State of the Art ... Refrigerator?

[AC_Hacker]

Originally Posted by Ryland

Why do you need a freezer in your fridge?

Danby, huh?

I'm doing OK with a 3.2 cubic foot refrig. that I got at a thrift store for $20. Mine has a freezer which is worthless. I'm thinking about upscaling to a 4.4 cubic foot refrig, with no freezer.

I'm looking at someting LIKE THIS...

I'm not so crazy about Walmart, but they had a good picture.

The power consumption looks surprisingly high, considering the small size. I think that by defeating the de-frost system, a lot more energy could be reduced.

I also don't usually drink anything that comes out of a can or bottle, so that feature is a burden to me.

This is definitely NOT a state of the art refrig, but it is thrifty.

...and I have a freezer down cellar.

-AC

[AC_Hacker]

I'm still considering the all-refrig shown above, but I have that nagging voice in the background telling me that I should convert a freezer to an ultra-high efficiency refrigerator.

So, mousing about through the web, I came across this little beauty:

Look how thick and EcoConservative the insulation is!

Then, just a few mouse gestures away, I found this:

Look how cool and geeky the digital readout is!

Need I say more???

-AC

[ELGo]

I replaced a 20 year old fridge last year (before I went off the deep end conservation wise) with the most efficient fridge I could find in a retail shop.

It ended up being a Whirlpool 20 cubic feet, bottom freezer. No ice outlet on the door. In our home its annual consumption is 1 kwh/day. EPA rates it 400 kwh/year. I will say that like with homes, the size can be deceiving. This fridge has excellent space design, and is big enough for our family of 4. IIRC it cost about $900 once my shopping skills were exhausted.

[ELGo]

Dr. Best's converted freezer is a great read, but I remain skeptical that his rationale is right. I have monitored my standard fridge/freezer for hours without opening it (late PM to early AM) and do not see the low power consumption I expect from not opening the door.

I suspect that no freezer and much better insulation are most of the explanation.

[ELGo]

This Bosch is rated 386 wh/day, although I do not know the testing protocol.

[NeilBlanchard]

Can you post a link to your Whirlpool, please? What is the freezer - a drawer or a door? If it is a drawer, does it have closed sides?

[ELGo]

Neil,

The fridge model is ItemDescription = 21.9 cu. ft. Single-Door Bottom-Freezer Refrigerator
(GB2FHDX)

I'll take a picture of the freezer drawer open later.

[AC_Hacker]

Originally Posted by ELGo

Neil,

The fridge model is ItemDescription = 21.9 cu. ft. Single-Door Bottom-Freezer Refrigerator
(GB2FHDX)

I'll take a picture of the freezer drawer open later.

So am I to understand that you have one of these running on US grid power?

(Sorry, I thought you were talking about the amazing KGE39AI40...)

-AC

[ELGo]

Originally Posted by AC_Hacker

So am I to understand that you have one of these running on US grid power?

Yes -- apologies if I was unclear.

(Sorry, I thought you were talking about the amazing KGE39AI40...)

I *wish* I had that one
If my arithmetic is right it is small by US standards at 12 cubic feet, but even so it is remarkably efficient, and not horribly expensive.
I posted it for Neil's review. Every website I found though was European, so I doubt it can easily be bought here in the US.

[jeff5may]

European appliances are always going to be smaller and more energy-efficient in general. The reason being is that 90% or better of european consumers prefer the minimalist style of design. A big, American, cube refrigerator would look completely out of place, especially in some shade of beige or off-white. It would disrupt the sleek, almost tool box or medical look of the room. A typical euro-fridge-icebox would go in the same place as a dishwasher in America. Freezer down low, if it has one. It would look like just another cabinet.
For the lavish, built-in cabinet units are common. You wouldn't even know it was a refrigerator until you opened the door. Most are tall and narrow, like a pantry cabinet. They are smaller because the Europeans take pride in using fresh ingredients for meals and cooking from scratch in no time flat. In the time it would take me to make mac and cheese from a box and nuke some green giant vegetables, any self respecting Frenchman or Italian would have already made dinner for 4 and ate half of it. By the time I had sat down to eat my "30 minute meal", eurochef would be sipping on some alcoholic beverage I couldn't spell by listening to its name.