Can I Lay a Fridge on Its Side?

Preparing for the Move

• Before moving the refrigerator, remove the food from both the refrigerator and freezer compartments. You must remove the shelves and crisper drawers from the inside. Laying the refrigerator on its side will cause the shelves and drawers to shift, which can damage the interior of the unit or break the shelves and drawers. If the freezer has an ice maker, tape the discharge arm to the ice cube catcher to prevent it from moving up and down.

Securing the Doors

• Secure the freezer and refrigerator doors with string or duct tape so that the doors won’t open when the unit is positioned on its side. If the doors open in transit, the hinges could be damaged, or the surface of the doors could get dented.

The Compressor

• Refrigerators have compressors with oil inside to keep the moving parts lubricated. Lay the refrigerator on its side so that the lines coming out of the compressor face upward. If you lay the unit down with the lines facing downward, the oil will run out of the compressor more freely than if the lines face upward. So, for example, if the compressor lines come out of the left side of the unit, put the unit to lay on its right side.

Preparing for Start-Up

• After transporting the refrigerator to its new location, set the unit upright. Do not plug the unit into the wall outlet. The refrigerator needs to sit upright for at least the same amount of time it was on its side so the compressor oil can settle. If possible, let the unit sit for 12 hours before plugging it into the wall outlet. If you plug the refrigerator in right away, you may damage the compressor because some oil will leak out of the compressor and into the lines no matter how carefully you transport the unit. The oil needs time to return to the compressor.