New fridge with automatic light doesn't turn off on Shabbat

amother

Gray

Wed, Sep 28 2016, 1:14 pm

I just got a new BEKO refrigerator and the light automatically opens when I open the fridge door. There is no way to switch off the light and I only noticed it when it arrived at my house. I asked the people who delivered it if there is any way we can switch it off and they said there isn't. I don't know how I will be able to use the refrigerator for Shabbat. I am very stressed out over it and I don't know what to do. There is no way I can return it. Please tell me what to do.

water_bear88

Wed, Sep 28 2016, 1:17 pm

Do you have a frum repairman you could call who could disable it completely for you? It'll probably void the warranty, though. Sad

imasinger

Wed, Sep 28 2016, 1:18 pm

For our new fridge, the answer turned out to be magnets.

No guarantees that it would necessarily solve it for you, as we have a different brand, but you can pm me for details if you want to try.

animeme

Wed, Sep 28 2016, 1:18 pm

Check if there is a button/knob on the inside of the fridge right near the door that gets pushed in by the door when it closes. (It would likely be at the top.) If so, tape it down with strong tape. That should keep the light off.

Undefined

Wed, Sep 28 2016, 1:24 pm

Yes magnets should work. take a really strong magnet not your typical one but a heavy duty one maybe from the hardware store and with the refrigerator door open (or if it's a French door only open one door) and slowly hold it against the edges of the refrigerator starting at the top moving across slowly and then going down at some point the lights should go off. When you find the spot then every erev Shabbos tape the magnet on the spot with strong duct tape, if it's a French door it will be in the same spot on the opposite side too, so take one on each side it's best to get a thinnish one so the doors will close properly. If this doesn't work please call the star k they have someone who specializes in appliances exactly for this type of thing

TzipG

Wed, Sep 28 2016, 1:26 pm

Beko refrigerators definitely have shabbat mode. Call Beko customer service - they might have to send a technician to install it or show you how to use it. When I got my new frig recently (different brand but same concept) I had to call the company to send a technician to install the door handles and setup the shabbat mode. It doesn't cost for the initial tech visit

amother

Cerise

Wed, Sep 28 2016, 1:33 pm

Ask your Rav, but some say you can just unscrew the light bulb. Others say there is still electricity flowing, so it doesn't help.

SixOfWands

Wed, Sep 28 2016, 1:34 pm

Am I missing something? Can you unscrew the bulb? That's what we've always done.

But there are other halachic issues relating to the operation of more advanced refrigerators, because (AIUI) they now take into account the number of times the doors are opened to deal with the defrost cycles. Please consult your rabbis re such issues.

Undefined

Wed, Sep 28 2016, 1:40 pm

the new refrigerators don't have a regular light bulb that can be unscrewed, it's usually a complicated electrical system that you don't want to mess with, new led bulbs etc

amother

Bisque

Wed, Sep 28 2016, 1:44 pm

We recently bought a new fridge. This was my thread: http://www.imamother.com/forum.....03335

This is the fridge advice from the Star K: http://www.star-k.org/articles.....vice/

And this is the star k list of certified products: http://www.star-k.org/applianc.....ducts
I don't see Beko on it, but I agree that you should call them and try to talk to someone who can help.

newmom1987

Wed, Sep 28 2016, 1:48 pm

Aren't most refrigerators like this? You just unscrew the light bulb. There is also probably a button that gets pressed closed when the door closes. Tape it closed.
I've never had a refrigerator with a Shabbos mode

MiracleMama

Wed, Sep 28 2016, 2:01 pm

newmom1987 wrote:

I'm not familiar with the brand OP mentioned but in general fridges are made so complicated now. It's not a single bulb to unscrew. There can be many lights that are very hard to access without taking the whole fridge apart. The it's not a simple fix of putting tape over a button on top either. I am starting to look at fridges to buy for a new house now and it's clear that you either buy cheap, simple models (simple to turn light off) or buy with shabbos mode.

Rubber Ducky

Wed, Sep 28 2016, 4:31 pm

MiracleMama is right. Start by calling the company to find out what (else) happens when you open and close the fridge door.

I like the magnet idea. But if it doesn't work and you get really desperate, you can connect the fridge to a heavy duty timer to turn the fridge off completely at set times, so you can at least have some limited access to it.

amother

Blush

Wed, Sep 28 2016, 4:49 pm

I just heard a discussion about modern refrigerators on David Lichtenstein's halacha radio show. The Rav on the show says that nowadays pretty much the only way to deal with fridges is to install a timer (he called it the Zman timer or something like that) and to open the fridge only when the timer cuts off the electricity.

asmileaday

Wed, Sep 28 2016, 6:44 pm

I have a French door GE fridge. Nowhere in the book did it say that it had a shabbos mode feature. I searched Google and couldn't come up with a way how to enable it. My friends had it but slightly different model and buttons so I coudn't follow what they do. Finally I called GE and the rep instructed me what to do. It worked.
So yeah, call the company!

cbg

Wed, Sep 28 2016, 8:34 pm

I found this
http://download.beko.com/Downl.....3.pdf

On pg 15 it tells you how to use sabbath mode.

I hope one of these are your model.