Refrigerator - Measuring Internal Temperatures

Checking or testing the internal fresh food and freezer compartment temperature can help determine if a Refrigerator is working properly. We are providing information about factors that affect temperatures as well as how to check the temperatures.
 

Measuring Internal Temperatures Inside a Refrigerator

Factors That Affect Temperature Readings

  • Frequency of door openings plays a large role in maintaining proper Refrigerator temperatures. The more the doors are opened and closed, the more the temperatures will fluctuate.
  • Allow twenty-four (24) hours for the temperature to stabilize whether setting the controls for the first time or after making an adjustment.
  • Temperature measurements in the fresh food and freezer compartments should never be made of the air. Air temperature fluctuates during the defrost cycle and during door openings.

Setting and Checking Temperatures

  • Check the Owner's Manual for model specific directions on how to set the temperature.
  • The recommended Refrigerator temperature settings are 37 degrees Fahrenheit in the fresh food and 0 degrees Fahrenheit in the freezer sections.
  • When taking a temperature measurement in the fresh food and freezer section:
    • The best way to measure the temperature is to place a bulb type or candy thermometer that is capable of reading below zero temperatures directly into a container of food or liquid that has been in the Refrigerator or Freezer compartment for at least twenty-four (24) hours.
      • The center of the Fresh Food section is the best location to place the thermometer. For Bottom Freezer models, the bottom Fresh Food shelf or top of the vegetable pans is the preferred location for placing the thermometer.
    • When checked first thing in the morning, the normal temperature range should be between 32 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit in the fresh food section. It should be between -5 and +8 degrees Fahrenheit in the freezer section of a self-defrosting model or 5 to 7 degrees Fahrenheit in the freezer section of a manual defrost model.
Note: Certain GE and GE Profile™ Side-by-Side Style Refrigerators have actual temperature displays that show the interior temperatures on the dispenser control display. For more information, please see our Side-by-Side Refrigerator - External Temperature Controls article. For information on the temperature displays available on Bottom Freezer Refrigerator models, please see the Owner's Manual for model specific information.
 

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