One of the most common home appliances that we will find in every house is the refrigerator. A kitchen without a refrigerator is almost impossible to function. However, no matter how important a refrigerator is, it is a complete power hog. It runs for 365 days of the year, 24 hours a day. There is no option to turn off a refrigerator completely. This is why it accounts for up to 15-20 percent of our electricity bill. If you are looking for energy saving tips to reduce your refrigerator’s power consumption then you have landed at the right place.
Refrigerators are among the top three power consumers in our house. Though, the good news is, reducing the power consumption and increasing the efficiency is not as difficult and not as expensive as it might seem. Let’s take a look at 7 simple energy saving tips to reduce the power consumption of your refrigerator.
Organize and Remove Clutter
The main use of a refrigerator is to store and protect food from going bad. If you have a double door refrigerator or even a triple door refrigerator, you must have noticed that every refrigerator has compartments. Every compartment is specifically designed for storing different types of food items. Understand the best way to organize a refrigerator and where every item should be placed.
Additionally, overstuffing your refrigerator is not going to get you anywhere. An overstuffed refrigerator only blocks the free flow of cold air and gets in the way of efficiency. Remember to discard the items which are not necessary and are just hogging up space. Organizing and removing clutter is one of the most important energy saving tips that there is.
Right Temperature of the Food for Storage
What we don’t realize when we store hot food right from the stove into the refrigerator is that the fridge takes a lot of loads to first bring down the food to room temperature and then start cooling it. Storing hot food is doing nothing but asking your refrigerator to consume more power. So from the next time, instead of storing hot food in a hurry, keep it outside till it reaches room temperature. Once it reaches room temperature, it is safe to store in the refrigerator.
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Cover your Food
When you store food in the refrigerator it is always advisable to cover it with a proper lid. There are two advantages to doing that. One, it retains the moisture and preserves the freshness of the food. Two, covering your food also saves power. You must be wondering how? When the food is stored without any lid, it emits a lot of moisture. Your refrigerator’s compressor has to work harder to cool moist air, which means more power usage. Covering the food means no moisture and no extra power consumption.
Clean Regularly
Have you ever witnessed ice forming in the refrigerator or freezer? It means that the condenser has too much load and isn’t working efficiently. In such cases, more power is utilized by the refrigerator. To avoid that from happening, it is best to keep the coils clean from dust and debris. Metal coils keep the heat away from the compressor and keep the refrigerator chill. These metal coils are found at the back of your fridge. Make sure to defrost your refrigerator and clean the coils on a regular basis.
Set the Right Temperature
One of the easiest energy-saving tips that there is. We all know that warm temperature could spoil the food. Similarly, extremely cold temperatures too can ruin the food. Also, setting your refrigerator on high temperatures only invites high electricity bills. Instead, the safest bet is to set the temperature of your refrigerator to medium cooling. It keeps the food safe, as well as, reduces power consumption.
Keep the Doors Closed
How many times have you opened the refrigerator door trying to figure out what you wanted? Rest assured, it happens to all of us. However, continuing to do this will allow hot air from the room to seep into the refrigerator. This warms the food in the refrigerator ever so slightly, making the compressor get to work again to maintain cooling. So the next time you find yourself in front of refrigerator wondering what you are looking for, shut the door and open it once you remember. Moreover, also make sure that the rubber seals on the door don’t allow air or heat to pass through.
Placement of the Refrigerator
One of the most obvious things to remember about a refrigerator is the placement. Keep your refrigerator a couple of inches away from the wall for proper air circulation. At the same time, keep it away from unwanted heat. Place it away from sunlight and from other appliances such as microwaves that produce a lot of heat.
Follow these simple energy-saving tips to ensure the efficiency of your refrigerator and to reduce power consumption. Also remember, if your refrigerator is too old and is not cooling efficiently or if it is facing too many issues, it is time to buy a new refrigerator. There are a lot of available options in the market. You can find the perfect refrigerator of your choice according to your desired budget and features.
