Energy Matters Forums

[Hastings]

Hi all.
Wondering about the best upright fridge I can buy in regards to efficiency, size and cost.
I read smaller fridges are less efficient than bigger ones, but wouldn't have a clue about the formula.
So anyone out there have suggestions?
Cheers

[Gordon-Loomberah]

My advice is to buy a 2nd hand fridge with the condenser coils on the back, and add your own insulation to the sides, top and door. It will be more efficient than newer fridges with the condenser coils inside the fridge walls, and a lot less expensive to buy.

[jaahn]

Hi
I would agree with Gordon. You can get door seal kits also to improve the way it seals. When I did that to my old fridge years ago we also improved the door insulation by using spray foam in the back of the plastic inside moulding.
We bought a new more efficient fridge some time back. I did not notice that it uses less power or even that it switches on less than the old one did. It certainly makes more noise than the old one
Jaahn

[lantern]

We have been recommending some of the new Samsung models. Inverter start means a big inverter is no longer required. Just check the ratings on the fridge door.

[australsolarier]

you can look up the efficiency of fridges on the star rating website.
that is what i am doing when buying new appliances. then checking the prices and place of manufacturing.

[Hastings]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

[jimbo]

Has anyone compared the efficiency of newer inverter fridges? I bought a second hand Panasonic one and not very happy with the performance.

[australsolarier]

i don't think they are any more efficient than a good quality "normal" fridge

[davidg]

i don't think they are any more efficient than a good quality "normal" fridge

there one advantage is they don't have a higher start current. ie, they are supposed to be soft start, apart from the ones I've seen and anything to do with have a lower kWh over 24hour period, or at least that's the way it looks from an Standalone Power System point of view.

[australsolarier]

i am sure inverter refrigerators do have a lower start current. however the motor in my fridge is only 100w. now compare this to the 400w and 700w pressure pumps. (and the old micro wave, that has a really big inrush current when turning on the switch at the socket, even the selectronics sometimes dimms the lights)
i compared my consumption to a person's inverter fridge. and they were the same more or less (a bit difficult to do that exactly with the same conditions). and my fridge is 16 years old, though itwas the most efficient on the market at the time.
but yes inverter technology is a more sophisticated technology and probably will be used much more in the future.
i can see inverter technology on aircons, water pumps. but not so much in the fridges.

the most important thing on a fridge is the insulation. the insulation mostly makes the fridge turning on and off and running.