Keeping your refrigerator temperature in a safe range is essential to preventing foodborne illness. The safety zone for a refrigerator is at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Keeping Your Refrigerator Temperature in the Safe Zone
Most modern refrigerators have a built-in thermostat that automatically turns on the refrigeration unit if the temperature rises above the number that you have programmed. The main problem with the built-in thermostat is that it doesn’t measure the temperature throughout the entire refrigerator, but only the small area around the actual thermostat.
You can determine whether you have an adequate temperature throughout the refrigerator by periodically placing several small thermometers in different parts of the machine. Check the door, meat and vegetable crisper drawers, as well as different positions on each shelf. If you find that the temperatures in certain parts are too high, adjust the thermostat accordingly.
When you put food and other items in the refrigerator, be careful not to block the cooling vent. Blocking this vent can lead to improper and poor performance. You should also clean the cooling vent once a month and remove any ice buildup. This will allow cold air to flow freely into the refrigerator.
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