Moving a refrigerator--can you lie it down?

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

Someone will know the answer to this question!

DD is going to college in August. We went out to buy her a small refrigerator, but when we got to the store, we discovered that the box said in about five places DO NOT LET REFRIGERATOR LIE FLAT. Well, of course we couldn't move this 3.1-cubic-foot refrigerator upright; we have a station wagon and we would have to slide it in flat.

So what's the deal? The box didn't seem to mean "Kids, don't be putting your dorm fridge on the floor!" It seemed to be talking about transporting and moving the refrigerator specifically. Is that right? I can't buy this refrigerator unless I have some vehicle that can hold it upright?

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

Sorry! After I posted this, I hit the right googling combination and found the answer....

Is it bad to lay a refrigerator down when moving it ? - Yahoo! Answers

Sorry, folks!

Looks like...sigh. Well, it looks like I should borrow a minivan or something.

[Ryne08 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ryne08]

Please wait 24 hours after moving the refrigerator before you plug it in again.

[shaggy Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close shaggy]

Rhyne, you beat me. shaggy

[funtime2 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close funtime2]

My understanding is that you wait 24 hours so that the oil(s) can settle back in place......?

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

The links are saying that you should really try to avoid lying refrigerators down, period--that precious fluids (the coolant? the oil? no one seems entirely sure) can leak out. They agree that if you have to do it, you should wait 24 hours before plugging the refrigerator in.

Thanks for the info! I'm going to measure the inside of the car and try to figure out if there's any way to take the little fridge out of its box at the store and wedge it in upright.

[barndweller Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close barndweller]

Wacky

Just a comment...We moved a HUGE (ginormous side by side from our last home that won't fit in the space in our kitchen) fridge from the storage shed to a new spot and had to lay it on it's side to move the beast. We tilted it upright and waited a couple of days and then turned it on. Worked like a champ.

Our RV fridge quit working. The guy at the RV place said to turn it upside down and burp it. Seems it had developed a bubble in the line that circulates the coolant stuff. We did what he said and it resumed refrigificationing.

So there you have it.

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

Hmm. This thing is about 36 inches tall. I'm going to go measure. But it's good to know that if we have to lie it down it shouldn't be a total disaster.

[Ann-Marie Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ann-Marie]

We recently moved a refrig twice, both times lying it down. It was fine. Also just moved a large refrig, and also fine.

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

It has always been move it upright if you can, if you can't let it stand upright for 24 hours before plugging it in. The new ones should be less likely to have problems and may even be OK to get started earlier.

[1950bing Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 1950bing]

Short answer, NO !

[vintner Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close vintner]

Short answer, NO !

I disagree. Most modern and still packaged fridges have packaging around the compressor. If the fridge is not laying on the front (door) or back (cooling coils) there should be sufficent protection to allow it to be transported on its side....but then again, I could be wrong.

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

I'm inclined to try it. But in the meantime, I'm off to find a measuring tape! I think there's a way to get 35 inches of clearance in the station wagon.

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

when I saw the title, all I could think to say was, "Only if it wants to lie down"

[dale7 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dale7]

Lying refrigerators on there side is bad because when the freon is a liquid it can get in the compressor and cause damage to it because liquids do not compress.