My uncle visited last night, he has worked in the whiteware business for 20 years. His energy efficiency tip was to keep the top of your fridge free from dust and dont put stuff on top of it, it will run alot more efficiently. He also mentioned that when buying a washing machine front loaders save water but they can use alot of electricity when they heat the water - could be worth checking when considering your purchase
Submitted by mady on 19 December 2008 10:51:56
Comments
Interesting tips, Mady! I am currently using the top of my fridge to store coffee mugs, so I might have to rethink that. I assume the reason is that the fridge needs to have good air-flow around it so it can disperse its heat properly. I might have to find some kind of rack to keep the mugs on, as cupboard space is at a premium in our little kitchen. But thanks for prompting me to think about it.
Submitted by Lindis on 13 January 2009 12:34:54
Thats a great tip! We have a bunch of things on top of our fridge at home, I think I'll have a chat with my flaties and see if we can find a new home for them :)
Talking about fridges if you suspect your fridge needs new seals then you can do the fridge seal test. All you need to do is insert a piece of paper between the door as you close it. If the door remains closed your seal is fine, if not then it is time to look at getting your fridge resealed. That should help save on power!
Submitted by Tink on 15 April 2009 16:43:45
More tips, courtesy of EECA, to keep your fridge operating efficiently!
* Clean and check the seals on the door regularly.
* If your fridge/freezer doesn't auto-defrost, make sure you defrost as
required (when the ice build up is more than 2cm thick)
* Make sure there's an air gap all around your fridge (check the manual to find out
how big the gap needs to be).
Another test for checking fridge seals on your fridge is to turn a torch on and put it in the fridge with the door closed. If you can see light through the seals, they need replacing.
Submitted by Tink on 24 April 2009 12:59:00
Someone once gave me this excellent tip for making your freezer easy to defrost:
After you have defrosted and cleaned your freezer, wipe a small amount of glycerine on the interior walls of the freezer compartment. It will be slower to frost up, and when it does it's easy to remove the ice in big sheets because it just slides off the glycerine!
Also a tip for deodorising your fridge: Keep a small, open container of baking soda in the fridge to absorb odours. You can also put a few drops of vanilla on a cottonwool ball and leave it inside the fridge to help disguise any unpleasant smells.
And always cover food in the fridge or freezer. It helps to stop food being tainted by other smells, stops the moisture getting out of the food and adding to the frosting-up problem, and of course it makes the food last longer so you don't end up wasting it.
And while we're on the subject, always close the fridge door! I'm often surprised to see people leave their fridge doors open while they turn away and pour glasses of juice etc. Every second the door is open you're losing valuable chilled air and allowing warmer, damper air into the fridge compartment. This both uses more power to cool the air down again and results in the fridge frosting up and becoming less efficient.
Submitted by Lindis on 28 April 2009 14:29:21
A tip to make your fridge or freezer run more efficiently: Keep it full. If this means putting in empty ice cream cartons to plug the gaps, then do so. This stops the cold air escaping everytime you open the door.
Submitted by Valerie Jabir on 13 May 2009 15:46:27
I've heard that tip before, Valerie (from a scientist who should know what he's talking about). He said one of the reasons beer fridges are inefficient is because they are often run virtually empty. His conclusion was to drink more beer! (or put soft drink bottles full of water in there when beer stocks are low).
Submitted by Lindis on 22 May 2009 13:26:07