Moving a fridge whether new or used involves a bit of logistics and muscle. It also involves knowledge of what your particular model or manufacturer allows as it has an impact on when you can plug your fridge in without causing damage to it after transport.
Many manufacturers recommend only moving a fridge in an upright position while others allow their fridges to be tilted slightly or even laid on their side if needed. I decided to do some research to learn more about why this is the case and what happens if you ignore the instructions.
If a fridge is transported upright, you can generally plug it in after sitting for 4 hours once it has had a chance to settle. If a fridge is moved on its back or side, it may need up to 24 hours standing upright before it can be plugged in so fluids can settle to avoid compressor damage.
How long to wait to plug in a fridge after moving it
Individual fridge manufacturers have different recommendations depending on the model regarding how to transport their fridge and when to plug it in. Some manufacturers recommend only moving their fridges in an upright position and to never do more than tilt them slightly if required. Other manufacturers and models are a bit more lenient.
Transporting the fridge upright: You can generally plug the fridge in after waiting 4 hours to let things settle just in case oil and coolant moved around during shipping. The 4 hour recommendation is a good rule of thumb to be safe.
Tilting the fridge slightly: If the fridge was shipped upright and you only tilted the fridge during delivery to get it off the truck and into the house, you can generally plug the fridge in once it is standing upright in the kitchen although waiting an hour for fluids to settle is also a good idea to be safe. And if you can wait longer to be sure, why not do it?
Transporting the fridge on its side or back: Assuming the fridge manufacturer says it’s ok to do this (more on that below) you might need to wait up to 24 hours once the fridge is sitting upright in your kitchen to allow fluids to settle before plugging it in. Some manufacturers require you to wait twice the amount of time that the fridge was lying on its side or back before plugging it in. So if the fridge was lying on its side in the delivery truck for 8 hours, you’d need to wait at least 16 hours before plugging it in. In that case, you might just wait for the 24 hours to be safe because who knows how long the fridge may have been on its side in the warehouse.
Transporting a fridge on its side or upright: Facts vs myths
When a fridge is placed on its back or side, the oil in the compressor and coolant can travel up the pipes and need time to move back down in place otherwise the fridge can be permanently damaged if turned on. Even moving a fridge upright can disturb fluids so waiting for several hours ensures they also have a chance to settle.
You can easily find appliance repair companies and appliance sales websites recommending many different things regarding how to transport a fridge and how long you have to wait before plugging it back in.
The problem is that a catch all answer doesn’t suffice:
- Some fridge manufacturers specifically instruct you to only transport their products upright ie. Liebherr.
- Some fridge manufacturers say you can slightly tilt their fridge back if needed to transport ie. Some GE models.
- Other fridge manufacturers not only say you can lay their fridges on their side or back if needed, they also specify how many hours you should sit them upright before plugging them in ie. Samsung.
At the end of the day, any generic instruction regarding how to transport fridges regardless of manufacturer and model is just that: A generic instruction.
Why is this important?
Fridge design matters when it comes to fridge transportation
Depending on where you live can clearly have ramifications logistically when figuring out how to ship and deliver your fridge. Especially if you have steps and no elevator…Try getting a 300 lb fridge up a staircase and keeping it fully upright at all times.
Some fridge designs prevent them from lying on their side or back without risking damaging to them. This is the problem.
The compressor inside the fridges (and freezers) of German manufacturer Liebherr for example are held in place by a bracket that protects against vibrations that occur during normal operation. These brackets aren’t meant to absorb vibrations when the fridge or freezer are on their side or back. Transportation can produce vibrations and damage can occur to the unit if it’s lying on its side or back.
General Electric (GE) on the other hand has specific instructions depending on what fridge model you are referring to. A GE fridge with a top freezer can be laid on its side for transportation on the side opposite the hinges so the door doesn’t fly open in transit. But GE French Door & Bottom Freezer and Built-in fridges must be transported upright at all times but can be slightly tilted if needed when moving them. GE Compact fridges must be upright at all times if it has already been used as it can leak water back into the fridge otherwise.
But if a used Compact fridge does need to travel on its side, it should be shut off at least 1 day before shipping and allowed to drain.
Confused?
When you’re shopping for a new fridge and are comparing prices, features, size and all the other aspects, maybe spend a few minutes asking about any shipping or transportation instructions to be aware of. Better to know it ahead of time.
After all, what would you do if you buy a must-be-transported-upright-when-traveling fridge and when delivered you see your new fridge lying on its back or side in the delivery truck? Will you accept the delivery or be worried it’s already damaged?
What the manufacturers say about plugging in a fridge after transport
Sometimes a fridge or top freezer has to be moved and transported in a way other than upright. But we know that some fridges on the other hand can only be transported upright and shouldn’t even be tilted except to briefly transport it. Fridge manufacturers have suggestions as to how long you should wait before plugging the fridge back in after moving it to avoid damaging the compressor or other parts.
Home Depot sells a wide variety of fridges and suggests allowing the fridge to remain upright for at least 8 hours before plugging it in after moving but that’s assuming it was delivered upright. Again, a generic recommendation.
