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Old 02-22-11, 04:45 PM   #5
RobertSmalls
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If the proposed mechanism by which this saves energy is by reducing the number of on/off cycles of the fridge, I would recommend adding thermal mass to the thermocouple that controls the fridge. However, on account of the wider swing, you'd need to lower the set temperature slightly to keep food just as long.

Another way to decrease the number of cycles is to run the fridge on a timer that can be set to power the fridge for, say, the first 30 minutes of every 2hr period, though that has drawbacks as well.

There is a saying: "That which is measured, improves." When you monitor your fuel economy or fridge power consumption, you think about it more often. Perhaps you're more likely to be quick about door opening and closing, and maybe less likely to throw a hot plate of food in there. Maybe your diet shifted as well; who knows.

There is another possibility: What is the idle power consumption of your fridge when it's just doing nothing? Mine's nil, but sometimes it does a 20W "high idle", accompanied by a low rumble from the compressor.
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