How long to turn off fridge before moving

There is no doubt that moving house is equally exciting and stressful events. People relocate for many reasons, be it new career opportunities, higher education, or other personal reasons.

Shifting to a nearby locality is far easier than moving to a new city, a different state, or territory. However, with time, you get used to your new environment.

It is better to get advice from a family or friend who has gone through the experience of moving. They can tell you all about moving a fridge and other household items from their personal experiences. On moving day, it would not only help you in making the whole moving process quite easy but also stress-free.

When you are about to move, packing kitchen items and equipment worries many people. Pantry items need to be handled with care due to their delicate nature. These items should be packed days before moving out of your current place.

Apart from packing kitchen and pantry items sensibly, moving your fridge is one other process that needs to be done with care. Knowing how to move this household item carefully is important. Here are tips to help you move your fridge safely.

Steps In Moving Your Fridge

Ideally, moving the fridge is best done after it has been unloaded. Most people consume more food and beverages over the weekend, so try to schedule your moving date on Friday or Saturday. That way, you will have less load that may make your refrigerator difficult to move.

Pack food items inside containers before vacating your old house. It will be easier for you to change boxes at the new place rather than unpacking and reloading each item again. Defrost your fridge, making sure to clear all the ice.

Lay down towels and blankets over the floor and around the fridge. This will prevent your floor from getting scratched on moving day.

Important Points To Remember

Remember to turn off the circuit breaker in your house before moving out. If you forget to turn off your fridge or freezer before moving, it may cause a serious electrical shock that would be dangerous to you or your family members.

Follow these steps as you move out:

• If you shut down the gas supply, make sure motors do not run while shifting.
• Switch off electricity before disconnecting from the mains socket in your old place.
• Switch on at the new place immediately after moving the refrigerator.
• Do not try to move the fridge with the door open. If you must leave it open, make sure all food items are removed before moving.
• Ensure the refrigerator empties all heavy containers or goods packed in its bottom racks like the cutlery and kitchen utensils.
• You should be properly equipped with gloves and a carpet belt to carry your fridge during moving from one place to another.

If your old fridge or freezer takes too much place at the new house, try redesigning or rearranging your space. You can install them under the counter if they do not consume that much space; otherwise, replace them with options that take up less space.

Essential Points To Consider

Take care, and be gentle while pulling your fridge out from an old place; it will be the same when you put it inside a new place. If possible, ask a friend to help you out during the process or take advice from someone who has experienced such a situation.

The following points are very important while moving the fridge or other heavy items:

• Always use carton boxes when handling refrigerators or other heavy items like beds or white goods.
• Before using carton boxes, make sure they are clean from any previous packing material which may scratch your precious possession.
• To save yourself from the hassle of buying cartons boxes, try wrapping items in newspaper and placing them inside empty carton boxes.
• Do not accept the help of kids and teenagers when handling heavy stuff like refrigerators. Doing this will only increase the risk of accidents by disturbing the natural balance.
• Do not overpack your goods while moving your fridge or other heavy furniture because it may cause damage to surfaces if pressure builds up in the truck during transportation.
• Leave some empty space in the carton box if you have forgotten to pack something inside the refrigerator. You can fill it later with anything handy at home like leftover newspaper or old clothing.

Two Ways To Move Your Fridge

Option 1: Moving the Fridge Yourself

If you are not planning to hire professional movers for fridge or freezer removal, then understand that one small mistake during the moving process can damage or scratch the surface of your valuables.

This can lead to permanent damage to its outer cover or paint. Any refrigerator owner will tell you that damage like this should be avoided at all costs as you don't want your expensive things spoilt because of carelessness and negligence.

There have been instances where accidents happened to people, such as falling down with heavy furniture, but it's also true that moving accidents can be prevented and avoided.

Packing and Moving of Fridge

If ‍‍‍the fridge door is left open for a long time without packing, food items become moist and go bad. Do not open your fridge door during moving; take out all items and carry them separately.

If the fridge already has some smell inside as a result of food going bad, do not put that in a carton box because once you remove it from the refrigerator, the smell will spread throughout the house for many days to come. Instead, use an air freshener or open windows when the moving process is going on so that it does not make others uncomfortable.

When moving the refrigerator, do not pack the fridge's door as pressure from surrounding items might damage it during transport. Instead, cover the door with some fabric or clothes just like you would do while cleaning the refrigerator before removing its bottom panels.

Packing and Moving of Freezer

L‍‍‍eave the freezer empty when moving because it will reduce the chances of ice damage and it will make it easy to clean the inside at your new place. If there are frozen food items inside, thaw them out on the kitchen sink at room temperature before packing them in a carton box to prevent sweating.

Option 2: Hire a Professional Removalist

Moving is one of the toughest tasks in life. If you're in Sydney and this applies to you, start by searching for Sydney removalists in your area. They can handle the job without risk of damage or loss. Give them a call for a moving quotation before you consider other expensive options like hiring a truck to move your fridge.

Of course, you do not want to hire the wrong kind of removalists, so spend some time researching if you want to save your hard-earned money.

Remember, your working life is precious, and so are all your possessions. Take care while choosing a service provider and make sure you hire removalists from a reliable and honest moving company.

Choose a professional mover who specialises in relocation services from moving fridges to beds, white goods, and other heavy items that may be difficult for you to handle alone, especially when they are not properly packed.