Owning a refrigerator is no big deal in the 21st century. But if you want to move from one place to another, and you have a fridge, it might become a headache to shift it along with you.
Despite being big in size and heavy in weight, this appliance is a synonym for fragile. If you are not careful with the shifting, it can damage the components, and lead to hefty maintenance charges.
Also, it is not easy to move from one place to another if you want to do it yourself. Having wheels attached to the bottom of the refrigerators can be very helpful, but do they have wheels? Let’s explore.
Do refrigerators have wheels?
Most of the refrigerators have wheels. Usually, they will come with two wheels. The wheels are typically located at the bottom of each side of the refrigerator. On the front side, there are two levelers so that the fridge can be leveled after moving. Some manufacturers sell wheels separately.
Refrigerators are day-to-day appliances that are owned by almost every house. Unlike in the late 80s, the refrigerator is not a luxury anymore; it is a tool for daily needs. A home without a refrigerator faces challenges unparalleled to anything faced concurrently.
Owning a refrigerator might have many benefits, but the challenge of moving this big appliance is also huge. Any standard refrigerator is very heavy in weight and big in size. Thus moving it from one place to another is not a pleasing experience for many.
Along with the challenges of shifting and lifting such a big object, many face losses due to damage while shifting their refrigerator. Considering such facts, many manufacturers came up with ideas that have changed the whole shifting process easier.
Attaching wheels at the bottom has made the entire process much easier and less time and effort consuming.
Almost all renowned brands are now designing their refrigerators, attaching wheels at the bottom. Those who are not giving away this service for free, allowing customers to purchase wheels as per their need.
Most of the refrigerators come with wheels attached; all have the design and space to attach wheels at the bottom.
Most refrigerators have two wheels at the bottom of the fridge and levelers at the front. Some also have four wheels or none, depending on the manufacturer.
You have to tilt the fridge towards you; so that the entire refrigerator stands on the wheels, and you can shift them anywhere in horizontal space.
Do all refrigerators have wheels?
Many manufacturers produce refrigerators in different sizes and shapes. Regardless of the design, the functionality and the deliverables are the same across the company. Some of them may or may not include wheels to their refrigerator.
Here’s a comparison between refrigerators across the companies if they have wheels –
| Refrigerator brands | Do they have wheels? |
|---|---|
| Samsung refrigerators | Have wheels |
| Whirlpool refrigerators | Have wheels |
| LG refrigerators | Have wheels |
| GE refrigerators | Have wheels |
| Frigidaire refrigerators | Have wheels |
| Kitchenaid refrigerators | Do not have wheels |
| Kenmore refrigerators | Do not have wheels |
| Bosch refrigerators | Have wheels |
| Sub zero refrigerators | Have wheels |
Why do refrigerators have wheels?
Moving a large home appliance like a refrigerator is not an easy job. Depending on the size and weight, it can take two or more people to move a fridge from one place to another.
Even in a home, if you want to reshuffle the organization of the appliances, you may find the refrigerator to be the hardest kitchen appliance to move, even for a few inches or feet.
Most manufacturers add wheels to refrigerators. Here is why –
Protect product during shipping:
Knowing the hassle and the difficulty movers and homeowners face in shifting refrigerators, manufacturers came up with the innovation to integrate wheels into their fridges.
As most manufacturers provide an inclusive warranty, adding wheels allows them to protect their product so that warranty claims do not pile up at their door.
The difficulty for home decorating:
Fridge owners can relocate their appliances according to their taste and need once in a while. If they need additional labor to do that, they might feel empty and lost.
Thus, fridge manufacturers add wheels so that the owners can move them on their own, and so they show interest in buying the fridges with wheels.
Can you remove the wheels from a refrigerator?
Refrigerator wheels are an innovative and functional design integration that has placed the whole lifting and shifting of this big appliance under human capacity.
It does not take too much labor to move a refrigerator from one place to another due to the wheels attached to the bottom. Also, a leveler is used so that you can adjust it on a surface to prevent it from moving on its own.
Wheels attached to the refrigerator may get broken while moving or can be jammed. Whatever the reason is, it is not unusual if you need to remove a wheel or replace one.
And knowing this requirement, all manufacturers design the refrigerator in a way so that an owner can remove wheels if they want.
Are refrigerator wheels adjustable?
Refrigerator wheels have made it easy to move the machine. The fridge also comes with a leveler. If you tilt the fridge on one side so that the entire fridge stands on the wheels, it becomes ready for moving.
Leveler is used for adjusting the refrigerator according to your surface so that it always stands upright. Besides, many companies will allow their customers to remove or replace wheels and levelers according to their needs.
So, it can be moved clockwise or anti-clockwise and it will not be an issue if someone wants to adjust their refrigerator wheels.
How do you lower the wheels on a refrigerator?
Some refrigerators normally contain height adjustable wheels. These wheels are used to lower or upper the overall height of the refrigerator. The process of lowering the height of refrigerator is as follows –
Power off the fridge:
Before adjusting refrigerator wheels, turn your power off. Then you will need to remove the grille or kick plate in the front to access the wheels. The grille may be locked in place by screws or quick-release clips depending on the model of your refrigerator.
Remove the grill according to the instructions given on the user manual.
Grip wheels strongly:
Then, you will need an adjustable wrench or locking pliers is required to grasp the wheel under the refrigerator. Then wheels are usually notched so that one can easily grip it. So, find an adjustable wrench or locking pliers.
Rotate wheels clockwise or anti-clockwise:
With the help of adjustable wrench or locking pliers you need to grasp the wheel tightly to turn them according to your need. Then you need to turn them clockwise or counterclockwise.
Adjust to according your need:
Turning them clockwise will lengthen the bolt and raise the attached refrigerator. On the contrary, turning the wheels in counterclockwise direction will lower the height of the wheels as well as the attached appliances.
So to lower the wheels of a refrigerator, the notched grips should be turned in counterclockwise. As a result, the height of the wheels of the refrigerator will minimize.
How do you lock and unlock the wheels on a refrigerator?
In the presence of wheels, the refrigerator may sometimes roll and move on its own. Such movement may result in unwanted damage to the refrigerator and anything that is around it.
On the other hand, you may sometimes need to move the appliances to change the location or for cleaning. However, you have options to lock and unlock the wheels of the refrigerator.
The process of locking and unlocking the wheels of refrigerator is as follow –
Make sure whether the wheel is locked or unlocked:
You may look at the panel running underneath the refrigerator to make sure whether the wheel is locked or unlocked. Normally, if the wheel is unlocked, it moves and makes the attached appliance move as well.
Find out the screw:
There is a screw on the wheel that locks or unlocks the wheel. You need to find out that screw first of all.
Turn clockwise to loosen the screw:
If you find that the wheel is locked, you will need to turn the screw clockwise to loosen it. As a result, the wheel will get unlocked and you will be able to move the refrigerator as per your requirement easily.
Turn counterclockwise to tighten the screw:
If you need to lock the wheel and you find out that the screw is loose, you will have to turn the screw counterclockwise. As a result the wheel will be locked and the unwanted movement of the refrigerator will stop immediately.
Final thoughts
Nowadays, almost all manufacturers integrate wheels into their refrigerators. Along with allowing the customers to move the appliance easily, in this way, manufacturers can make sure their product is not damaged during the commute. Typically, wheels can be found at the back of the fridge.