Tips on how to transfer a fridge with out hiring movers

If you happen to’ve employed top-rated skilled movers to deal with your heavy furnishings items and enormous family home equipment for you, you might have little to fret about. The movers’ in depth expertise in dealing with massive and heavy home items every day ought to assure the well-being of cumbersome possessions you’ve determined to take with you to the brand new dwelling.

When transferring regionally, then chances are you’ll resolve to arrange a DIY transfer due to the brief distance. And if that’s the case, then you might have already made up your thoughts to take the fridge with you for numerous causes: the kitchen equipment is comparatively new, works nice, and most significantly – there’s no fridge within the vacation spot place.

It is best to know upfront that transferring a fridge to a different home is a troublesome process (learn on to know why). Nonetheless, you possibly can nonetheless handle the heavy job of transferring a fridge by your self by studying what it is best to do and what you shouldn’t do to maintain issues secure throughout transport.  

Observe these 7 main steps for transferring a fridge with out having to depend on professionals to get the job accomplished shortly and safely.

Step 1. Double-check if transferring your fridge is well worth the hassle

The very very first thing that you must do earlier than you start to organize your fridge for transferring is to weigh your choices rigorously.

Is transferring your fridge to the brand new home the best choice below the circumstances?

Fridges are each massive and heavy – until you’re transferring a small transportable bridge, during which case you need to be completely wonderful. Previous fridges weigh A LOT (round 250 lbs.) whereas new fashions are a bit lighter (170 lbs.) due to the lighter supplies used of their development.

Fridges additionally are usually slightly delicate home equipment due to the easy-to-damage cooling mechanisms they’re geared up with. Fridges look extraordinarily sturdy however that false sense of indestructibility couldn’t be farther from the reality.

So, take into account your choices to make an knowledgeable determination. Shifting a fridge to a brand new house is a troublesome job and it’ll enhance the general value of transferring. Alternatively, leaving the fridge behind could also be a nasty concept, particularly when the kitchen equipment is comparatively new and works simply wonderful.

Step 2. Collect the required transferring gear and packing provides

Until your fridge is a conveyable one, you possibly can’t simply carry the equipment and take it out of your house after which load it safely into the transferring car. Thorough preparation is the important thing to success when transferring a fridge between two houses, so it’s time to get the correct transferring gear and safe the required packing supplies.

• Equipment dolly. The most secure strategy to transfer a fridge by your self is to make use of a dolly. The wheel continues to be thought of the best invention in historical past, isn’t it? So, use it. Lease an equipment dolly from an area transferring firm or higher but – buy one from an area dwelling enchancment retailer.
• Manpower. You shouldn’t try to maneuver your massive and heavy fridge all by your self. The second you resolve you gained’t be utilizing skilled transferring providers is the second when you must know which you can depend on a couple of good buddies that can assist you with the duty. At the very least one dependable helper is a should.
• Furnishings sliders. To slip the fridge effortlessly away from the wall.
• Furnishings blankets. To pad all the fridge in opposition to unintentional harm.
• Straps or rope. To safe the fridge onto the equipment dolly.
• Packing tape. To safe the blankets onto the house equipment.

Good to know: Tips on how to pack a kitchen for transferring

Step 3. Put together your fridge for transferring

There are a number of issues that you must do to be able to put together your fridge for transferring:

• Empty the contents of your fridge a number of days earlier than your move-out date. Deplete or give away the meals and drinks you’ve determined to go away behind.
• Flip off your fridge, disconnect it from the facility provide and let it defrost fully. The defrosting course of can take as much as 8 hours so it’s a good suggestion to do that through the evening. Catch the water from the defrosting course of in appropriate containers.
• Take away all fridge components that may be eliminated safely – drawers, cabinets, trays, lids, and many others. – and clear them totally. After they’re fully dry, wrap them safely in packing paper (or bubble wrap for the extra fragile ones) and pack them in a cardboard field.
• Clear the within of your fridge with the assistance of the cleansing provides you might have at hand. Normally, it’s finest to make use of a sponge and a cleansing combination of water and baking soda. If you’re accomplished, depart the fridge door barely open in a single day to forestall unhealthy smells or mildew from increase.

Step 4. Shield your fridge in opposition to transportation harm

It’s important to be sure that your fridge is nicely protected through the precise transfer. The principle concept is to wrap it in protecting padding blankets to be able to create a gentle outer layer of safety for the kitchen equipment.

