been wondering if this idea actually holds water

Quest · 05-10-11, 08:55 AM

Hi all,

I been trying hard to challenge myself + my family in cutting down unneeded electricity usage (as much as possible, w/o spending too much on unnecessary upgrades, etc.) and one of the things I have in mind (and I need your expertise/experience on this so plse bear with me) is the idea of cutting down the electricity consumption on my chest freezer currently sitting/running in my separate car garage (unheated).

Say, for example: given a particular day, with typical freezer settings set to, say, -20C (just guessing, I don't have a thermometer for that yet) and the freezer cycles about, say, 6 times each @ 15mins (works out to 1.5hrs, just for the ease of calculation).

This freezer is currently about 45% filled.

Is it possible to cut down on cycling if I'm to fill the rest of the empty spots with water filled 2L pop bottles and then cut down the cycling further? (I can try by implementing a timer or so, thus limiting the cycling further (say, every 6hrs @ 15 mins each)?

What are you thoughts on this?

TIA.

Quest

Daox · 05-10-11, 09:10 AM

Yes, filling your freezer with water jugs will reduce cycling. However, when it does cycle it will just turn on for longer. So, you really won't save much if any power.

I would suggest is checking the seals, cleaning and defrosting it, and turning the temperature up as much as you are comfortable with. When I had a chest freezer, I turned it up all the way and it was still below 0F. I keep my fridge freezer at 5F.

Defrosting my chest freezer resulted in a 5% reduction in energy consumption (it was pretty bad admittedly). Turning the temperature up resulsted in another 8% reduction in energy consumption.

Piwoslaw · 05-10-11, 09:28 AM

Insulate it! Build a foam box around it, put foam on the lid with a lip extending below the seal (the seal is usually the thermal Achilles heel of a fridge or freezer). Just make sure that you don't block the airflow to and from the radiator. Also, if the space between the radiator and freezer wall/bottom is large enough, you can put some thin insulation there, maybe with a radiant barrier on one side.

Something more extreme would be to hack it: Replace the radiator with a larger one and mount it farther away from the freezer's side.

With a timer you should watch out, because the temperature may rise too high. How hot does the garage get in the summer? Maybe you could move the freezer to the house/basement, or turn it off completely, during the hottest months?

Xringer · 05-10-11, 06:07 PM

I have read postings about people buy a freezer (chest type) with super good insulation,
then sticking a temperature sensor inside, that controls the AC power input..

Basically changing the setpoint above freezing.. Then using the chest as a regular refrigerator.
The people who do this kind of stuff might live down-under, in the outback? OTG on PV.

S-F · 05-10-11, 06:55 PM

Xringer, you can just get a replacement thermostat for chest freezers which turn them into refrigerators.

Xringer · 05-10-11, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by S-F

Xringer, you can just get a replacement thermostat for chest freezers which turn them into refrigerators.

I don't think that type of icebox works for old folks.. Bad backs ya know..

05-10-11, 08:55 AM	#1
Quest Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Canada Posts: 109 Thanks: 13 Thanked 13 Times in 11 Posts	been wondering if this idea actually holds water Hi all, I been trying hard to challenge myself + my family in cutting down unneeded electricity usage (as much as possible, w/o spending too much on unnecessary upgrades, etc.) and one of the things I have in mind (and I need your expertise/experience on this so plse bear with me) is the idea of cutting down the electricity consumption on my chest freezer currently sitting/running in my separate car garage (unheated). Say, for example: given a particular day, with typical freezer settings set to, say, -20C (just guessing, I don't have a thermometer for that yet) and the freezer cycles about, say, 6 times each @ 15mins (works out to 1.5hrs, just for the ease of calculation). This freezer is currently about 45% filled. Is it possible to cut down on cycling if I'm to fill the rest of the empty spots with water filled 2L pop bottles and then cut down the cycling further? (I can try by implementing a timer or so, thus limiting the cycling further (say, every 6hrs @ 15 mins each)? What are you thoughts on this? TIA. Quest

05-10-11, 09:10 AM	#2
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	Yes, filling your freezer with water jugs will reduce cycling. However, when it does cycle it will just turn on for longer. So, you really won't save much if any power. I would suggest is checking the seals, cleaning and defrosting it, and turning the temperature up as much as you are comfortable with. When I had a chest freezer, I turned it up all the way and it was still below 0F. I keep my fridge freezer at 5F. Defrosting my chest freezer resulted in a 5% reduction in energy consumption (it was pretty bad admittedly). Turning the temperature up resulsted in another 8% reduction in energy consumption. __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Last edited by Daox; 05-10-11 at 09:14 AM..

05-10-11, 09:28 AM	#3
Piwoslaw Super Moderator Join Date: May 2009 Location: Warsaw, Poland Posts: 961 Thanks: 188 Thanked 110 Times in 86 Posts	Insulate it! Build a foam box around it, put foam on the lid with a lip extending below the seal (the seal is usually the thermal Achilles heel of a fridge or freezer). Just make sure that you don't block the airflow to and from the radiator. Also, if the space between the radiator and freezer wall/bottom is large enough, you can put some thin insulation there, maybe with a radiant barrier on one side. Something more extreme would be to hack it: Replace the radiator with a larger one and mount it farther away from the freezer's side. With a timer you should watch out, because the temperature may rise too high. How hot does the garage get in the summer? Maybe you could move the freezer to the house/basement, or turn it off completely, during the hottest months? __________________ Ecorenovation - the bottomless piggy bank that tries to tame the energy hog.

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05-10-11, 06:07 PM	#4
Xringer Lex Parsimoniae Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Woburn, MA Posts: 4,918 Thanks: 114 Thanked 250 Times in 230 Posts	I have read postings about people buy a freezer (chest type) with super good insulation, then sticking a temperature sensor inside, that controls the AC power input.. Basically changing the setpoint above freezing.. Then using the chest as a regular refrigerator. The people who do this kind of stuff might live down-under, in the outback? OTG on PV.

05-10-11, 06:55 PM	#5
S-F You Ain't Me Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Northampton MA Posts: 662 Thanks: 6 Thanked 71 Times in 58 Posts	Xringer, you can just get a replacement thermostat for chest freezers which turn them into refrigerators.