People are just realising what the dial numbers on the fridge mean - and its not what you think

The white dial in your fridge has nothing to do with temperature control - its real use might help save your food from going off quickly.

Many people are just finding out the reason for the dial numbers in there fridge is not what they originally thought.

Despite being a critical household item, it seems that many of us have been using there fridge wrong for years.

Every fridge has a white dial on the inside, whether its an integrated fridge freezer or a standalone fridge, and its usually placed at the top right near the door hinge which is to set the temperature. However its not as straight forward as that.

Although changing the dial will indeed affect how cold the fridge is, it does not actually refer to degrees C, the Express reports.

Reddit members have clarified the issue, as it turns out that the dial's numbers mean how powerful the fridge's chilling setting is, meaning the higher the number, the colder the fridge - not lower numbers.

One user explained: "Higher is colder... the numbers on the fridge's temperature dial indicate refrigerant power. The higher the number goes the colder the fridge will maintain. Setting it to five will make your fridge the coldest."

Although some users pointed out that there are a few rogue fridge models which do in fact use degrees C - so that is something to look out for.

Most people make the mistake, thinking that 1 refers to 1C, making the fridge cooler, but that is not the case with most models today.

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This could result in your food going off a lot quicker, that you’d hope. As well as leaving your fridge with a build-up of ice towards the back, if you’re setting it too cold.

Learn how your fridge operates:

• "Turn the dial in any direction until the compressor (the black motor at the back) either turns on or off."
• "If the compressor is on already (usually you hear a humming noise) and you turn it towards a higher number and it turns off (you'll hear a click and a little rattle) you're making it hotter. (It goes off because its already too cold)."
• If you hear it come on then you're making it cooler."
• "It sounds complicated but basically if compressor comes on your making it cooler and if goes off, warmer."
• "Turn and see which way does what!"

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