Households told to put A4 piece of paper in fridge before this weekend
Households told to put A4 piece of paper in fridge before this weekend
A lot of Brits may be caught out by the sweltering conditions and the knock-on effect on your home and its appliances which could end up costing you money.
Putting a piece of paper in your fridge can diagnose a common problem
(Image: Alex Evans )
As the UK gears up for a scorcher with temperatures predicted to soar to 30C this Saturday, households are being prompted to wield a simple sheet of A4 paper in an unusual way to combat the heat's impact on refrigeration. With the nation baking under a relentless sun, the unexpected consequence of such sustained warmth could be spoilage even within the cool confines of your kitchen appliances, potentially leading to wasteful expenditure.
Domestic appliance experts Beko has pinpointed a common problem with the aging fridges found in many homes. Age and wear may compromise the door seal, a seemingly small defect that can lead to substantial issues.
Inefficient seals not only force your fridge to overexert itself, escalating energy costs, but also risk premature spoiling of food. For the latest restaurant news and reviews, sign up to our food and drink newsletter here
To check if there is a problem, all you need is a single sheet of A4 paper.
A Beko spokesperson explained: "One issue that may arise with your fridge is wear and tear on the door seal. A worn-out door seal can prevent the refrigerator door from closing properly, causing the cooling system to work harder to keep your groceries fresh.", reports the Express.
He added: "This can lead to increased energy consumption and potential damage to your fridge and its temperature settings.
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"Warm air entering your fridge can overwhelm the cooling system, especially during hot summer days."
Salah Sun, Head of Product Management at Beko UK, advised: "To check if your fridge door is functioning correctly, use a piece of paper. You can buy paper for as little as 1p or use any paper you have at home.
"Place the paper against the door seal and close the door. When you try to pull the paper out, you should feel some resistance. If the paper slides out easily, your door seal may need replacing."
The Met Office has forecasted that the sizzling temperatures will continue to soar this week. The mercury is set to remain at 27C on Tuesday and Wednesday, climbing to 28C by Friday and reaching highs of 29C on Saturday, with the potential of hitting 30C in certain areas of England.
The Met Office's forecast also indicates that "much of the UK will be in heatwave conditions by the coming weekend".
It elaborated: "Heat will build through the week. On Wednesday the highest temperatures values in the UK are expected to be around 27C. On Thursday this will rise to 29C and by Saturday increasing more locations will exceed heatwave values, with the highest temperatures expected to exceed 30C."
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