Can I Lay My New Fridge on Its Side to Transport?

Shelving

• Before moving the refrigerator, open the doors and verify that the doors are secured in place. Most new refrigerators have the shelves taped in position or simply stacked and secured inside the unit to be removed and placed inside later. Do not leave any shelves loose, because they could slide, crack or crash together.

Ice Maker and Doors

• Open the freezer door and make sure the ice cube maker is secured closed and is turned off. Secure the ice bin or remove the ice cube trays so that nothing will slide and get damaged when the refrigerator is turned on its side. Tape or secure the doors closed with a moving strap or painters tape that will not mark or strip the exterior of the refrigerator.

Tilting the Refrigerator

• The best way to move the refrigerator is to use a moving dolly that tilts the refrigerator slightly but does not rest the refrigerator on its side. There is oil in the refrigerator compressor that could leak into the cooling lines when tipped over. This oil might not drain back out of the cooling lines, preventing proper function when the refrigerator is plugged in.

Moving the Refrigerator

• Find the cooling and discharge lines that are connected to the refrigerator compressor and keep those lines face up when the refrigerator is in transport. Prop the refrigerator up with a box underneath the top of the unit so that the appliance does not lie flat. Once you install the refrigerator at the final destination, set the refrigerator upright but do not plug it in. Wait hours to allow any oil that might have entered the lines to flow back out and into the compressor before connecting power.