Fridge, whats more efficient, fully stocked or just what you need.

[roguekiller23231]

so what would be more energy efficient, filling the fridge full or just putting in a few things?

the way i see it, if you fill the fridge, the items keep the fridge colder for longer, but it will take long to cool them. meaning longer periods before the compressor kicks in.

partially full, there is less items in the fridge that hold the coldness, so the fridge has to come on more often but for short periods to cool the few items.

obviously it would take more energy to cool the items from room temp to the fridges set temp, but i'm talking about maintaining the temps once they are atcheived.

[Anibal P]

I'm not a Hippy, things like this don't bother me

[neufuse Veteran]

I'm not a Hippy, things like this don't bother me

oh be quiet, I'm not a hippie either, but I don't like wasteing my darn money on electric... it DOES cost me something for a fridge to run less efficient... saving money != hippie

I bought the most energy efficient fridge I could when I bought my new house, why? because I spent all my darn money buying a house, I wanted to save money on electric bills!

[spikey_richie]

We have 5 levels of chill on our fridge, when it's not very well stocked I knock it down to the lowest. When it's rammed, I turn it up to the highest.

[Growled Member]

the way i see it, if you fill the fridge, the items keep the fridge colder for longer, but it will take long to cool them. meaning longer periods before the compressor kicks in.

partially full, there is less items in the fridge that hold the coldness, so the fridge has to come on more often but for short periods to cool the few items.

That's what I say too. A fridge has a sensor and the compressor kicks in when the temp reading is above the set temp. Less things in there should mean less run time, and therefore it should be more efficient.

[neufuse Veteran]

That's what I say too. A fridge has a sensor and the compressor kicks in when the temp reading is above the set temp. Less things in there should mean less run time, and therefore it should be more efficient.

but then you get people say the complete opposite, more things = more cooling stored so less cooling needed... no idea what to believe... i think what people need is better insulated fridges, and higher efficiency compressors not more or less in it

[+Xinok Subscriber²]

I'm guessing there's a peak efficiency somewhere in between near empty and near full. If the fridge is too full, then the fridge has to work harder to move enough air to keep everything cool. But if the fridge is too empty, this will mean greater fluctuations in temperature, though I'm not sure if this mean the fridge runs more often or for longer.

[DonnieJim]

I always get a kick out of some of these questions that get asked on a tech website.....you could have had a correct answer with google...but, maybe it's just for bored conversation

[HawkMan]

We have 5 levels of chill on our fridge, when it's not very well stocked I knock it down to the lowest. When it's rammed, I turn it up to the highest.

firstly that's a temperature setting, unless your fridge is from like the 50's. secondly it should be set to 4 unless your fridge setting is wrong, put a thermometer in it, and set it to whatever setting gives it 4 degrees Celsius inside. in fact it's likely that when you turn "down" the fridge, you're actually setting it colder and this using more energy. depend on the manufacturer though.

either way you shouldn't adjust the setting based on the amount of food, it should be adjusted to whatever setting gives you 4 degree celsius.

[leesmithg]

Only fill your refrigerator around 3/5 full.

Otherwise there will not be a good flow of cooling and some will stay warm (usually the top) and the other parts will ice up.

[HawkMan]

oh be quiet, I'm not a hippie either, but I don't like wasteing my darn money on electric... it DOES cost me something for a fridge to run less efficient... saving money != hippie

I bought the most energy efficient fridge I could when I bought my new house, why? because I spent all my darn money buying a house, I wanted to save money on electric bills!

Actually, a fridge, uses EXTREMELY little energy, provided you don't keep the door open. but among the electric goods in your house, the fridge uses least of all most likely.

the amount of food in the fridge doesn't matter, as the OP sort of figured out in his original reasoning, it'll use the same amount of energy, just either take longer between using the compressor or using it shorter for more often. but even this won't matter much.

The only thing you have to check, and this has nothing to do with energy use is that you don't put hot food in the fridge. the reason for this is that it increases the temperature in the fridge, won't really affect energy use, but you shouldn't increase the temp it causes food to go bad faster and condensation. some fridges allows you to lower the temperature two r so degrees before putting in food. But this button has to be pressed well in advance of actually putting in food. (Think the day before when you know you're going to the store to buy food for the whole month). Freezers often also have this setting and allows you to press the freeze in button the day before shopping, and will lower the temperature from -18 to -22 to -24 freezing the food faster and reducing/preventing the temperature increase in the freezer.

But for anyone who wants to save energy, the Fridge, freezer and dishwasher are the least of your problem, the one thing that costs you most energy in your house, hot water. (provided you're the one providing the power to the water heater.

[Growled Member]

I have a Fridge/Freezer combo unit and I can set the temp for each compartment. I'm glad we got that kind instead of a 5 setting deal. We usually set the Fridge for 36 and the Freezer for 0. I have no idea if that is the ideal settings but it works for me.

