# Refrigerator advice

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerator-advice/493223>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 15, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerator-advice/493223 "2009-04-15T20:45:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerator-advice/493223/1 "2009-04-15T20:45:09Z")

</div>

I have an old (~20 years) Subzero refrigerator that has a strange problem. I can’t find the proper power level to maintain the temperature. I’d prefer to keep it about 35-37F. If I set the dial to 5, the temperature stays about 40-45F, too warm. If I set the dial to about 5.5, the temperature stays about 25-30F, too cold.

I’ve slowly adjusted the dial, making a change in the morning before breakfast and waiting until the next morning to see what the new equilibrium temperature is. I’m assuming that 24 hours is a long enough period for a new dial setting to take effect. There doesn’t seem to be happy medium.

The freezer side doesn’t seem to have trouble maintaining -10F.

Any suggestions on what could be the problem?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerator-advice/493223/2 "2009-04-16T16:32:55Z")

</div>

I used to have one like this. Isn’t your refridgerator side simply cooled by air from the freezer side and the setting dial is just a damper?  
Try adjusting the freezer side and see if it effects the fridge. I played with this balancing for a while and I got it… eventually.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerator-advice/493223/3 "2009-04-16T18:39:19Z")

</div>

Actually, I think the freezer and refrigerator have separate compressors. But I’ll adjust the freezer side and see if that has any effect.