What do the manufacturers say?
| Fridge Manufacturer | When To Plug It In |
| GE | Let the fridge sit upright for 24 hours after moving it on its side or back before plugging it in. Some models should remain upright at all times. |
| Samsung | Let the fridge sit upright for 24 hours after moving it on its side or back before plugging it in. Wait 3 hours after it has been delivered upright before plugging it in and turning it on. |
| Haier | If the fridge was transported on its side it should be left upright for an equal period of time before plugging it in. If the fridge was left on its side for more than a day, it should be left upright for at least 24 hours before plugging it in. |
| Danby | Transport the fridge in an upright position if possible. If the fridge is moved on its side or back, wait 6 hours before plugging it in again once it has been delivered and placed upright. |
| Magic Chef | Transport the fridge in an upright position. Let it stand upright for at least 4 hours after moving it before plugging it in. |
| Hotpoint | After the fridge has been delivered, let it stand in an upright position for around 3 hours before plugging it in. |
| Beko | It’s preferable to move their fridges upright but if you have to transport a fridge on its side, the wait time to plug in the fridge is twice the time it was lying on its side. If the fridge was delivered upright, once the fridge has been delivered and is in place in the kitchen, wait 4 hours before plugging it in to give it time to settle. |
| Miele | Always transport their fridges in an upright position. |
| Liebherr | Always transport their fridges in an upright position. At most they allow the fridges to be tilted slightly during transport. |
| Hitachi | They actually recommend putting a fridge on its back when carrying it with 2 or more people but explicitly state to not lie it on its back or side while actually transporting it. |
| Bosch | Tilt the fridge backwards if needed while transporting but do not tilt it on its side. |
Check with your specific manufacturer’s instruction manual to be safe. The design of some fridges may not allow for your fridge to be moved on its side or back for more than a few moments if at all.
Your fridge can last about 13 years on average so you want to take care of it from day one.
When you buy a compressor you get a fridge
The heart of a fridge is the compressor. It’s the electricity-powered device that keeps the fridge cool and the freezer cold. Everything else – fridge color, ice maker, door lock, bins and racks, egg holder etc – are just cool features that only exist because the compressor does its job to keep things cold and frozen.
Major manufacturers of fridge compressors include Samsung, Hitachi, LG and Panasonic among others. They also sell fridges under their own brand names too. You might be surprised to know that many of your other favorite fridge brands are made by only a few big names and have someone else’s compressor inside.
Whirlpool not only makes their own branded products but they also manufacture Amana, Jenn-Air, KitchenAid, and Maytag kitchen and laundry appliances. Whirlpool also made Kenmore products for Sears.
Electrolux make the Frigidaire, Tappan, Kelvinator and Gibson appliance brands.
Haier purchased the entire General Electric appliance division in 2016 so they make the GE, GE Profile, Cafe, Monogram, Haier and Hotpoint brands.
And as mentioned above, major compressor manufacturers like Samsung, Hitachi, LG and Panasonic also make their own fridges with their own badging and their respective compressors, too.
So what you end up buying is a particular brand of fridge with your desired features and design that may have the exact same compressor that the other fridge brands you considered also have. And those other brands may have been manufactured by the same company as your chosen brand!
What to do before you move your fridge
When moving your current fridge which is already in use, there are a number of things you can do to make the move easier from your fridge’s perspective. Some are obvious, some maybe not so much.
- Weeks before moving, start using up as much of the food in the freezer and fridge as possible so there is less to clean out and worry about spoiling.
- Unplug the fridge as far in advance of the move as possible to defrost it. Give yourself 24 hours at least to thaw the fridge out.
- Use this as an opportunity to clean the inside of the fridge since it’s empty.
- Remove all glass and removable parts like shelves, racks and egg tray and pack them away separately.
- Tape the doors of the fridge and freezer shut tightly.
- Wrap the fridge in soft thick protection such as blankets and tape them on tightly with masking tape or another strong adhesive.
- Transport your fridge in an upright position as much as possible. Follow fridge manufacturer instructions in that regard.
- When you are in the new location, follow manufacturer instructions in terms of when you can plug it in again. Make sure your movers don’t accidentally plug it in again to be “helpful.”
- Depending on your fridge it make take 24 hours for the fridge and freezer to be operating optimally again.
Is it bad to plug and unplug your fridge?
Sometimes you may need to unplug your fridge for a few moments perhaps to move it, clean it, service it or dust underneath it.
Panasonic says to wait 10 minutes before plugging a fridge in after the plug has been pulled. They suggest that the compressor might not work otherwise.
Hitachi states that if the power goes out or your fridge is unplugged and then quickly plugged in again, the compressor won’t start up again for 10 minutes.
Your best bet? Check your fridge manual as various manufacturers and models differ in their instructions.
When to unplug a fridge
It’s a good idea to unplug your fridge when it’s empty and you will be away for a few days or longer. Fridges operate better when they have contents inside them and an empty fridge works harder to remain cool.
If you have to service your fridge or clean underneath or around it, it’s also a good idea to unplug it. If you’re vacuuming the coils it’s also a good idea to unplug it.
If you have food in the fridge it’s generally not recommended to leave it unplugged for more than 4 hours as frozen foods will start to thaw and refrigerated foods will start to come up to room temperature.