[123456789A]

I use a Sub Zero refrigerator/freezer. It's awesome. Costs about $3 a month in electricity to operate it.

[HawkMan]

but then you get people say the complete opposite, more things = more cooling stored so less cooling needed... no idea what to believe... i think what people need is better insulated fridges, and higher efficiency compressors not more or less in it

Provided the fridge is fairly new (less than 30 or so years) the insulation isn't a problem. the fridge is efficient enough anyway. The new fridges do however have better insulation, however, this is used to make thinner walls on the fridges and give more usable volume. as the fridge insulation is already efficient enough, after all, your fridge walls don't feel cold to the touch do they.

I have a Fridge/Freezer combo unit and I can set the temp for each compartment. I'm glad we got that kind instead of a 5 setting deal. We usually set the Fridge for 36 and the Freezer for 0. I have no idea if that is the ideal settings but it works for me.

if it translates to +4 celsius and -18 celsius, it's correct.

[pack34]

so what would be more energy efficient, filling the fridge full or just putting in a few things?

the way i see it, if you fill the fridge, the items keep the fridge colder for longer, but it will take long to cool them. meaning longer periods before the compressor kicks in.

partially full, there is less items in the fridge that hold the coldness, so the fridge has to come on more often but for short periods to cool the few items.

obviously it would take more energy to cool the items from room temp to the fridges set temp, but i'm talking about maintaining the temps once they are atcheived.

Figure out how much space you need and fill the rest with two liter bottles of water.

[neufuse Veteran]

Actually, a fridge, uses EXTREMELY little energy, provided you don't keep the door open. but among the electric goods in your house, the fridge uses least of all most likely.

the amount of food in the fridge doesn't matter, as the OP sort of figured out in his original reasoning, it'll use the same amount of energy, just either take longer between using the compressor or using it shorter for more often. but even this won't matter much.

The only thing you have to check, and this has nothing to do with energy use is that you don't put hot food in the fridge. the reason for this is that it increases the temperature in the fridge, won't really affect energy use, but you shouldn't increase the temp it causes food to go bad faster and condensation. some fridges allows you to lower the temperature two r so degrees before putting in food. But this button has to be pressed well in advance of actually putting in food. (Think the day before when you know you're going to the store to buy food for the whole month). Freezers often also have this setting and allows you to press the freeze in button the day before shopping, and will lower the temperature from -18 to -22 to -24 freezing the food faster and reducing/preventing the temperature increase in the freezer.

But for anyone who wants to save energy, the Fridge, freezer and dishwasher are the least of your problem, the one thing that costs you most energy in your house, hot water. (provided you're the one providing the power to the water heater.

I just picked a random energy star rated fridge from lowes... averages 448 KW/h a year.. that's about on average $60 to run... that's an efficient one... a non energy star one now 890 KW/h.... I don't care if it "uses less then everything else in your house" it still adds up.... 500 KW/h less a year is still $60 a year I don't have to spend on electric :) but the reason I used this example, is because how stocked the fridge is really does not matter, it's how efficient the compressor is and how much its opened

[*RedBull*]

That's what I say too. A fridge has a sensor and the compressor kicks in when the temp reading is above the set temp. Less things in there should mean less run time, and therefore it should be more efficient.

I agree with this. Cause it works for a freezer. Fill the freezer so it holds the cold longer. put more in a cooler to keep things cooler longer. Why would you put less ice in a cooler? ;)

[HawkMan]

you americans and your oversized crazy fridges.

anyway the amount of stuff in the fridge won't affect the energy used. we don't use energy star over there though, they're all marked with the new EU energy rating, and all fridges are A nowadays meaning they had to ad A+, A++, and A+++

Looking at a fairly big (180tall, 350 liter) pure fridge, with an A+ rating. It uses about 139 KWh a year,

a similar A++ Samsungs (180, 350L) uses 118, effectively over the year there's no difference. besides anyone who buys Samsung white goods will be tearing their hair out for other reasons than power bills anyway.

I can't even imagine a fridge using 450 KWh a year, much less almost 900. That must be some American made stuff, using same technology you use to make engines, whole lot of liter, not a lot of horsepower :p

Just to get the 450 value to make any sense I would have to imagine an oversize two door fridge. Which will use a lot more energy since the energy marking will usually count an opening as opening both doors, and even if you open just one, the double ones are horribly inefficient in that the inside temperature goes down a lot more. you'd be far better of with two single fridges side by side.

seriously... how is 890 even possible... heck I can't even get 450 to make sense....

I agree with this. Cause it works for a freezer. Fill the freezer so it holds the cold longer. put more in a cooler to keep things cooler longer. Why would you put less ice in a cooler? ;)

Doesn't matter the net energy usage is the same.

More stuff in the freezer, means longer time for the compressor to stay one, and longer between each time it goes one.

Less stuff in the freezer means faster to cool down, but also shroter times between on periods.

in the end the net result is the same, just 1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1=8 instead of 4+4=8.

