Organized Living

THE ENERGY-FRUGAL FRIDGE: MAKE YOUR REFRIGERATOR MORE EFFICIENT

Refrigerators are our most-used and most essential kitchen appliance. They also consume the most energy. If you own a refrigerator made before 1993, consider recycling it and investing in a new one, because it uses twice as much energy as current models, which meet Energy Star ratings. (Energy Star, a joint project of the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, aims to increase the energy efficiency of many household products. When you see its symbol on a product, it means that model uses 20 percent less energy than current standards dictate.)

Even if a new refrigerator isn’t in your budget, there are several easy ways to increase the efficiency, and therefore the monthly cost, of your existing appliance:

• Position your refrigerator away from direct sunlight and sources of heat. A refrigerator situated next to the stove or dishwasher, for example, uses more energy keeping its outer shell and interior at proper temperatures.
  
  
• Leave a two-inch gap between the wall and the back of your refrigerator, to allow for air circulation and reduced heat buildup.
  
  
• Clean the coils regularly. The dirt, dust and pet hair that accumulate on the coils of your refrigerator reduce its cooling efficiency a great deal. On really old refrigerators, the coils are on the back, so pull the refrigerator out and vacuum them with an attachment. The coils of newer refrigerators are underneath, on the bottom, and though they work more efficiently, they are harder to reach. The best solution for this problem is a nifty gadget called the Wonder Wand, made by Vacuflo for their central vacuum systems but manufactured to standards that allow you to use it on any vacuum cleaner hose. Just ½” thick and expandable to 36”, the Wonder Wand slides under your refrigerator easily so dust and dirt can be sucked away. Also useful for under the stove and other hard-to-reach places, it includes a magnet on the cleaning strip that can retrieve metal objects in impossible-to-reach locations.
  
  
• Keep the refrigerator full. This prevents the refrigerator from having to re-cool space every time the door is opened. If you live alone or don’t cook much, keep gallon jugs of water in your fridge to accomplish the same results.
  
  
• Cover foods before putting refrigerating them. The moisture released into the air by uncovered foods and beverages taxes the cooling apparatus of the appliance and decreases its efficiency.
  
  
• Allow food to cool a bit before putting it in the fridge. That doesn’t mean letting food sit out on the counter for hours, just waiting until you don’t need hot pads to put it in the refrigerator.
  
  
• Avoid having an extra refrigerator unless absolutely necessary. Especially if you’ve put an ancient refrigerator in your basement as a backup, you are probably using more energy and paying more utility costs for it than it is worth.
  
  
  
• Don’t leave the refrigerator door open. Just like your mother always said: You’re running up the electric bill! Get in and get out. To avoid lengthy refrigerator browsing by family members, try posting a note on the refrigerator door listing what leftovers, goodies and drinks are available inside. When preparing meals, assemble ingredients ahead of time, so you only have to open and shut the refrigerator once during preparation, and once more when pouring beverages.
  
  
• Check seals and gaskets. Worn gaskets—the rubber strip that runs around the perimeter of the refrigerator door--are a common source of lost cool air and subsequent energy loss. If you can slip a piece of paper into the door at the gasket location, you need to replace it, a minimal and worthwhile investment.