How long must a refrigerator be left upright after being leaned at an angle before operation?

Question

I moved a refrigerator. During the course of the move it was leaned over at 45 degrees several times and laid almost flat for 30 seconds or so.

How long should it sit vertical (upright) to let all the oil (in compressor, etc.) run to the right areas?

Possible duplicate of How long should I wait to plug in my refrigerator after unplugging it? — Jasen, Oct 04 '19 at 09:58
@Jasen, people search based on questions, not based on answers. — Clay Nichols, Oct 06 '19 at 00:06

score 6 · Accepted Answer · edited Oct 05 '19 at 22:21

6

It's not clear what MAKE/MODEL you have but the GE Appliance manual says to leave it UPRIGHT for an amount of time equal to the length of time it was on its side.

It also says specifically:

If laying on its side just briefly to service, clean or adjust, just a few minutes of stand time will be enough.

It sounds as though just a few minutes will be sufficient.

From the OP: An experienced friend recommended 8 hours after 5 minutes of it being between flat and 45 degrees (while moving it).

edited Oct 05 '19 at 22:21

Clay Nichols

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answered Oct 03 '19 at 13:03

jwh20

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I have a Maytag and it says the same thing.. – JACK Oct 03 '19 at 13:16
Of course, there's a reasonable limit. I wouldn't expect to need to let it stand for several months. A few hours should be the maximum necessary time, at most. – isherwood Oct 03 '19 at 14:28
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Probably overkill, but I'm used to "24 hours" as your reasonable maximum and what used to be recommended (decades ago) if it was shipped laid flat (as in a station wagon or van rather than upright in a truck.) – Ecnerwal Oct 03 '19 at 16:14

How long must a refrigerator be left upright after being leaned at an angle before operation?

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