Before you begin. This procedure is general reference information, not professional advice. Equipment varies by manufacturer, model, and year. Always follow the documentation supplied with your equipment — where it differs from this page, follow the manufacturer. Verify that you have the tools, the working conditions, and the ability to do this task safely. If anything is unclear, if the equipment is damaged, or if the task exceeds your experience, stop and use a qualified professional. You are responsible for your own safety and for the outcome. This site accepts no liability for any loss, damage, or injury arising from the use of this information.
Specifications marked unverified could not be traced to a manufacturer source. Do not rely on them — obtain the value from your equipment documentation.
Summary
A refrigerator that has just been delivered or carried between rooms should not go straight onto power. The compressor holds a small reservoir of lubricating oil, and if the unit was tipped or laid on its side, that oil can end up in the wrong place. Switch it on too soon and the oil can strain or damage the compressor before the refrigerator has run a single cycle. Every major manufacturer publishes a recommended standing time to let the oil settle back — the disagreement is in the number.
Search for that number online and you will find two hours, four hours and twenty-four hours, often on the same page, with no source attached. We read the manufacturers directly. GE ties the wait to how long the unit was on its side. LG and Samsung each give a flat number instead, and Samsung asks for a wait even after upright transport. Whirlpool ties it to which cooling fluid the unit holds, and its own figures run from fifteen minutes to twenty-four hours depending on that. This page does not average those four answers into a fifth number: it tells you what each one says, and how to find the instruction for your own model.
Necessary equipment
| Item | Note |
|---|---|
| Appliance thermometer | A thermometer gives the temperature before you load food. |
| Spirit level optional | A level shows whether the refrigerator stands level after you adjust the feet. |
Find the wait time for your model
Estimated 4 min
- Find the model and serial number on the rating plate of your refrigerator.1mReport a problem with step 1, Find the wait time for your model
- The rating plate is usually inside the fresh-food compartment or on the door frame.
- Read the wait-time instruction in the installation guide or the support website for your model.2mReport a problem with step 2, Find the wait time for your model
- Each manufacturer names a different wait time.
- Use the instruction for your own model, not a general rule.
- Record the time the refrigerator was on its side during the move.<1mReport a problem with step 3, Find the wait time for your model
- Skip this step if the refrigerator travelled upright.
- Some manufacturers set the wait time to this same length.
Position the refrigerator
Estimated 10 min
GET HELP FROM ANOTHER PERSON BEFORE YOU MOVE THE REFRIGERATOR INTO ITS FINAL POSITION.
A heavy appliance can trap or crush your foot.
- Move the refrigerator into its final position.5mReport a problem with step 1, Position the refrigerator
- Leave space at the sides, the top and the back for air movement.
- Read the installation guide for the exact clearance your model needs.
- Level the refrigerator with the adjustable front feet.3mReport a problem with step 2, Position the refrigerator
- Reinstall the shelves, the drawers and the bins that you removed for the move.2mReport a problem with step 3, Position the refrigerator
Connect the refrigerator to power
Estimated 2 min (partly estimated)
No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.
- Wait for the full time that your documentation gives.Report a problem with step 1, Connect the refrigerator to power
- The correct time depends on your manufacturer and your model.
- See the specification below for what each manufacturer publishes.
DO NOT CONNECT THE REFRIGERATOR TO POWER UNTIL THE WAIT TIME IN YOUR DOCUMENTATION ENDS.
Compressor oil that has not settled can cause damage to the compressor.
- Connect the power cord to a grounded wall outlet.<1mReport a problem with step 2, Connect the refrigerator to power
- Do not use an extension cord or a power strip for the refrigerator.
- Set the temperature control to the setting your documentation recommends.1mReport a problem with step 3, Connect the refrigerator to power
Read the temperature before you load food
Estimated 2 min (partly estimated)
Source: Power Outages: Key Tips for Consumers About Food Safety · tier 1 · accessed 2026-08-04
- Wait for the refrigerator to reach a safe operating temperature.Report a problem with step 1, Read the temperature before you load food
- Most refrigerators need several hours to reach a safe temperature.
- See the note below for a published figure from one manufacturer.
- Read the interior temperature with a thermometer.1mReport a problem with step 2, Read the temperature before you load food
- The temperature must read 40°F (4°C) or below.
- Load food only when the reading is 40°F (4°C) or below.<1mReport a problem with step 3, Read the temperature before you load food
Terminology
This page uses one term for each item and holds it throughout, as ASD-STE100 requires. Equipment sellers and other guides use the names below for the same parts.
- wait time before power-on
- Also called: how long to wait before plugging in a fridge, new refrigerator wait time, settling time, standing time before you plug it in
- transported on its side
- Also called: fridge laid down during move, can you transport a fridge on its side, laid the fridge on its back, moved lying down
- refrigerator
- Also called: fridge, icebox, fridge freezer, fridge-freezer
- rating plate
- Also called: model and serial number tag, data plate, serial number sticker
- compressor
- Also called: cooling motor, the humming part, the motor
When to use a professional
Do not connect the refrigerator to power until the wait time in your documentation ends.
