Can You Put a Mini Fridge on Carpet?
Are you planning to buy a new mini fridge? Or have you purchased a mini fridge and you are trying to install it in the ideal location?
Are you confused about whether you should put your mini fridge on a carpet or not? You might have heard people saying that it’s not a good idea, but is this true?
Generally, the best practice is not to place your mini fridge on a carpet. A carpet will reduce the airflow to the condenser, which is usually located at the bottom of the refrigerator. Additionally, a carpet retains heat resulting in poor performance of the condenser.
When you are living in a small apartment or dorm, you might have no other place to put your mini fridge. What’s the solution? Keep reading, and you will find out where and how you should install your fridge.
Installing a Mini Fridge on Carpet
Should I install my fridge on the carpet? Is it safe to put mini refrigerator directly on the carpet? What’s the drawback of putting the refrigerator on the carpet? These are a few of the questions people ask whenever they are buying a compact fridge.
The drawback of putting the refrigerator directly on the carpet is poor performance. In rare cases, you might have a compressor failure. You should avoid to put it on a carpet but if you have no other choice, here is a guide on how to do it properly. It’s advisable that you buy a fridge from a vendor that offers free delivery services.
What to Do if There is No Other Space?
Most people who live in small spaces don’t have the luxury of installing their electronics in the best-suited locations. If you are someone who has no choice but to put your mini refrigerator on a carpeted floor, we have a few solutions for you.
If you follow the below-mentioned rules, you can put your mini refrigerator on a carpet.
1. Use Something Underneath
Placing the fridge directly on the rug will bring a lot of trouble for you in the long run. The carpet can get wet, producing mold or mildew, which can cause a bad odor in the dorm rooms. Additionally, it will reduce the ventilation causing reduced cooling.
Try putting something between the fridge stand and carpet. It could be a piece of wood or a plastic mat. It will ensure ventilation and keep the carpet dry. It will also avoid the indents on the carpet made by the mini fridge stand.
2. Close Fridge Properly
If you are placing the refrigerator on a rug, there is a high chance the carpet won’t close properly. Whenever you are closing the door, you need to ensure that you close it properly.
However, if you follow rule No. 1 of this guide, you will minimize the chances of this happening. It will lift the compact fridge, ensuring the door has enough space to open and close without any obstruction.
3. Take Care of the Coils
Most refrigerators have their coils on their back side. However, some mini fridges have their coils at the bottom. The bottom coil will warm up and could damage the carpet. In a rare case, it could cause a fire.
Read the user manual and find out whether your dorm fridge has a rear or bottom coil. If you haven’t purchased it yet, try buying a compact refrigerator with a rear-cooling coil to avoid this. Otherwise, you can’t place it directly on a carpet.
4. Check for Leaks
You need to check the fridge for leaking before placing it on the mat. There might be some leak from the door, or there could be a hole at the bottom, which could damage a carpet
How do you check for leaks? Run your hand below the fridge stand and around the door. If you notice any air escaping from there, you can’t place this fridge on the carpet.
5. Get a Mat
Let’s suppose you have a perfect fridge with no leakage at all. Still, there is a chance of you spilling a drink occasionally or breaking an egg. It can damage the carpet, and you will require additional cleaning.
The remedy to this situation is to buy a smaller rug or mat and place it under the fridge. It will absorb the liquids and will be easy to clean regularly.
6. Regular Maintenance
After setting your fridge on a carpet, you need to check it at regular intervals. Make sure that you take a look under the refrigerator once a week and ensure there is no sign of leaking.
Every four months, you should turn off the fridge and clean it properly. Defrost it completely to avoid leaking and fridge failure. However, if you have brought an automatic defrosting fridge, you need to ensure that you empty the water container regularly.
Conclusion
So can you put a mini fridge on carpet? The answer is that you can, but they are not built to be placed on a carpet. However, there could be a situation when you have no option besides putting it on a rug. In this case, you can put it on the carpet while following the above-listed precautions. If you follow this guide, you shouldn’t have any issues with your mini fridge sitting on a rug.