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Is It Ok to Transport a Refrigerator Laying Down? Tips to Transport Refrigerator

Looking to move your refrigerator, but not sure is it Ok to transport a refrigerator laying down? As your refrigerator is a costly appliance, you need to ensure that it is not harmed during transportation or else it would end up needing expensive repairs.

In this article, we attempt to answer this common question confronted by every individual looking to relocate.

Yes, you can transport any refrigerator laying down except the monogram ones that should always stay upright. While transporting the fridge in a laying down position in a vehicle, ensure that its door is locked properly and its body doesn’t receive dent during transit. However, if possible, prefer to carry your fridge in an upright position for avoiding damage to the sealed system.

At this stage, you would be wondering how to transport your refrigerator in a laying down position. Keep on reading as this article answers your queries with detailed explanations in the following sections to understand the issue better.

Moreover, we will also discuss how to prevent damage to your fridge after transporting it laying down and what happens when a fridge is laid down in a horizontal position.

When you lay a refrigerator down, it may cause damage to your appliance due to the split water, compressor oil, and tiny bits of rust and crap suspended in the oil.

If your fridge has a drainage tray and the fridge computer located next to each other, the water from the drainage tray may spill onto the computer on laying down the fridge. If the fridge is powered on while the computer is wet, it may blow off the fridge computer.

Another issue is related to compressor oil. When you lay the fridge down, the compressor oil can move into the suction or discharge pipes. Moreover, this non-compressible oil may reach the areas of the compressor where it tries to compress it and eventually gets broken.

When the oil moves into the discharge pipeline, the compressor moves it through the whole system and hampers the cooling efficiency of the fridge. It may also lead to the clogging of the line filter.

The compressor oil also contains tiny bits of rust and other crap due to the normal wear and tear of the compressor and system’s components. If this crap gets into the refrigeration system through the discharge line, it can clog the orifice tube.

The mixture of oil and crap when it gets sucked into the system through the discharge line may damage your fridge completely.

Having said that, don’t worry, as we will discuss in this article about the ways of

avoiding such damage to your fridge when it is being transported laying down.

After transporting your fridge laying down, if you find that the compressor oil ends up in the discharge line, don’t rush to turn on your refrigerator immediately.

Leave your refrigerator in the upright or vertical position without powering it on for at least 24 hours or more before plugging it into a power source. If possible, leave your fridge to sit for few days irrespective of what side you have transported it.

Leaving your fridge for sufficient time at the destination allows the oil and crap to go back to the compressor sump. This causes your refrigerator to function well again and avoids the damage due to compressor oil and crap.

Most instruction manuals recommend that the best way to transport a refrigerator is to keep it upright or vertical.

However, if you don’t have enough space for accommodating the fridge upright, you can transport a refrigerator in a laying down position by following the below-mentioned tips. Having said that, you must not transport a monogram refrigerator laying down.

Step 1: Power off and Unplug the Fridge

Power off your fridge and unplug it from the power socket. This ensures that your refrigerator is not connected to electricity when you begin to move it from its position. It provides safety against any electricity incidents.

Once you have unplugged the appliance, fold the plug properly and keep it nicely secured so that it does not get dragged or damaged while transporting the refrigerator.

Step 2: Empty Your Refrigerator

Empty your refrigerator completely by taking out the foodstuff, drinks, and other items. It is easier to transport the empty fridge, and it also reduces the weight of the refrigerator. Moreover, it also prevents the food from getting spoiled during the journey.

If you have solid objects like can and bottles in your fridge during transportation, these may get broken or damage the internal components of the appliance. Thus, ensure to take them off too.

Spending time unpacking the food and other items helps ensure safe transportation in a laying down position.

Step 3: Defrost Your Refrigerator

It is important to defrost your refrigerator. After unplugging your appliance, let it stay for few hours till it is devoid of frost completely. You should do it at least one day in advance before transporting your refrigerator.

Thus, if you are moving your fridge tomorrow, unplug it today and allow it to defrost throughout the day. Ensure to clean the water, food particles, and any other stuff from the inside of the fridge after it is defrosted completely.

Step 4: Remove the Shelves 

Remove all the shelves from the fridge as these movable shelves may cause damage to the fridge’s interiors during transportation. The shelves of the refrigerator are easy to remove.

If you don’t want to remove the fridge’s shelves, ensure to secure them firmly in their designated places by using tape.

Step 5: Place the Rag or Towel Between the Compressor and the Fridge’s Computer

If your fridge has a drainage tray and the fridge computer located next to each other, ensure to keep an absorbent towel or rag into the drainage tray for half an hour for absorbing the water. Please do this before tipping the fridge on its side.

Also, ensure to jam another rag or towel between the fridge computer and compressor to prevent any water leakage into the computer.

Step 6: Keep the Door Locked Properly

You must ensure that the door of your refrigerator is properly locked during transit. Use electrical or duct tape for firmly securing the door in one place and keeping it closed.

It prevents the door from flapping and preventing damage to the fridge’s body during transportation.

Step 7: Decide a Place and Load Your Fridge in Your Vehicle

If you are moving your refrigerator in a vehicle like a truck or a van, ensure to decide about the place beforehand where you would like to keep your fridge during transit. This will help you to do the quick and hassle-free loading of the appliance.

A fridge is a heavy appliance to carry. Thus, don’t try to load the refrigerator alone.

Ask for help from your friend, family member, or next-door neighbour. This will prevent the risks of the fridge getting dropped on the ground accidentally during loading.

Step 8: Secure the Refrigerator

Once you have loaded the refrigerator on the vehicle, it’s time to secure it for enhanced protection during transit. Position it in the centre of the back storage space of the van or truck.

Cover the fridge surface completely with a sizeable blanket for protecting its delicate body against any dent or scratches on the outer surface.

Step 9: Lay Down the Fridge on the Proper Side

If you have enough space available in your truck or van to keep the fridge upright or vertical, then you should keep your appliance upright during transit. Otherwise, finalize the position regarding how to keep the fridge in a laying down position.

Before you start laying down your refrigerator, ensure that your fridge is not a monogram refrigerator and can be transported in a laying down position. Consider the type of freezer you have, and then decide how to lay down your refrigerator in your vehicle.

• If you have a compact freezer, ensure to unplug and empty it one day before laying it down.
• If you have a side-by-side freezer, ensure to lay it down on the freezer side for keeping the door firmly secured in its place.
• If you have a top freezer side, ensure to lay it down so that the side facing the ground is opposite to hinges during transit.
• If you have a French door and bottom freezer, transit it only in an upright or vertical position.

If your fridge’s compressor has all the pipes coming out of one side, lay down the refrigerator on the side where pipes do not come out.

If the compressor has pipes coming and going out from both sides, identify the side with a discharge line.

The discharge line is the line with the smallest diameter that leaves the compressor. Find the discharge pipe and lay the fridge down on the opposite side of that.