How much does it cost to clean refrigerator coils?
Updated
Short answer
Cleaning the refrigerator coils yourself costs $0 to $15, the top end being a coil brush that lasts for years, and takes 15 to 30 minutes. An appliance technician's service call runs $75 to $150, and cleaning the coils is one of the first things a technician does on a fridge that's running warm. The brush is the whole investment, and it saves the service call and the electricity a dusty fridge wastes.
Cost breakdown
| Item | DIY | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $0 to $15 | included |
| Tools you may need to buy | none | included |
| Labor | your time | $75 to $150 |
| Total | $0 to $15 | $75 to $150 |
The DIY cost is the coil brush, a long flexible bottle-brush that reaches between the coils where a vacuum can't. A vacuum with a crevice tool is the other tool, and most homes have one. The pro price is a technician's call-out, during which the coils get cleaned as part of the diagnosis.
What drives the cost
- The brush. It's the whole DIY cost, and it's optional for a fridge with easy-to-reach coils on the back, where a vacuum does well enough.
- The coil location. Bottom-mounted coils behind a kick plate need the brush, since they're packed in tight. Back-mounted coils are easier.
- Why the technician came. If the fridge is running warm and the coils were the problem, the service call was the whole repair. If they weren't, the call is the start of a bigger bill.
- Pets. With shedding pets the job comes every 3 months instead of every 6 to 12, which costs nothing extra once the brush is bought.
- Energy. A fridge with clean coils runs less, and over a year the saving on the electric bill is more than the brush.
DIY vs. pro
This is an easy job and the money says buy the brush. How often to clean refrigerator coils is every 6 to 12 months, and the job is pulling the fridge out or popping off the kick plate, running the brush along the coils and vacuuming up what comes loose.
The technician is for a fridge that still runs constantly or won't hold its temperature after the coils are clean, which means the problem is the refrigerant, the compressor or the controls. Paying $75 to $150 to have the coils cleaned alone isn't worth it, and the technician would rather find a real fault.
FAQ
How much does a refrigerator coil brush cost?
$0 to $15, and it lasts for years. It's the one tool the job needs for coils tucked behind a kick plate.
Will a technician clean my refrigerator coils?
Yes, usually as the first step of a service call for a fridge that's running warm, at $75 to $150 for the call.
Does cleaning the coils lower the electric bill?
Yes. Clean coils shed heat easily and the compressor runs less. A fridge runs all day, so the saving adds up over a year.
Can I clean refrigerator coils without a brush?
Back-mounted coils, mostly, with a vacuum. Bottom-mounted coils are too tight for a nozzle, which is what the brush is for.