A refrigerator that is new may be a welcome addition to your property. New refrigerators use less energy than older models, and you can save about $100 per year by replacing a 1980s refrigerator, according to Energy Star, the joint effort involving the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency. Refrigerators using the Energy Star rating are 20 percent more efficient than refrigerators meeting with national standards. You will want to plan ahead to make the refrigerator delivery problem-free, if your house has narrow doorways. Transferring your old refrigerator to your location presents added challenges.
Assess the diameter of the door with a tape measure. Standard house doors are 36 inches or 30 inches.
Assess the refrigerator from front to rear, including rear coils and the handle. Assess the refrigerator from side to side, if this distance appears smaller. If the shorter distance is significantly less than the door by an inch or more, you are ready to roll.
Remove the grips on the refrigerator if the refrigerator dimension is higher than the door. Review directions in the operator’s manual for the removal of the grips before you begin. Phillips-head screws are visible at bottom and the top of the grip, and you may want to rotate the grip to release it from the door. Some refrigerator handles have a recessed set screw which needs removal using a hex wrench prior to rotation of the handle.
Eliminate the doors of the refrigerator only if eliminating the grips won’t offer clearance. Review the operator’s manual prior to eliminating the doors if recommended, and eliminate the toe plate. Start at the top hinge and remove the cover plate. Unscrew the screws. Pull up to remove the hinge pins. Set the hinge pins and screws. Lift up and out to eliminate the doors.
Place the refrigerator on an appliance dolly using the dimension to the rear of the dolly. Into the rear of the dolly, you are going to load the side for refrigerators. While moving the refrigerator in place using a strap on each door to keep it closed.
Pull down on this dolly’s top handle to engage the wheels. Place an person within the house near the door. Roll the refrigerator to the door and get help to the refrigerator in the door from the helper and lift if necessary for a threshold. Clear the doorjamb using the grips and the coils and roll the dolly near the location.
Place a rug or towel on the floor and stop the dolly on the rug. Eliminate the dolly strap and pull on the dolly lip away from the refrigerator. This leaves the refrigerator on the rug or towel so without damaging your kitchen floor, you can link the ice maker and slip the refrigerator in place.
Lift each side of the refrigerator to remove the rug. Level the refrigerator and replace the doors and handles if necessary.