Refrigerator and Freezer
Share in the total power consumption in the household
Refrigerator and freezer are appliances which are permanently connected to the electrical network. Therefore, it is important to know their power consumption.
Refrigerator and freezer are permanently running in almost every household. That is why we use most electricity from among all electrical appliances for cooling and freezing of our food. We can influence the electricity cost especially when choosing a new refrigerator. Most of the current products consume up to 45 % less power than the refrigerators produced ten years ago. The offer of refrigerators is really wide and it is not easy to make the right choice. First of all, you must decide what size and type of refrigerator and freezer you need. At least 70 % of the refrigerator space should be filled and therefore we recommend the volume of 50 to 70 liters per person.
The most frequent type is bottom freezer refrigerator. The advantage of this type is that you don’t need to bend when taking the food out of the refrigerator frequently. You can choose from appliances with one or two compressors. The solution with two compressors is advantageous because of the output distribution in the refrigerating and freezing part. The temperature in both parts, the refrigerator and the freezer, can be regulated more efficiently. A disadvantage is the higher price.
The so-called “American refrigerators” divided vertically into the refrigerating and freezing part are suitable for bigger households. The households with higher storing requirements should prefer a separate refrigerator and a freezer. This applies especially to farming families. For weekend houses, cabins, offices and smaller households choose refrigerators with a small freezing compartment inside the refrigerator.
We will help you choose a new refrigerator
Compare two refrigerators with the same inside volume but a different price and power consumption.
Tips for saving:
Place the refrigerator out of the range of a heat source. Inappropriate placement increases the power consumption of the refrigerator.
The ice coating insulates the cooling space and thus decreases the cooling performance. An ice coat thicker than 3 mm can increase the power consumption by as much as 75 %!
Refrigerator temperature of 5 °C and freezer temperature of −18 °C is sufficient for normal operation. By increasing the temperature by 2 °C you decrease the power consumption by 15 %.
Rubber sealing on the door must be kept clean and replaced if damaged. Damaged sealing lets the warmth penetrate inside the cooling space and thus increases the power consumption. You can check if the door is tight by inserting a sheet of paper between the refrigerator and its door and pulling it along the girth. The paper should put up resistance.
Only cold and covered food containers should be placed in the refrigerator.
Right cooling can be ensured by leaving enough space between the stored groceries in order to allow for air circulation.
Sufficient air circulation must be ensured in the back part of the refrigerator. Do not cover the back wall of the refrigerator, especially if you have a built-in refrigerator.
When buying a refrigerator check out the information on energy tag.
We advise you when buying a refrigerator through our Buying Consultant.
