|
|
| Back to the Table of Contents |
| Cool Savings |
by
Paul Tick
|
You cut down your driving,
you tossed your air conditioner, you have wool sweaters ready for
winter and a lowered thermostat. Now you are wondering what the next
step is in your energy saving repertoire. So, take a look in the
kitchen and check in on that that refrigerator, the biggest energy
users in most homes. If your fridge was made before 2001 you could be
spending as much as $140 each year to operate it. If you replace it
with a new Energy Star model you can cut your energy use and costs in
more than half. In a few years your savings will pay for the new fridge
and for the life of the fridge after that you save more money and a
whole lot of global warming. Refrigerators last about 20 years so the
savings in money and energy is a good deal. If your refrigerator is
relatively new, see below for ways to make your use of it even more
efficient.
When you buy your new refrigerator, be sure it is an Energy Star model.
Then check the energy guide label to compare how this product rates
against similar models. Be sure to get a refrigerator with a
top-mounted freezer as they use 10– 25% less energy other styles. Make
sure it has an energy saver switch. The more efficient refrigerators
are 16–20 cubic feet, so don’t let the sales person or salespeople or
relatives talk you into buying something that you don’t need. Don’t
bother with an automatic ice-maker. They use 14–20% more energy and add
$75–250 to your purchase price and most of us can probably figure out
how to make ice all by ourselves.
When you bring your new baby home or when you want to be sure your old
one is working most efficiently you should:
• Position it away from a heat source such as an oven, a dishwasher or
direct sunlight.
• Leave a couple of inches between the wall and the refrigerator to let
the motor heat escape. This means your appliance will not have to work
as hard to keep cool, saving energy and letting the machine last
longer. Don’t enclose it in cabinets, which is a new trend in
remodeling kitchens.
• Keep it at 35–38°F (thermometer can be bought at the hardware
store).
• Keep the condenser coils of an older model clean (get a special brush
at the hardware store).
• Think about what you want before you open the door so that you
minimize the amount of time the door is open and letting out the cold
air.
• Test your door seals by closing the doors on a piece of paper. If you
can easily pull out the paper then you should consider replacing the
gasket around the door’s perimeter or adjust the door (check online how
to do it yourself).
• Cover all food and liquids in your refrigerator to prevent moisture
from evaporating and making the compressor work longer.
• Don’t stuff your refrigerator. A full refrigerator has to work harder
than a partially full one. However, keep the freezer stocked. Frozen
items keep other items cold. Put bags of ice or ice packs in if you are
unable to keep it full of frozen food.
• If you do have an icemaker don’t use, just lift the trip wire that
switches it off when the ice container is full.
• Don’t keep a second refrigerator operating in the basement or garage
(you know, in case company comes or to keep a case of beer cold at all
times).
Some final tips: When you shop, be sure to shop at a local independent
business, rather than at a big box chain store. Do your research
beforehand and be careful of sales pitches. While some people have
tried to go fridge free to save energy, this is not practical for most
of us who eat fresh food. For energy saving, more important than fridge
free and more manageable, too, is to go car free and then donate and
become active in the environmental movement.
|
Resources
|
How
much does your old one cost to operate? www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=refrig.calculator
Should I trade in my old fridge? http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/refrigerators.html
|
| Back to the Table of Contents |
|
|
|
