7 refrigerators

Everything you always wanted to know about refrigerators… but were afraid to ask.

Author Archive

Magnetic refrigerator - science fiction or reality

By Vilo • Jun 13th, 2007 • Category: Refrigerators basics

The magnetic refrigeration is a couple of years old concept . Used in cryogenics and astronautics, the magnetic refrigeration was waiting for its D-day to enter also the household refrigerators market. As far as I know, the D-day still has not come…
What´s gadolinium and how the magnetic refrigerator will work (if it will work)
Gadolinium may [...]



Anke Salomon´s 2004 refrigerator concept - rearrange your fridge´s inner space

By Vilo • Jun 13th, 2007 • Category: designer refrigerators

Anke Salomon is German designer who´s Refrigerator Project was a “honorably mentioned product” (means not the winner but one of the most interesting among 2000+ projects that took part) of the Electrolux Design Lab in 2004.
The refrigerator is a long and flat object fastened horizontally onto the wall. As the foodstuff can only be [...]



Fridgehenge gone for good

By Vilo • Jun 11th, 2007 • Category: Uncategorized

May 30 (2007) - the day when the Fridgehenge died.



Panasonic i-inverter compressor refrigerator - another 30% reduction in power consumption

By Vilo • Jun 1st, 2007 • Category: Producers and brands

A week ago, Panasonic (its Malaysia branch) introduced a new line of refrigerators controlled by an inverter compressor.
Again the tech stuff, Vilo! What the heck is the difference between a standard compressor and an inverter controlled one?
Standard compressors turn on if the fridge interior thermometer reaches the highest acceptable temperature (just to remind you, [...]



Who makes AMANA appliances, a question from Andrew N. (IA, USA)

By Vilo • May 31st, 2007 • Category: Producers and brands

Dear Andrew, the story is as follows.
In 1934, Mr George Foerstner from Amana, Iowa, an old German (Amish) community town, built his first beverage cooler.
2 years later, in 1936, his young company Amana Refrigeration (named after the town, where it all started) introduced its second (but not last) break-through product, the walk-in beverage cooler, [...]



Refrigerator maintenance and cleaning

By Vilo • May 4th, 2007 • Category: Refrigerator operation and maintenance

The fridges or freezers are extraordinarily reliable appliances requiring only minimum maintenance. They work 24/7/365 and with the standard maintenance recommended later in this article, the standard lifespan of a refrigerator is 12-15 years.
Maintenance and cleaning of the refrigerator condenser/evaporator
Once in every 3-4 months it is recommended to clean the condenser of the refrigerator (the [...]



Horowitz´s Fridgehenge - 10 years old and almost destroyed

By Vilo • Apr 25th, 2007 • Category: Uncategorized

Soon we will be celebrating 10 years of Adam Horowitz´s Fridgehenge (or Stonefridge).
This consumer society criticizing anti-monument was built in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1997.

Unlike its 5000 years old celtic brother from UK, Stonehenge, (built of stone) the Fridgehenge is built from 300+ old refrigerators.
Being slowly devastated by vandals, it is clear [...]



Introducing the Siemens KG39MT90, an intelligent, RFID-powered fridge/freezer

By Vilo • Apr 24th, 2007 • Category: RFID refrigerators

I must have it!
No, unfortunately you won´t find it at your favorite fridge retailer. And I am pretty sure that the designers and developers from Siemens were also pretty surprised when they saw the below video.

Hacking the refrigerator
So what actually happened?
Kim Otto (IOLite, Innovation Lab) from Denmark took one Siemens KG39MT90 refrigerator, replaced its built-in [...]



10 tips to reduce the power consumption of the refrigerator

By Vilo • Apr 13th, 2007 • Category: Refrigerator operation and maintenance

1.) Buy the refrigerator with an appropriate climatic class;
2.) When installing it, choose a cool place. The fridge should not be placed too close to any heat source (fireplace, stove, owen, radiator, direct sunlight);
3.) The back of the refrigerator must be at least 80 mm far from the wall to allow the hot air ventilation [...]



Refrigerators and their power consumption

By Vilo • Apr 13th, 2007 • Category: Choosing the best refrigerator

How much energy the refrigerators really consume?
Refrigerators and freezers (or their combinations) do not consume too much energy. Their standard consumption can be as low as 100W (watts) which is more or less the same as the consumption of a “stronger” bulb.
The problem of the fridges and freezers is that they run nonstop 24/7/365 which [...]