Expert movers are knowledgeable about the potential issues that may occur while relocating large items, such as refrigerators. They can damage flooring, accumulate mold or mildew, leak, scratch walls, and more. If you’re transporting it yourself, the likelihood of all of these things happening is higher. Make sure you follow these instructions to move your fridge securely if you have to.
Take a measurement and note the fridge’s width, height, and depth. You must account for the possibility that an open door may protrude into the clearance space when measuring and recording the width and height of the clearance of any entrances you must pass through. Your refrigerator’s doors and any interior doors in your home might need to be removed. House door hinges could perhaps need to be removed.
Make sure there is adequate room on all sides for the appliance, the dolly, and the movers to be moved securely. Then, carefully plan the route you will follow to bring the fridge outdoors. Make sure there is enough clearance by taking the refrigerator’s size into account when it is tilted on the dolly.
As much of the preparation as you can do ahead of time will prove to be beneficial while moving a refrigerator. The last thing you want when relocating a fridge is for the soda cans and pickle jars to rattle around and shatter en route, regardless of whether you’re transferring the appliance across the room or the nation. Preventing food deterioration is equally crucial as it is likely to happen if food is left in an unplugged refrigerator.
Store perishables in one or more ice chests and cover them with ice or frozen water bottles to keep the contents chilly before relocating a refrigerator. Next, take out any shelves that can move or ice cube trays, as well as any other accessories that could move “mid-flight.” Don’t forget to take out any magnets and other external decorations.
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Unplug the fridge from the electrical outlet. Disconnect the fridge’s water supply as well, if your refrigerator has an integrated ice machine. Painter’s tape or a zip tie can be used to firmly fasten the cords in a coil; masking tape is an additional alternative, but it might leave adhesive residue. If you neglect this step, there’s a chance the refrigerator’s interior can develop mold or possibly leak throughout the moving truck throughout the trip, so give it six to eight hours to fully defrost.
When moving the refrigerator, wrap two or more bungee cords—one around the upper half and one around the lower half—around the appliance like moving straps to keep the doors closed. A firm fit and taping off the ends will enhance the effect. If you don’t have bungee cords, two long rolls of plastic wrap wrapped snugly around the refrigerator would work almost as well. To ensure that everything remains securely in place during transit, bind the door handles together as well, if at all possible.
Roll up the dolly and approach the refrigerator from the side with the doors at a 90-degree angle from the back of the dolly, carefully centering the tow blade under the bottom of the refrigerator. It should be noted that you should never tip a refrigerator on its side or back to transport it, since doing so can result in a coolant breach, which will leave your fridge essentially a large, broken metal box. You can move the fridge without tipping it over if you use an appliance dolly correctly and tilt it slightly sideways.
In this two-person task, one person will slide the dolly underneath the refrigerator and remain behind it, holding onto the handles to keep it in place. It should not be necessary to exert force to get the tow blade to move beneath the appliance.
Now, the assistant encircles the refrigerator’s body like a belt using the dolly’s straps to lock it down, just like you did when you fastened the doors shut with bungees or plastic wrap. Use the ratchet mechanism, if the dolly has one (located on the back), to tighten the strap and ensure that the fridge is safely secured to the dolly during motion. If the dolly has handles, secure it to the steel ribs between them with a tight double knot in the absence of a ratchet.
Place one person behind the dolly and grip it by both handles to steer the movement, and place the second person in front of the doors so that you can both respond fast if anything isn’t secured properly and the fridge slides or the doors open.
If you need to move forward or backward, gently tilt the fridge and dolly back together by 20 to 45 degrees. This is just enough to allow the wheels to move freely when the person holding the dolly’s handles gives it a mild push or pull.
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Once the refrigerator and you are both steady, start carefully making your way to the moving truck (or just out of the way, if you are renovating). Throughout the trip, make sure the appliance is tilted no more than 45 degrees, and use caution as necessary to go around corners, through doorways, and up and down any form of ramp.
