerator is one of the most energy-consuming devices in your home,” she says. “Keep your batteries clean and you can reduce the amount of energy your fridge uses by up to 30%.”

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Similarly, other enthusiasts have shared tips such as using frozen foods to keep the fridge cool, blocking draft in winter, and wash more efficient. Perhaps the easiest hedgeothers say, is just disconnect your energy vampires when you’re not using them – because when they’re still plugged in, they continue to draw expensive power.

Although she doesn’t cite sources for the statistics she shares, Babs is right that the energy and money savings of these types of hacks can be added quickly. For example, installing a heat pump can save thousands of compared to a traditional plumbing system.

The savings are even greater when you include discounts currently offered through The Inflation Reduction Actwhich rewards homeowners for making sustainable, energy-efficient upgrades to their homes—often to the tune of several thousand dollars.

Moreover, all these upgrades reduce your personal pollution, contributing to a cooler and more sustainable future.

What people say

Viewers were surprised and delighted to learn the simple trick.

“Never knew this,” wrote one. “Thanks Babs.”

“I’m too old to learn this right now!” another joked.

One person admitted that they had not done this in their 25 years of owning a refrigerator. In response, another encouraged them to try it. “You should when you have a spare moment,” they said. “That’s changing.”

One commenter shared that they cleaned their coils after watching the video. “Thank you,” they said. “Mine was so dusty!”

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