Stop if the refrigerator does not cool after you complete these steps. Disconnect the power cord. Contact the manufacturer or a qualified appliance technician.
Stop if the compressor makes a loud or an unusual noise. Stop if a circuit breaker trips when you connect the cord. Disconnect the power cord. Contact a qualified appliance technician.
Do not open the sealed cooling system of the refrigerator. Only a certified technician must do work on the sealed cooling system.
Common questions
How long do I have to wait before plugging in a new refrigerator?
It depends on your brand and, in at least one case, on your model. We read the current installation guidance from GE, LG, Samsung and Whirlpool and found four different answers, from fifteen minutes up to twenty-four hours. GE bases it on how long the unit was on its side. LG and Samsung each give a flat number, and Samsung asks for a short wait even after upright transport. The specification box above names the source for each figure. Use the instruction printed in your own installation guide.
I laid my fridge on its side to move it. How long before I can plug it in?
This is the exact question the manufacturers disagree on. GE's rule is to stand it upright for as long as it was on its side, up to a cap of 24 hours. LG gives a flat 2 hours. Samsung gives a flat 4 hours. Whirlpool's answer depends on which cooling fluid your model uses, and ranges from 15 minutes to 24 hours. Check the installation guide for your own model rather than picking one of these numbers.
Can you transport a refrigerator on its side?
Usually yes, for some models, but not all of them. GE states that a top-freezer model can travel on the side opposite the door hinges, and a side-by-side model can travel on its freezer side. French-door, bottom-freezer, compact and built-in models must stay upright, though they can be tilted briefly to get through a doorway. Check the instructions for your own model before you lay it down.
How long does it take a new refrigerator to get cold?
Whirlpool states that its typical models take about 8 to 12 hours to reach operating temperature and up to 24 hours to fully stabilize. As a rule of thumb, wait until the refrigerator reads 37°F (3°C) in the fridge and 0°F (-18°C) in the freezer or below before you load a full amount of groceries. Give it longer in a hot room, or if you open the door often while it cools. Whirlpool's own wording for this is 'wait until the refrigerator is at or below 37°F and the freezer is at or below 0°F before adding a full load of groceries'. An earlier version of this page said 40°F, which is warmer than the source it cited and warmer in the direction that spoils food.
Is it fine to plug my fridge in right away if it arrived standing up?
Two of the four manufacturers we checked say yes for upright transport, with no extra wait. Samsung is the exception: it asks for at least 2 to 3 hours even after upright transport, on the reasoning that internal fluids still need time to settle. If you are not sure how your unit was carried, treating it as though it needs a short wait costs you nothing.
What temperature should my fridge be before I put food back in?
The FDA states that refrigerators should be kept at 40°F (4°C) or below for safe food storage. Use an appliance thermometer to check the actual interior temperature rather than trusting the dial, since dial settings are not the same as a measured temperature. See our page on setting a refrigerator and freezer temperature for how to choose and adjust the dial.
Related procedures
- How to find and record the model and serial number of every appliance in the house
- What temperature should my fridge and freezer be set to?
- How to clean the rubber door seal on a fridge
- Why has my fridge ice maker stopped making ice?
- Decide what food is safe after a power cut
- How to clean the condenser coils under or behind a refrigerator
- How to change the water filter in a fridge with a water dispenser or icemaker
- How do I know if my meat thermometer or fridge thermometer is accurate, and how do I calibrate it?
Sources
Every specification on this page is traced to one of these sources. Tier 1 is a manufacturer document, a published standard, or a government safety authority. See Standards for the full tiering rule.
- Tier 1Refrigerator - Moving Instructions
- Tier 1[LG refrigerator installation] When should I plug in the power cord and supply power after moving the product?
- Tier 1When can I plug in my Samsung refrigerator after moving it?
- Tier 1Proper Moving Care - Side by Side Refrigerator
- Tier 1How Long to Wait Before Adding Food to a New Refrigerator
- Tier 1Power Outages: Key Tips for Consumers About Food Safety
Revision history
Current version 1 · updated 2026-08-04 · next review due 2027-08-04
- v1 · 2026-08-04First draft. Sourced to GE, LG, Samsung and Whirlpool moving and installation guidance, all read on 2026-08-04, plus the existing FDA safe-storage-temperature spec reused from food-safety-after-a-power-outage. The pre-power wait time publishes as a four-way manufacturer conflict rather than a house figure; no other value on this page publishes as verified except the reused 40 F threshold.
Corrections to this page are listed in the public corrections log. Reports that are credible and not yet verified are listed in the public errata register, and an open one renders above the step it concerns.
Comments and corrections
Found an error? A correction with a manufacturer source is applied and logged publicly. You can also write to corrections@fixchecklist.com.
Every step above carries its own report control, which tags the report with that step so a correction reaches the right place. For anything about the procedure as a whole — the order of the sections, a step that is missing, something that did not match your equipment — use this: report something about this whole procedure.