[siah1214]

I think it's a better question to ask: will you eat all the food you have in your refrigerator before it goes bad? That's why me and my wife keep only what we'll eat over the next few days so nothing goes bad. Makes the fridge look pretty empty, but oh well.

[neufuse Veteran]

you americans and your oversized crazy fridges.

anyway the amount of stuff in the fridge won't affect the energy used. we don't use energy star over there though, they're all marked with the new EU energy rating, and all fridges are A nowadays meaning they had to ad A+, A++, and A+++

Looking at a fairly big (180tall, 350 liter) pure fridge, with an A+ rating. It uses about 139 KWh a year,

a similar A++ Samsungs (180, 350L) uses 118, effectively over the year there's no difference. besides anyone who buys Samsung white goods will be tearing their hair out for other reasons than power bills anyway.

I can't even imagine a fridge using 450 KWh a year, much less almost 900. That must be some American made stuff, using same technology you use to make engines, whole lot of liter, not a lot of horsepower :p

Just to get the 450 value to make any sense I would have to imagine an oversize two door fridge. Which will use a lot more energy since the energy marking will usually count an opening as opening both doors, and even if you open just one, the double ones are horribly inefficient in that the inside temperature goes down a lot more. you'd be far better of with two single fridges side by side.

seriously... how is 890 even possible... heck I can't even get 450 to make sense....

Doesn't matter the net energy usage is the same.

More stuff in the freezer, means longer time for the compressor to stay one, and longer between each time it goes one.

Less stuff in the freezer means faster to cool down, but also shroter times between on periods.

in the end the net result is the same, just 1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1=8 instead of 4+4=8.

Didn't know LG and Samsung was american made, so, yeah attempt to troll america = fail...

please show me a fridge that is standard size in the USA below 400 KW/h? Heck most of the normal fridges I've looked up for European areas are not too different in size or wattage, only difference is a lot of them run on 220v instead of 110v

heck this small 4.4 cubic ft firge still uses 274 KW/h on average in a year

http://www.lowes.com...r%7C1=

and that is a whole 4.4 cu ft small one! I think your idea of how much electric a firdge uses is a little skewed

I just looked up the same LG one I looked up for the USA at 450 watts, the UK version uses a whole......461 watts and is rated A+ and that was 352 cu liter

[Hum]

I read years ago, that your should keep the freezer section full, and the fridge part, as just what you need.

This saves energy. ;)

[threetonesun]

For the refrigerator, I don't know that you would see a difference in terms of electricity either way, or I should say, it depends on the refrigerator. For the freezer, yeah, fill it up, it'll keep it colder, and should you lose power, the food will keep longer.

[HawkMan]

and that is a whole 4.4 cu ft small one! I think your idea of how much electric a firdge uses is a little skewed

Except I sell them as part of my job, an as I demonstrated above a 180 tall 350L fridge, is from 140 KWh a year. 400+ is just ridiculous.

I looked up a cheap ass Beko (cheap crap store brand). that is a double wide with freezer. it's listed at 455KWh a year. BUT the bottom of this is a freezer so it'll use a lot more of course, and it'll lose almost twice as much energy because it's a double door fridge and freezer. and because the way euro energy marking is done, both doors have to be opened when measuring energy usage (they're opened a certain amount of times per day, equal to the average amount of times a family would open the fridge) which would let in a lot more hot air than opening just one which any sensible person at home would. you can pretty much assume that 75% of those 455KWh is the freezer though.

And while I would never buy any Samsung white goods myself, some of their fridges actually have a clever solution with a bar door. A small "flap" door that you can open to get stuff form the middle shelf, like milk or drinks or anything really, this would pretty much reduce your energy usage by a significant amount as it would allow you to lose far less energy when getting stuff for lunch or stuff like that.

lesson learnt from this, if you want to save money on your fridge, don't keep the door open. put however much or little in it as you want, keep it at 4C. but don't keep the door open more than you have to.

Either way, I don't see any reasonable way pure ridge would use even half of 400 KWh a year.

Also don't argue the energy usage with a European since Europe has REALLY strict rules about the energy usage, we're not even allowed to sell white good below a certain energy grade, and at store ALL white good must be marked with the euro standard energy markings, which lists all the energy usage and vital details of the product.

[neufuse Veteran]

Except I sell them as part of my job, an as I demonstrated above a 180 tall 350L fridge, is from 140 KWh a year. 400+ is just ridiculous.

give me model numbers, because I want to see what is out there, everything I've looked up is similar to the USA models

[HawkMan]

Samsung Twin RR82FESW1 - Class A+ 139KWh

Samsung Twin RR82HFBC - Class A++ 112KWh

Beko GNE114612W - 455KWh, combined dual door fridge and freezer, this one is high because of dual doors and mostly the freezer part.

and some high quality stuff to compare

http://www.miele.no/no/husholdning/produkter/1278_K_13820_SD-50384.htm

390L, 155KWh, Energy class A+