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How to select and buy a small refrigerator
Added: (Fri Oct 09 2009)
When selecting a new refrigerator, the size is the most important factor affecting its electricity usage. Select as small a model as will meet your requirements. You can base the size requirements on your existing refrigerator size and how full it typically is, not on the few holiday occasions when you’re making dinner for your whole family.Don’t buy one that will be consistently too small and then perhaps plan to buy another small backup or keep your old one running in the basement or garage. This will use much more electricity than just buying a larger one initially. Features such as split shelves and pullout shelves that crank up and down can increase the usable interior space with a smaller size.
Measure the area where you will position the refrigerator. Is there sufficient room for full door swing/opening? Measuring is especially important when replacing a refrigerator to ensure the new one fits between counters or under overhead cabinets like the previous one. Take the maximum measurements when you shop for a refrigerator and allow space for hinges and leveling. Review your home's entry to the kitchen to be sure you'll be able to get your purchase in. You'll need an electrical outlet and also plumbing if you are buying a refrigerator with ice and water dispenser?
Models with the freezer on top are most energy-efficient because the cool air naturally drops from the freezer to cool the refrigerator section. Top-freezer models also tend to have the most interior space for a given exterior size, so they’re ideal if your space is limited. You can figure on about 80 percent of advertised interior volume as actual usable space. You may opt for a fridge that is bigger but does not have the brand-name recognition, or you can go with a smaller model that is a well-known reputable brand-name. Before we pay for our compact refrigerator, comparison shopping is one of the smartest things we can do. Magazines and websites with appliance reviews and ratings will help you to narrow down the choices.
The energy savings from a more efficient compressor and insulation should pay back the cost of a new model over its lifetime. My refrigerator is about 16 years old. We had a power outage, and my food warmed within eight hours and had to be trashed. My neighbor has a new model, and the insulation kept food in his refrigerator safely below 40 degrees for the same time period.