old fridge problem, sides are hot?

Question

the house we bought came with an old fridge, the brand is 'Viking'
lately, the sides of the fridge has been getting hot? is the fridge breaking down?
as well, there have been a large amount of water accumulating on the bottom of the fridge, it seems to be coming from the freezer??

Answer 1

It sounds like your fridge is really old. RC and united are both correct. If the fridge is really old, the insulation breaks down between the outside casing and the inside unit. In order to keep things cold, you turn the temp down. The coils get really cold and moisture from the air condenses on them (that's why they are called "condenser coils") and the water runs to the lowest point in (or under) the fridge.

I had our Westinghouse fridge for 29 years before it bit the dust. My new fridge knocked close to $24 bucks a month off my electric bill. That's over $275 a year. In two years your fridge will be paid for, not to mention the inconvenience of always wiping down the fridge.

I don't have air conditioning, so if your fridge heats up the kitchen, it's costing you more in air conditioning costs. So, a new fridge would save even more if you have air conditioning.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Hows the weather? Refrigerators refrigerate by exchanging heat. To get the inside cold something else gets hot, like the back and sides. Also, in the process of cooling air, moisture is removed.

Now with an old refrigerator and it being summertime and all your fridge may be having to work overtime to keep the inside cool...meaning the the hot parts are seeing a lot more heat and a lot more water is being taken out of the air. If its a problem try turning the freezer/fridge levels down so it works less.

Answer 3

If your old fridge has a self-defrosting freezer, the fridge actually has heat coils built in to melt the ice. When that kicks on, the sides of your refrigerator will get warm. If you have excessive ice build up that might not be working correctly. If you have a lot of water, the defroster might be stuck on.

Old refrigerators use so much electricity compared to new ones that it does not make sense to keep one around. A decent new fridge can cost $500. The payback for using less electricity can help pay for that pretty quickly. Same goes for window air conditioners. Old ones really use the juice.

Answer 4

1. Try to look at the back and see its hot also or are there gratings which would be the radiator to get rid of the heat from the freezer. Most fridges now come with radiators at the side which explains the heat at the side.
2. Water at the bottom is alright as it is supposed to be excess water which would collect and eventually evaporate.
3. So long as the freezer can keep your ice cream from melting and can form ice cubes it should be ok.
But if it is extremely hot and can be a danger ditch it for a new one and let the economy roll.