Way too similar for comfort.
Yep, it's your fridge. And according to the EIA, your refrigerator is the second-largest electricity user in your home, second only to air conditioning. If you're like the average American, the good ol' ice-less ice chest in your kitchen consumes a whopping 14% of your electricity.
Newer refrigerator models are substantially more efficient, so replacement is a good option. Unfortunately for many apartmentizens, refrigerators are often the property of the landlord. It's the same story as the inefficient stove: both parties have incentive to pass the buck. The landlord isn't paying the bill, and the tenants don't stick around long enough to recoup the investment.
What's the next best thing? Eco-modding, of course!
The obvious is often the most overlooked: clean your refrigerator coils! Just like the heatsink in your computer and the radiator in your car, the coils release heat from the refrigerator into the air. The cleaner they are, the easier that happens.
The belly of the beast.
After un-plugging, it's time to get to work!
Before: not good
During: nasty work.
I also used an old sock to dislodge dust deep in the coils. The same sock n' vacuum technique worked well on the cooling fan, too (remember, unplugged).
Some refrigerators have the coils on the bottom, which makes them significantly less accessible than in this design. I'd recommend a dryer hose brush to get in there.
After: much win!
The protective cardboard panel and its mounting screws also found a home, thanks to scavenged hard-drive magnets.
Seriously, they can hold entire cookbooks.
Hopefully this will let the coils breathe better. I make sure to keep a gap of at least 2 inches between the fridge and the wall.
The second thing to consider is placement of your refrigerator. Keep it away from heat sources, like ovens, sunny windows, or register vents (mine was near two out of three). The temperature around the fridge makes a huge difference in how much power it uses.
Behavior is also important. Keep your fridge full, if necessary using sealed jugs of water. Make sure wet food stays covered – the extra moisture frosts up the fins, making that wasteful defrost cycle happen more often. Consider unscrewing the lightbulb, as it both consumes electricity and produces unnecessary heat. If your fridge has a "Energy saver/Less sweating" switch, make sure that it's in the right setting.
Two in one eco-mod shot!
The mind boggles…
'til next time, happy eco-modding!
Tom
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