7 refrigerators

Sorry for such complicated title but the above question appears in your emails very frequently.

The TRUTH REALLY IS that the 40 W bulb´s power consumption is considerable compared to 100 W consumed by the whole refrigerator.

The TRUTH ALSO IS that such 40 W light bulb - when on - heats the inner space of the refrigerator making the compressors work more and so consumimg even more energy.

But…

The purpose of a light bulb in the refrigerator is to illuminate the interior of the fridge… when the door is open. The light is only on if the door is open and is switched off as soon as the door closes. The amount of heat that gets into the refrigerator through the open door many times exceeds the amount of heat produced by the light bulb.

Replacing a refrigerator light bulb with a LED light will save you couple of cents a year but it will not solve your problem.

The 2 most important refrigerator energy efficiency rules are as follows:

1.) Try to open the fridge door as seldom as possible and
2.) Keep it open as short as possible.

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 wire grid in the back part of the fridge), best with the vacuum cleaner with the soft dusting brush.

Refrigerator shelves and wire racks maintenance

Again, once in every 3-4 months it is recommended to unplug the fridge, empty it and wash all shelves and wire racks or baskets with warm water and standard cleaning fluid. Do not use any abrasive fluids as they can scratch the shelves and also avoid any reactive means (alcohol, petrol) as they can damage the soft plastic parts. Before putting the shelves and racks back in the fridge, dry them with the kitchen towel.

Maintenance and cleaning of the refrigerator body

Very simple thing, again. Refrigerator with the standard (enameled) surface can be cleaned with warm water with addition of usual cleaning solution. If the refrigerator has shiny stainless steel surface you can clean it with specialized stainless steel cleaner.

Changing the refrigerator water or carbon filters

If the fridge has any active carbon or water odour filter (sometimes called the odour eliminator) it is recommended to exchange it once in a year. As there are lots of various refrigerator filter systems there, my best advice is to read the fridge´s user manual and the instructions on the filter´s package, to achieve the best result.

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 (does the refrigerator produce the hot air?) ;

4.) If the refrigerator is built-in or undercounter, there must be also enough space above it so that the air ventilation is not restricted;

5.) Know what you have in your refrigerator. First think than take what you need. Do not open the door too often and do not leave it open too long;

6.) All the newer fridges have adjustable “legs” in their front part, right under the door. After installing the fridge (and loading it up to the standard level) play little with these legs and try to adjust them so that the door will close automatically from any position when they´re open. Even if the fridge door closes automatically, always check if it´s really closed. 75% of all power over-consumption is caused by insufficient refrigerator door sealing;

7.) If it isn´t a “frost free” model, the refrigerator must be defrost manually if the frost thickness exceeds 5mm;

8.) Use an inner thermometer (lot of newer refrigerators have a built-in thermometer), the inner temperature should not be lower than 3 and not exceed 10 Celsius degrees;

9.) Never put a hot dishes in the refrigerator. The elementary school physics tought us that the hot (dish) and cold (air inside the fridge) objects in a closed environment (the refrigerator) will exchange their temperatures with each other unless they reach a thermal balance. That means that not only refrigerator will cool the hot dishes but also the dishes will warm the refrigerator inner space. Therefore the things you put in the refrigerator should be as cold as possible. Simply, give the dish a time to cool down to the room´s temperature and only then put it in the refrigerator;

10.) Empty, unplug and clean the fridge each time you spend more than 1-2 weeks out of your home (e.g. on vacation). Just emptying the refrigerator leaving it plugged (for the purpose of cooling the air in it) really is not very effective.

You´re asking what the heck has my fridge to do with your climatic zone?
A lot of!

Climatic zones affect the power consumption of the refrigerator

The working conditions of the refrigerator in Florida or Puerto Rico and working conditions of the very same refrigerator in Canada are not the same. The temperature of the environment influences the operation of the refrigerator very much, regardless of how thick is the fridge door seal.

Buying new refrigerator based on the climatic class

When buying new fridge, always check it´s label (usually inside, on the left side) for the climatic class and choose that one that fits your average household temperature the best.

Below are the temperature ranges for the standardized climatic classes:

SN (sub-normal) - from 10 to 32 Celsius degrees (50 - 90 F);
N (normal) - from 16 to 32 Celsius degrees (60 - 90 F);
ST (sub-tropical) - from 18 to 36 Celsius degrees (65 - 97 F) and
T (tropical) - from 18 to 43 Celsius degrees (65 -110 F).