MetaEfficient Reviews » Refrigerators

The Best Chest Freezers 2009

Justin — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 18:17:53 +0000

When researching energy efficient appliances, we often turn to the recommendations of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). The ACEEE continues to publish helpful information about all sorts of appliances, including freezers. The ninth edition of their Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings, published in fall 2007, contains helpful information about selecting a freezer.

The most efficient type of freezer is the chest freezer. This is because a chest freezer opens from the top, and cold air (which is heavier than warm air) does escape easily from a chest freezer. The weight of the lid also helps to seal chest freezers tightly. Chest freezers are 10% to 25% more efficient than upright freezers.

A useful thing to know about U.S. freezers is they’re almost all manufactured by three companies: Frigidaire (owned by Electrolux), W.C. Wood (based in Canada) and Haier (based in China). Frigidaire makes freezers under the Frigidaire and Gibson names, and makes some freezers for Kenmore and GE. W.C. Wood makes freezers for Amana, Magic Chef, some units for Maytag, Danby and Whirlpool. Haier makes freezers for GE, Kenmore, some units for Maytag and Amana in addition to selling some models under its own name.

Because of the different branding, many times customer are paying a premium for a differently branded freezer. For example, Frigidaire freezers sometimes cost more than GE freezers and Maytag freezers may fetch a premium over a W.C. Wood freezer.

Recently, the US Department of Energy launched the Recycle My Old Fridge campaign that encourages Americans to recycle their old, inefficient refrigerators. The web site includes a calculator so users can determine how much energy their current refrigerator consumes, what they can save by replacing it with a new Energy Star model, and where they can take the old fridge to be recycled locally.

Here’s a look at the most efficient chest freezers currently available:

Whirlpool Chest Freezers

Whirlpool Chest Freezer: Energy Star Qualified

Whirlpools makes a very energy efficient chest freezer, model number EH151FXR (similar models are EH151FXQ or EH150FXQ). This 14.8-cubic-foot freezer is rated at 354 kWhrs per year. The average cost to run this freezer for year is $29, according to Energy Star.

Though it requires manual defrosting, it sport a number of other features including an interior light and a temperature alarm. Its key-eject lock means that the freezer can only be opened when the key is pushed in and turned — a safety feature helpful in homes with small children. Four baskets (two upper, two lower) make it easier to organize the contents — especially on the lower level.

It’s available from Amazon for $405.

Sundanzer DC-Powered Chest Freezers

Sundanzer DC Chest Freezer

The most efficient DC-powered chest freezer is the SunDanzer. This eight-cubic-foot capacity freezer has an exceptionally low energy consumption — it uses around 140 kWhr / year. It incorporates the highly efficient Danforst compressor. It also has a super-insulated cabinet that is wrapped in four inches of polyurethane. Because it runs on either 12 or 24 volts DC, the SunDanzer freezer is mostly used in off-grid homes or in remote locations, because a 75 watts solar panel and and two six-volt golf cart batteries can power the freezer.

It’s available from the Alternative Energy Store

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Cube Gadget For Fridges Could Slash Electrical Use

Justin — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 05:37:41 +0000

The e-cube, invented by British engineers, significantly reduces the energy used by fridges and freezers, which are estimated to consume about a fifth of all domestic electricity in the UK. The one-size-fits-all, retrofit, wax device, barely three inches wide, fits around the temperature sensor, to more accurately reflect the temperature of the contents. It said to cut power usage by 30%.

More information: The Guardian

Via: Free Energy News

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Top Rated, Energy Efficient Refrigerators

Justin — Wed, 21 Sep 2005 05:56:11 +0000

In terms of quality, cost and energy efficiency, Kenmore refrigerators get high ratings from Good Housekeeping and Consumer Reports. They make many “no-frills” refrigerators which are Energy Star compliant. Kenmore fridges have factory-installed ice makers, which are less prone to break down than those built into the door. For example, a reasonably priced, mid-sized Kenmore fridge is available from Sears for about $430. In my experience as an owner, however, I’ve found that Kenmore shelves and drawers tend to break very easily.

Top-freezer and bottom-freezer refrigerators are more energy efficient than “side-by-side” models, and they are less expensive. See this report from the Green Guide, for a list of the best Energy Star compliant refrigerators.

If you are looking for highly efficient refrigerator, look for models from Avanti and Sunfrost. These fridges are best if you are looking for great energy savings, or if you are off-grid and using solar power.

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Man Retrofits Freezer to Make an Ultra-Efficient Fridge

Justin — Mon, 25 Jul 2005 20:24:19 +0000

An off-grid experimenter in Australia, Tom Chalko, has retrofitted a chest freezer to create a fridge that uses only 100 watt-hours (0.1 kWh) per day! Why a chest freezer? Tom points out that vertical door refrigerators are inherently inefficient. As soon as you open a vertical fridge door the cold air escapes, simply because it is heavier than the warmer air in the room. When you open a chest freezer, the cool air stays inside, just because it’s heavy. Any leak or wear in a vertical door seal causes significant loss of efficiency.

Tom took a standard chest freezer (a Vestfrost SE255), added a $40 external thermostat, then wired the freezer to turn off when the desired temperature was reached. The thermostat runs on 2 AAA batteries which last for months. The freezer runs for about 90 seconds per hour and then shuts down completely, making it not only very efficient but very quiet.

Full article from Build It Solar (PDF File)

Via: Treehugger

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Sunfrost Refrigerators

Justin — Thu, 29 Jul 2004 06:38:14 +0000

Sunfrost refrigerators are the most efficient ones out there.

Here are the specs on a typical model:

Energy Consumption : 585-845 Whr / day (42-58 Amp Hours)
DC, 20 kWh / month, 249 kWh / year
Annual Energy Cost: $21
Capacity: 16 cu. ft.
Dimensions: 62.5″ H, 34.5″ W, 27.75″ D
Weight: 300 lb. (44 cu ft. volume)
Available from: Alternative Energy Store

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Avanti 1201W-01 CF Refrigerator (Mid Capacity)

Justin — Thu, 29 Jul 2004 06:37:15 +0000

Power Consumption: 277 kWh per year
Annual Energy Cost: $23
Capacity: 11.2 cu ft
Dimensions: 23.5" W, 66.75" H, 25" D
Weight: 130 lb.
Power: 120 V AC
Best Price: $320 (ikitchenbath.com)
also a counter-high version available at Amazon for
$139.88

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NovaKool RU7600-DC

Justin — Thu, 29 Jul 2004 06:36:30 +0000

Power Consumption: 480 watt hours/day or 240 watt hours /day
with insulation (70°F day)
Capacity: 7 cu. ft.
Dimensions: 18.5" W, 41" H, 28" D
Shipping weight: 138 lb.
Power: 12 or 24V DC
Best Price: $1196 (E-Marine)

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