Refrigerators, unlike seasonal cooling appliances, run continuously throughout the year, but their optimal settings and workload still shift somewhat with the seasons due to changes in ambient kitchen temperature and humidity. During hotter months, a refrigerator's compressor works harder to maintain internal temperature against a larger difference between the kitchen's ambient temperature and the unit's target internal temperature, which can be a normal reason for the compressor running more frequently or for longer periods than in cooler months.
Some refrigerators include a seasonal or vacation setting that adjusts compressor cycling for periods of reduced door opening, which can be relevant when household patterns change, such as during a period when residents are away for extended periods. Humidity changes across seasons also affect frost buildup in refrigerators without automatic defrost systems, with more humid months typically requiring more frequent manual defrosting to prevent ice accumulation from reducing internal storage space and airflow.
Door seal integrity becomes especially important heading into warmer, more humid months, since even a minor seal gap allows more warm, moist air to enter than during cooler months, increasing both energy consumption and the workload on the compressor. Checking that rear ventilation space around the refrigerator remains clear is particularly relevant in kitchens that get hotter during summer cooking activity, since restricted airflow around the condenser compounds the seasonal increase in ambient heat.