We've gone over the fridge-less lifestyle here at Re-Nest. People have done it, there's no question about that; but for most of us, life without the refrigerator is one step too green. So how about making it as efficient as possible?
What You Need
Equipment and Tools
Refrigerator
Vacuum with a hose attachment
Appliance thermometer
Instructions
1. Keep it clean. We're talking inside and out. Here's an in-depth look at cleaning the inside (including how to save energy while doing so).
2. Keep it full. If you're rocking a beer-and-mustard-only fridge, consider unplugging it and investing in a much smaller model. Alternately, consider stocking your fridge well. That way your appliance is not using energy to just keep air inside of it cool.
3. As for the outside, this is where the vacuum comes in. Vacuum the coils. Using a vacuum fitted with a hose attachment, make sure to keep the coils clean. Once a year is all it takes.
4. Speaking of coils, check the placement of your fridge. It needs about two inches of clearance in the back to allow proper room for ventilation.
5. Check and monitor the temperature. Using an appliance thermometer, keep an eye on the temperature over the course of a week to make sure it remains steady, between 38 and 41 degrees is fine for the fridge.
Additional notes: A few other energy-saving tips: as tempting as it may be, don't store stuff on top of the fridge: it could get in the way of ventilation (and yes, we're moving our fruit basket right this minute!). If you're feeling brave, consider covering the fridge with carpet. Yep, carpet (we're imagining velcro-backed fridge decor in lieu of their magnetic counterparts) could hep keep the appliance better insulated. For more tips, check out this post.
(Image: Flickr member tandemracer, licensed under Creative Commons.)
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Comments (9)
Also if possible relocate the fridge so it is not right up against your oven...that makes it work that much harder.
I generally have "a beer-and-mustard-only" fridge but I keep the bottom shelf full of those fridge bottles of water. That way, in an emergency I have water I can take with me and the rest of the time it keeps the fridge loaded better. It also helps to keep things cold if there's a brief power outage.
Keeping the freezer full is very important. Most units only cool the freezer and then circulate that cold air through the refrigerator section. I have a couple gallon milk jugs that I'll fill with water if I have empty space.
Any chance you can post information about the cabinets and island in the photo? Has it been in an earlier post or tour?
Thanks!
actually, a smaller fridge is *barely* more efficient than its larger brethren:
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/home/2008/08/qa-are-compact.html
I suppose that I really should check and clean my coils but my fridge is a devil to shuffle out from under the counter, even by a few inches. Also, it's next to the cooker but I don't really use the oven. Even so, I can't relocate the fridge anywhere else but might be able to shuffle it sideways to increase the gap a few more inches. What would be the minimum proximity for the oven to affect the fridge, if that makes sense?
This is great...thanks! Any suggestions for insulating your fridge from the oven if next to the oven is the only place your fridge can go? Right now I have a large piece of aluminum foil taped to the side of the fridge, but if there's a better solution I'd love to hear it.
@ecosarah: you may not be able to find pieces that fit, but aerated autclaved concrete is a FANTASTIC insulator...it is mostly air and can be worked with wood tools - it is concrete, but floats. If you can afford it, the new aerogel fabrics will do the duty of MUCH thicker insulation if you have a narrow space in which to fit the insulation.
My friends are always surprised when I recommend that they solve their kitchen storage problems by putting pasta and canned goods in the fridge. It keeps the fridge full and energy-efficient, and it's as good as two cabinets.