How to Move a Refrigerator?

Hi Buddy,

Refrigerators are large, bulky, and costly appliances. It's critical to know how to move a refrigerator down stairs by yourself professionally and safely, because winging it comes with a lot of risks—both to the equipment and, more importantly, to you. 

When I shifted from Bangalore to Mumbai, I relocated my fridge. Nevertheless, I opted for the NoBroker packers and movers service. Their team helped me a lot in shifting my fridge in a stress-free manner. I received a 30% off on the packers and movers service. I was assigned a dedicated move manager, who was very efficient and helped me a lot in delivering my fridge properly. However, if you want to do things yourself, you're not out of luck. I'll go over how to move a refrigerator from one home to another, including how to prepare your fridge for the move and how to transport it to and from the truck.

• Doorways should be measured

In an ideal world, you'd be able to just relocate your refrigerator from the kitchen to the moving truck in the driveway, but this isn't always possible. Measure the length, breadth, and depth of your refrigerator and compare it to the length and width of your entrances to figure out what route you'll need to take. It's possible you'll have to take a different route—for example, bringing your refrigerator outdoors through sliding back doors—and figuring this out now will save you a lot of time later. Keep in mind that in order for the fridge to fit through the doors, you may need to remove them from their hinges.

• Clean and defrost your refrigerator. 24 hours prior to relocation

You can't just unplug your fridge and walk away, unlike many other appliances. Refrigerators must first be properly defrosted; else, you'll end up with a slick mess. Similarly, you'll want to make sure it's fully clean—both of food and of any food-related messes—because once the power is turned off, things might start to decay.

• Carefully pack your refrigerator

Choosing the best way to pack a refrigerator for travel is a big part of figuring out how to transfer it. When it comes to packing your refrigerator, carelessness might lead to safety concerns and damage on the road. When you get to your final destination, it could also entail a damaged fridge.

To properly pack it, begin by carefully coiling any electrical wires and/or lines and securing them with packing tape near the fridge. If you don't want to use tape directly on the cords, wrap them in plastic wrap first and then use tape.

After that, seal the doors securely with packing tape. Wrap moving blankets around your entire refrigerator and fasten them using moving straps or bungees—one at the top and one at the bottom.

• Preparing Your Refrigerator for Shipping

Things start to become a little complicated at this point. Carefully slide the unit out of the way so you can work around it on all sides. Slide the dolly under the fridge from the side, being careful not to snag it on the moving blanket. Then slowly raise it onto the dolly's base until it is standing upright.

Use your other pair of bungee cords or moving straps to fasten the fridge to the dolly.

Because weight can quickly change when moving your refrigerator to the truck, it's critical that it's held as securely as possible on the dolly to avoid it tipping over.

• Moving a Refrigerator Up and Down Stairs

In an ideal environment, you'd have a straight path from the kitchen to a truck—or at the very least, an elevator—but you might end up facing a flight of stairs. But don't get too worked up. The trick is to take it slowly and follow recommended practices for transporting a refrigerator up and down stairs.

Keep the refrigerator on the dolly and have one person go in front of it while the other hangs on to the dolly from behind.

Tilt the dolly so that the fridge is at a 45-degree angle toward the person in the back, then take one step at a time up or down the stairs, using the person in front as a guide and to assist spread some of the weight. Do not attempt to lift the dolly; instead, gently push or pull it. Here, slow and steady wins the race, so take your time getting where you need to go safely.

• Refrigerator Loading and Unloading

This should be a rather simple task. Guide your refrigerator, dolly, and everything, up into the moving truck or down off the truck as needed using a ramp. Don't try to lift the fridge onto or off the vehicle because even a minor misstep could result in it being dropped.

Keep the fridge on the dolly for the entire journey if possible. Just double-check that the moving straps that secure the refrigerator to the dolly are still in place and are securely fastened.

• Installing Your Refrigerator in Your New Residence

The difficult part is over once you've unloaded your refrigerator into your new house. Now all you have to do is make sure it's set up correctly again.

I would like to conclude my answer here about how to move a refrigerator by yourself, however, I would like to point out that if you're worried about packing and transporting your refrigerator, a professional moving company might be your best bet.

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