How To Increase Your Refrigerator Efficiency

Posted on March 1st, 2022

Keeping your foods perfectly chilled takes some energy. In fact, your refrigerator is responsible for around 10% of your energy bill. You can help decrease this usage by following these tips to ensure your refrigerator is running at optimal efficiency.

Clean The Coils

Refrigerators are able to keep foods cold by dissipating heat through a compressor. The compressor is able to do this through condenser coils located behind or under your refrigerator. Unfortunately, dust, dirt and cobwebs can block the coils from disapping heat and requiring more energy to run the compressor for even longer and potentially creating a costly repair. Make it a habit to check the back of your refrigerator to lightly vacuum or dust away any blockage - just be sure to unplug your refrigerator before doing so. An annual check should suffice unless you have long-haired animals in which case you will want to check every couple of months.

Make Room Inside & Out

In addition to keeping dust and dirt at bay, your condenser coils also need air circulation to be able to efficiently dissipate the heat. A refrigerator that is too close to the wall can create too much heat and cause the compressor to run longer, increasing the energy usage. By giving your refrigerator about 3 inches for air to move through, you can ensure the condenser coils are removing heat efficiently. The inside also needs room in between products to allow for air circulation to keep the cavity at optimal temperatures. A fridge packed too tightly will require the compressor to run longer as well.

Set Optimal Temperatures

It takes a lot of energy for your refrigerator to keep your foods cold, and even more to keep them colder. Instead of wasting extra energy by keeping your foods at a lower temperature than necessary, set your refrigerator and freezer temperatures to the optimal temperatures for optimal efficiency. Refrigerators should be kept at 37 degrees Fahrenheit and freezers at 0 degrees Fahrenheit. This will require your compressor to work less to save you energy.

Regulate Your Kitchen's Temperature

You can help your refrigerator work at optimal efficiency by keeping your kitchen’s temperature moderate and not allowing it to overheat. In the summer, it can be tempting to want to save energy by not running your air conditioning. However, keeping your kitchen’s temperature at anything above 70 degrees Fahrenheit will cause your refrigerator to use excessive energy. For every degree above 70, your refrigerator will use 2.5% more energy. SO if your thermostat is set to 76 degrees, your fridge will use 15% more energy than if it was set to 70 degrees.

Check The Door Seals

Your refrigerator is able to maintain cool temperatures by keeping the door sealed. If your refrigerator’s door seal is rigid, obstructed, cracked, or sticky, it may not be keeping a seal which will cause your compressor to work overtime. Check your seal and use a warm, wet cloth with mild soap to clean your seal and ensure it is able to seal properly. If your seal is cracked or dried out, you will want to replace it as soon as you can.

If you have an old refrigerator, your energy bill could be even higher. Switch to Energy Star qualified appliances to decrease your energy use today.