Condensing water in fridge - is it too cold?

dllive

Hi

Ive got water drops of condensation at the back of the fridge. Does this mean the fridge is too cold?

The fridge/freezer is 4 years old - so quite new. 

I dont keep much in the fridge (theres only me living here, and I do daily fasting, so I dont store large amounts of food). Is it taking the fridge more energy to keep an empty fridge cold? Ive got lots of cider/beer I could keep in the fridge if so. The same with the freezer - its quite empty - shall I pack it with food?

Thanks

victor2

Fridges don't like being empty. It will almost certainly be using more energy to keep the empty spaces cool than it would if something was in their retaining the chill. That could well be causing the excess moisture. Fill it with beer! Need something else to occupy the freezer though - frozen beer isn't so easy to handle. 
If you can live without the freezer, you might be able to turn that off, or put the temperature at its "warmest" level, without affecting the fridge?

dllive

Thanks @victor2 . I will certainly fill the fridge with beer/cider!  

I suspect I have the fridge too cold though. I dont know why, it just feels.... very cold. Perhaps too cold. Theres a dial somewhere isnt there? What do people normally have it set at?

I should have said: the fridge/freezer are separate units. (50/50).

victor2

You can buy fridge thermometers online for a less than a fiver. Worth getting one, then playing with the temperature controls and seeing what happens, it can take 24 hours for adjustments to show though. If you don't have a manual for the fridge, you can probably find one on the web - that should tell you how to adjust the temperature.

dllive

OK, Ive just filled the fridge up with beer, cider, white wine and 4 TV dinners. (you can tell Im a bachelor!! LOL)

There is a dial - 1 - 5. Its currently set to 1, which I presume is the coldest setting. Perhaps I should try... 3, and see if that reduces the condensation AND keeps the *ahem* food cold enough?

victor2

Go for 3. It's halfway between the warmest and coldest setting and will still keep your "food" cool. 

shiraz99

dllive said:

OK, Ive just filled the fridge up with beer, cider, white wine and 4 TV dinners. (you can tell Im a bachelor!! LOL)

There is a dial - 1 - 5. Its currently set to 1, which I presume is the coldest setting. Perhaps I should try... 3, and see if that reduces the condensation AND keeps the *ahem* food cold enough?

Quite the opposite in most cases, the dials usually go from 0 or to 5 with 0/1 being the warmest and 5 the coldest setting. As advised buy yourself a fridge thermometer and set the setting so that the average fridge temp is around 5C.

EssexExile

Depending on the type of fridge, water on the back is quite normal. Another time you look it may be ice, another time nothing.

grumbler

EssexExile said:

Depending on the type of fridge, water on the back is quite normal. Another time you look it may be ice, another time nothing.

Absolutely. Condensation is normal in all fridges, the only difference is where it is.

'No frost' - back wall.

'Frost-free' - in some invisible place.

And, of course, the more wet unsealed food inside and the more frequently you open the door, the more condensation.

sk2402005

Water will start to condence at about 12'C depending on the humidity level.

Typically number 1 is the warmest, 5 the coldest.

As suggested, try number 3.

Fridge thermometers are only a few £, i recently baught one for my fridge.

dllive

Thanks all.
Perhaps its not a problem with water condensing at the back. Its not like its pooling on a shelf or anything. Perhaps Ive just not noticed it before because my ex always kept the fridge packed with food, so I never noticed the back wall before.
If 1 is the warmest (ie uses less energy) then perhaps Ill leave it on that. I dont like my beer too cold anyway.