A freezer is vital in the day to day survival of many families. It gives them the power to buy in bulk or save their leftovers, and know that their food will stay good for a very long time, which really helps out in today’s economy. While freezing food can save a lot on your grocery bill, if you are not putting into practice the proper methods to ensure that your freezer is running as efficiently as possible, you may be over paying for your energy bill.
- Regular Maintenance
One of the most important and easiest things people can do to keep their freezers from wasting valuable energy is to regularly maintain and clean them. Cleaning can be done quite easily with the aid of a lukewarm soapy rag and some elbow grease. Start with the exterior by inspecting the coils and other components on the back of the freezer for dust and grime, and wiping accordingly with your cleaning cloth. Cleaning the interior is best done at a time when the freezer can be emptied of all food, and unplugged for defrosting, since the accumulation of frost can have very negative effects on the efficiency of the unit. Once all of the ice has melted away, wipe the freezer box out with your soapy rag. Be sure the interior is completely dry before plugging your freezer back in.
- Freezer Size and Amount of Food
The more empty space that there is inside of your freezer, the more work it has to do to keep the air inside icy cold. This is why it is a good idea when you are looking at freezers, that you take into consideration exactly how much room you really need. If you are living alone, or don’t intend on keeping large amounts of food around all the time, then you are in luck; there are many very small and highly energy efficient models on the market that run on next to nothing, and are perfect for your situation.
- A Proper Seal
If you notice that you are hearing the compressor on your freezer kick on quite often, then a faulty seal around the door may be the culprit. If it is not air tight, then precious cold energy may be constantly seeping out of the edges, making your freezer work double duty. A door with a good seal will provide some resistance when the door is opened, instead of it just flying open effortlessly. If a seal is in very bad shape, the door may just pop open on its own sometimes, which is how many freezers can really wreak havoc on your energy bill.
- Temperature Regulation
Keeping your freezer at a constant and correct temperature is another helpful measure you can take in the war against high energy costs. How can this be done? For one thing, be sure to have the temperature knob adjusted to the correct setting. Once something is frozen, then it’s, well, frozen…and this can be achieved at -18 degrees Celsius; anything more is just wastefulness. Another thing you can do is to monitor your practices while opening and shutting the door. Try not to stand with the door hanging open for long periods of time while multi-tasking, or perhaps getting lost in your thoughts. If you have ever noticed that the compressor often kicks on after you have had the door opened for a while, this is the freezer using energy to make up for the loss of so much cold air.
Image: becoming green
Attached Images:
- License: Creative Commons image source
Phil Turner has three freezers, and the two that are not auto-defrost always need defrosting, a sure sign of a faulty seal . . . One day . . .