The refrigerator is one of those appliances that we do not appreciate enough, until it breaks in mid -August while we wait for frozen squid. This quiet and reliable friend works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. And since it works tirelessly, it also happily burns electricity, often more than we think.
How to set it correctly refrigerator? Here is a trick that many neglect: a small adjustment inside refrigerator (Yes, that strange wheel with numbers can significantly reduce electricity bills, especially in the winter months, when external nature carries out half of the cooling instead of appliances.
A simple setting that reduces the energy consumption of the refrigerator
Most refrigerators have an option for temperature setting, usually between 1 and 5 (or 6 if it is a more ambitious model). In summer, most people automatically raise the cooling setting, which is logical. And in winter? Nature is already doing you a favor: you can reduce the cooling power without worries and therefore also the consumption of electricity.
In winter it is more than enough to set the temperature on 2 or 3, sometimes even on 1. The temperature at level 1 usually maintains the interior between 2 and 5 ° C, which is more than enough to keep food fresh. You can also adjust the freezer temperature: even if you have half a ton of autumn fruit for the winter, lower the freezer temperature will still be safe in most cases.
In conclusion? Less cooling = less work for the compressor = lower electric bill = more money for wine that you will still keep in the same refrigerator.
The refrigerator is not only “on/off”: it adapts to your needs
Seasonal changes are not the only reason to change the refrigerator settings. The amount of food that is kept in the refrigerator is also important.
- Empty cold room? Reducing refrigeration is not the ideal solution for a fruit museum.
- Full refrigerator? Increases the temperature (but not too much): more content means more work for your cooling system.
- Fresh fish in the freezer? Keep the settings at about -18 ° C: the bacteria are stubborn, but this temperature keeps them dormant, as in a frozen TV series on Netflix.
Bonus: additional tricks for a lower bill (without calling the electrician)
1. The positioning of the refrigerator is fundamental
If the refrigerator breathe to the left and you have stuck it between the wall and the oven, do not surprise yourself if it works like a heating device. Make sure there is a good ventilation behind and far from heat sources, because refrigerator and stove are not a couple who should live together.
See also
2. Do not be the one that fixes the refrigerator as if it were an abyss of existential crisis.
Whenever we leave the door open “only for a second”, that precious fresh environment goes on vacation. At that point the compressor works extraordinarily and you pay for this.
3. Use glass or ceramic, not plastic of the dinosaurs era
The glass and ceramic containers keep the cold better. In addition, they have a more elegant appearance if you want to impress during your visits.
4. Clean it as if you care
Check the grids every 1-3 months to check the possible accumulation of dust. The refrigerator is not a dust filter. If you don’t breathe, consume more electricity. If you consume more electricity, you are not on vacation.
Conclusion: Only one lap of wheel is missing
A small change, a big difference. With a single temperature variation you can reduce the consumption of electricity in winter without your yogurt suffering from heat strokes. Add a little strategic positioning, organization and basic cleaning and voila, your refrigerator will become a sample of energy.
And the best part of all this? It is not necessary to be an electric engineer, just be a slightly more careful user. Or at least someone who knows that the refrigerator knob is not only decorative.
