It is evident that refrigerators are a need in all homes. It is a good idea to have cool, fresh food in the house rather than going to the supermarket or the local hotel for every meal. But each time the monthly electricity payment is made, we are alerted of the costs of this comfort. You may like to find the best refrigerators in India to get cool food and water every time.
It is simple to think that you can't do anything to reduce the electricity consumption of this enormous appliance that is always connected and operating. But we can certainly be more energy efficient at the house, and it will be a start in the appropriate direction to determine how many watts a refrigerator consumes.
What Is the Power Consumption of Refrigerators?
You might be shocked to discover that even if it looks like fridges use a lot of wattages because they are continually on, they typically consume less energy than other major electronic devices, like air conditioners, heaters, or clothes dryers.
You have to multiply the voltages and ampere for your watt converter to find your fridge’s average wattage. These numbers can appear on the inner wall of the refrigerator, beneath the door, behind the front kickboard, or behind the refrigerator.
Older refrigerators usually use 115 volts and 7 amps, which can be multiplied to get 805 watts in usage. Conventional fridges usually have a starter wattage of 800-1200 watts per day and an operating wattage of approximately 150 watts per hour per day.
Factors Affecting the Power Usage of a Fridge
Fridges are reactive appliances requiring greater electricity to start, as they have an electric motor, while still having much fewer watts to run. They also contain fans inside and a defrost phase that needs electricity. The starting and operating wattage of fridges is dependent on numerous parameters, as described below.
1. Size and Capacity
The size and capacity of a fridge have a significant impact on its power consumption. A refrigerator with a large size and capacity will consume more power than the smaller one.
2. Compressor
Older versions of fridges use compressors that remain fully on continuously. Nowadays, inverter technology is being used in refrigerators that consume less power.
3. Door Opening Frequency
Well, we're all guilty of doing that. Whenever you open your refrigerator door, warm air blows in the fridge from the surroundings, heating the chilled room. The compressor, therefore, needs to work harder to cool down the contents of the refrigerator and hence consumes more power.
4. Energy Star Ratings
Energy star fridges have more efficiency than their competitors with the same capacity. If your fridge is made before 2005, then probably it would not have BEE star ratings and will not be as effective as the modern fridge.
5. Ventilation
In all our homes this is largely overlooked. In the fridge, the warm air is generally removed and pumped into the surroundings, but if it's not vented correctly, the heat around warms the compressor thereby increasing the power consumption. It is therefore advised that your refrigerator and walls have an adequate gap between them for proper ventilation.
How to Reduce Power Consumption of the Refrigerator?
If you want to lower the power consumption of your fridge, then buying a refrigerator with high energy star ratings is the best option. Though, it will cost you more initially but will prove fruitful in the long term process. The below-mentioned points will assist you in reducing the power consumption of your appliance.
1. Place it in a Cool Place
The ideal spot to put your refrigerator is the cool area far from any heating sources, like big windows that receive plenty of sunlight, or an oven. Refrigerators are already working hard to evacuate warm air and are challenged when the air around them is warm.
2. Set the Right Temperature
A very chilly temperature of a fridge or freezer is a quick way to waste electricity. Ensure that the inner thermostats are adjusted to an appropriate temperature of 37 °F for the fridge section and 0 °F for the freezer compartment.
3. Store Cool Food and Keep it Full
Take the time to chill your hot residues before storing them in the refrigerator to avoid straining your compressor. Therefore, your refrigerator should only be provided with ambient temperatures or cold food.
In addition, ensure that you keep your freezer almost full. So the compressor does not need to put additional work into cooling down vacant space.
4. Do not Keep the Door Open
One technique to overcome negative habits in terms of energy use is to prevent the fridge door from remaining open for a long. The compressor starts when the door is open and more energy is consumed to cool the items again. Make every effort to take everything you want from the refrigerator as quickly as possible and close the door.
We, at Refrigerator Guide, expect that this article would have helped you in understanding everything about the power consumption of a refrigerator. You can lower the power consumption of your fridge by following some simple tips as mentioned above.