Properly maintained, a standard refrigerator will run up to 20 years, and if your refrigerator had cost you a lot, then you’ll want to get the most from it.
Refrigerators are as much about keeping food safe and fresh as they are about making them more energy efficient. Having already made a big financial investment, you may want to save greens for your wallet with having your fridge work more efficiently.
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Here are a few useful tips that will improve the efficiency of your refrigerator and reduce energy costs.
- Make sure the refrigerator doors close properly.
It is very important that the fridge door(s) close properly, because when not, it can lead to a spike in energy bills.
Refrigerators need a sealed environment to keep cool, so when the door doesn’t close tightly, warm and humid air from outside will enter the unit and raise the temperature, leading to more energy being consumed in the process of producing cold air.
- Cover food that contains moisture.
Most food stored in the refrigerator, liquids especially contain moisture, and when left uncovered, the moisture will leak into the air and the refrigerator will need to work harder to remove it, thus using more energy.
Always cover everything in the refrigerator to avoid loss since the unit will use energy twice as much than normal to remove the moisture.
- Avoid storing warm food in the fridge.
Letting food sit for as long as possible, preferably cooling down entirely before packing it away in the refrigerator is another way to ensure energy efficiency.
When food is warm, the unit will exert double duty to cool it down, using double the usual energy. One way to cool food quickly is by placing it in a pot with very cold water, or you could use a frozen water bottle when needing to cool soup.
Just put the water bottle in the pot, stir every few minutes, and when the soup feels cool to touch, store in the fridge.
- Keep the freezer full.
Frozen food helps retain the cold, so the more food you store in the freezer, the less cold air is lost, hence keeping the freezer full – even if it’s simply freezing containers of water to take up space, will save energy.
The same goes for the refrigerator itself. Keeping it full, even if it means you have to fill it up with bottles of water or juice, will help maintain coolness so that the unit doesn’t push harder and consume more energy.
- Check the back of the refrigerator for dust and dirt.
When dirt is trapped behind the refrigerator, cycles tend to run for a longer period since it is harder for the forced-air condenser to blow the air out at the bottom.
Make sure you keep the back of your refrigerator clean for more efficiency and that the condenser tubing is not touching the wall. The heat needs to be carried away without too much resistance.
It is also important that you place the refrigerator at a distance from heat sources such as the oven or a radiator.
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These are the five most important ways to cut fridge utility costs. Whether you own a new model or an older appliance, following these guidelines will save you money and even extend the lifespan of your refrigerator.