When living in a small apartment or a dorm, you may be limited when trying to find the right space for a new mini-fridge. If you have carpeted floors, it is generally recommended to avoid placing fridge on it.
Putting a mini fridge on carpet will reduce the airflow to the condenser, which is usually located underneath the refrigerator, this results in poor performance of the condenser.
You can’t and shouldn’t put a fridge or a mini fridge on a carpet. It also causes the appliance to malfunction and overheat, resulting in higher electricity bills and damage to your appliance as well as the carpet. Although there are ways around this, let’s take a look.
This article will discuss the reasons you shouldn’t put a fridge or mini fridge on a carpet and what to do if you have no other option.
Read: How to stop washing machine from moving on wood floor
Can You Put Mini Fridge On Carpet
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You cannot put mini fridge on carpet. putting mini fridge on carpet is strongly advised against because of several reasons:
To Prevent Damaging Your Carpet
Your carpeting is bound to cost much more than your refrigerator, this is why it is important to ensure that you do not put it at risk of damage, which one way to do so is by keeping your fridge off the carpet.
Putting your mini fridge on your carpeted floor can cause moisture buildup which leads to mold growth, nasty odors, and lots of other health hazards. Moisture buildup can also cause your carpeting to become discolored.
Read: Bleaching carpet, a good move?
To Avoid Damaging Your Mini Fridge
Your refrigerator is also at risk of damage because when placed on carpet, your refrigerator may not receive proper ventilation as its vents or other aspects of its compressor or cooling system will be obstructed by the carpet.
This results in overheating, which although won’t cause your food to spoil, will cause your fridge to start leaking. There’s also a potential for the underside of your refrigerator to tear up your carpeting.
What To Do If You Have No Other Option
Lift The Fridge
Because one of the biggest problems with placing a mini fridge on carpeting is the carpet fibers interfering with the cooling function of the unit especially if the condenser is located underneath the fridge.
Your carpeting can also prevent the fridge door from closing securely with a tight seal as it should. When the bottom of the fridge door rubs up against the carpeting, it can keep it ajar and although it may be an inch or less, if your fridge remains that way for a long time, it can cause serious damage to the fridges cooling unit.
This also causes leaking, which damages your carpeting. One way to prevent this from happening is by elevating your refrigerator so that it is not in direct contact with the carpeting.
This will help to ensure that the door closes securely and that the cooling unit does not suffer overheating heating and leakage problems as a result.
Read: How to dye carpet
Choose A Fridge With The Cooling Unit Behind
If you have to place a refrigerator on a carpeted surface, ensure that its cooling unit isn’t located underneath. When the condenser is located at the bottom of the fridge it can cause the fridge to overheat and even burn your carpet when the cooling unit absorbs too much heat.
So it is recommended that you choose refrigerators with their cooling units located behind the fridge and, away from the carpeting.
Inspect For Leaks
When placing your mini fridge on carpeting, you need to ensure that it does not leak. This means you need to make sure that your refrigerator’s systems are all in good condition.
One way to prevent moisture buildup in your carpet is by inspecting the defroster for leaks. You need to make sure that your defroster is kept clean and drained to prevent it from malfunctioning or leak onto your carpet
Use Mats Or Rugs
If you have no other choice but to place your mini fridge on carpet, you need to protect its underside from the carpeting and vice versa. You can do this by using an inexpensive mat or rug
A mat or a rug can be an inexpensive and elegant solution. A mat will also catch any leakage that may occur as you open the fridge and it also adds a pop of color to a room. Placing a mat or rug between your carpeting and the refrigerator will help to create space between them which is a good idea.
However, you want to ensure that you aren’t simply repeating the same mistakes. Avoid shag rugs or other heavy carpets as they will only worsen the problem.
Do not use a rug with thick carpeted fibers but it should also be absorbent enough to absorb leaks. You can use straw rugs or any other natural fiber rugs for this.
When placing a rug underneath your refrigerator ensure it does not rub up against anything or block the underside of the fridge.
Protective Plastic Or Vinyl Sheets
To protect your carpet from your refrigerator and vice versa, you can use protective plastic or vinyl sheets. This is an effective solution when you have nowhere else to place your mini fridge except on top of your carpeting
Protective plastic and vinyl sheets are heat resistant, which helps to prevent your carpeting safe from getting burnt due to the heat emitted from the cooling unit.
They are also very smooth which can also help reduce friction, making it less likely for the door to be accidentally left open, or for overheating to occur on the underside of the unit. These sheets are also extremely slim and lightweight, which makes them easy to put down and move.
Read: Carpet vs Laminate floor in bedroom – which is better?
Conclusion
Putting your mini fridge on carpet is not advisable and should be avoided at all costs. But in situations where you have no other place to put your refrigerator except on your carpeting, however, as demonstrated, there are several ways to ensure the wellbeing of your refrigerator as well as your carpeting.
