Why do guests always put the fridge on the coldest setting?

1

I am thinking of gluing the knob of the fridge in a fixed position.

A lot of guests set it on the coldest setting, causing it to freeze up.

Yesterday I found a puddle on the floor, destroying one of my cupboards because a guest put it on max and let it freeze up. Normally the water should go down a little drain in the back, but even that one froze up completely, and the cleaner did not notice this.

The problem is that there are still people on the world that think, that setting the fridge lower will cool things faster.
Like some people think that putting a room thermostat higher, will make it warm up quicker…

2

Do you turn the fridge off between guests, so that when they open it it isn’t as cool “as it should be”? Remember that a refrigerator should be less than 40F (35-38F usually) to keep your food at its optimum healthy temperature.

Rather than gluing the dial in place (rather drastic) simply remove the dial(s).

If your fridge is “freezing up” as you describe, at max cold, I would suggest that the unit is in need of repair or replacement.

3

I agree with @KenH - if they always do it than possibly you’re not keeping your fridge cool enough?

4

It is cool enough.

But if guests arrive it is empty, and an empty fridge is never really cool to the tough. Full fridges always have cooler feel.
If they completely fill the fridge upon arrival, it takes some time to cool everything down, and setting it at a cooler setting does not help.

The problem is that most people have absolutely no clue how a fridge actually works.

5

A small card with this information posted on the refrigerator would be helpful, as it sounds as though few of your guests understand this.

6

What if you put some cheap cans of soda (or whatever) in the fridge. Metal cans feel cold to the touch and so I bet the guest would do a temperature test on those rather than the side of the fridge which might not feel as cold. You could also leave a small tray of ice in the freezer. I have some cans of V8 (veggie drink) in the fridge that almost no one drinks but they are always cold.

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7

A fridge should actually never be empty. It is a huge energy suck and shortens the life of the appliance. When emptying a fridge, it is a good idea to put in 4-5 gallons of tap water in old milk containers. Then of course, you would need to leave a note to just put those bottles of water in the cupboard. [Never mind, no one will understand that at all!]

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8

I discovered that guests messing with the settings simply shut the whole thing off, so years ago, I placed a piece of black tape over the knob wi a sign that reads, “please don’t adjust the controls.” Have never had a problem since. It’s also in my house notes. Don’t adjust fridge temps.

Between guests, I shut the power off to the studio and keep the fridge door open so it won’t get musty.