• Place a furnishings slider beneath every foot or caster of the fridge, then slide it simply away from the wall with out inflicting any ground harm. This step must be utilized when the fridge must be moved out of a good area.
• Shut your fridge door and safe it in place with an extended piece of sturdy rope. Additionally, tape the facility wire to the again of the kitchen equipment.
• Wrap a number of furnishings blankets across the total physique of the equipment. Alternatively, you should utilize outdated common family blankets for the aim. Ensure that no a part of the fridge is left uncovered – do not forget that fridges could look sturdy however in actuality, they’re slightly fragile kitchen home equipment and as such, they’re simply vulnerable to break.
• Use packing tape to safe the padding blankets onto the fridge. Do NOT use tape instantly on the fragile floor of the equipment.

Helpful information: Tips on how to transfer family home equipment simply and safely

Step 5. Load the fridge onto the dolly

The most secure strategy to transfer a fridge is to wheel it out of your home with the assistance of a transferring dolly. It isn’t advisable to attempt to transfer a big and heavy fridge with out utilizing the right transferring gear. To keep away from expensive property harm or oven costlier private accidents, you could use an equipment dolly to move your fridge to the car outdoors.

• Tip the kitchen equipment barely and get the transferring dolly beneath it.
• Tilt the equipment dolly again till the fridge turns into completely balanced onto the rubber wheels of the L-shaped dolly.
• Safe your heavy fridge onto the dolly with rope or transferring straps. Some dollies include straps hooked up to them, so use them, if accessible.
• Watch out to not tilt the secured fridge at an angle that’s better than 45 levels for concern of dropping the steadiness.

Learn additionally: What’s a transferring dolly and how you can use it?

Step 6. Transfer the fridge out of the house

As soon as the cumbersome kitchen equipment is safely loaded onto the transferring dolly, it’s time to wheel all of it the way in which to the awaiting car. Right here’s one of the simplest ways to do it:

• Keep away from laying the fridge on its facet as a result of the oil in its compressor could attain the cooling traces and consequently harm the cooling mechanism. Make an effort to maintain the equipment as upright as doable or at an angle that’s no better than 45 levels to forestall premature harm.
• Begin wheeling the kitchen equipment out of your house. Be very cautious when transferring your fridge by means of slender doorways or steep stairs. Do issues slowly, plan every fridge transferring step earlier than executing it, and take a timeout to evaluate nicely the entire state of affairs if you happen to attain a useless finish.
• Have a dependable helper at your facet always whereas transferring the fridge out of the present place. Normally, it’ll be simpler and safer to tug the loaded transferring dolly than to push it.
• Keep away from taking place the steps with the fridge, if doable. You probably have no alternative within the matter, then go extraordinarily slowly, just one step at a time whilst you and your buddy hold the heavy load at roughly 45 levels all the time.

Should-read: Tips on how to use a dolly on stairs

Step 7. Load your fridge into the transferring truck

The ultimate step of transferring a fridge with out movers is to load the equipment into the rental truck.

• Load your fridge, along with the remainder of the big family home equipment and furnishings items, first into the truck.
• Use the truck’s loading ramp to wheel the fridge into the cupboard space. The fridge loading stage is harmful so use all accessible serving to arms and suppose earlier than you act.
• Safe your kitchen equipment to the truck’s facet partitions with ropes or straps to attenuate any undesired actions through the lengthy haul.
• Bear in mind to move your fridge in an upright place – this security measure is essential.

If you attain your new residence, use the above ideas for transferring a fridge in reserve order to unload your fridge, transport it inside and reconnect it. Lastly, as soon as your fridge is positioned in its rightful place in your new kitchen, watch for not less than 3 hours earlier than plugging it in and turning it on. It could possibly take a couple of days earlier than your cooling equipment reaches its optimum working efficiency.

See additionally: How do movers pack a truck: What do movers load first?

Keep in mind that transferring a fridge with out utilizing skilled movers could be dangerous, particularly once you don’t have any expertise in transferring massive and heavy home items. A single judgment error or an unlucky misstep can result in expensive property harm, together with ground harm. What’s extra, unhealthy private accidents are by no means out of the query both.

Do your self a favor and rent top-rated movers with a few years {of professional} expertise in transferring heavy furnishings and enormous home equipment from one place to a different.