Consider: Freezer Reviews and Ratings, Freezer Parts, Ice Maker Reviews and Ratings, and Ice Maker Parts.
If you are in market to buy a new Refrigerator/Freezer, go with an ENERGYSTAR qualified unit. However, here are some tips to make your existing freezer more efficient!
- Start by setting the refrigerator thermostat to maintain a temperature between 38 and 42 degrees Fahrenheit and the freezer thermostat to maintain a temperature between 0 and 5 degrees Fahrenheit. These temperatures will protect your food from spoiling while saving electricity. You may need to buy a fridge thermometer to do this, but they're cheap and you can pass it along to friends and family so they can do the same.
- Clean your fridge's condenser coils every few months. Removing dust and dirt from the condenser coils, found either behind or under your fridge, will improve the air circulation and efficiency.
- Make sure there are several inches of space between the back of the refrigerator and the wall. If the refrigerator is pushed up against the wall, heat gets trapped and causes the refrigerator to work harder.
- Fridges and freezers will use less energy if they're not near anything that heats up the room. If possible, put the refrigerator out of direct sunlight and away from the oven and dishwasher.
- If you're fridge has a power-save switch, use it.
- Be aware that "extra features" drain energy. If you aren't using them regularly, make sure they are turned off so they won't be using energy and raising your bill.
- Fill it up! A well-stocked freezer and fridge uses less electricity. Keep pitchers of water or blocks of ice in your fridge or freezer to prevent warm air from heating things up every time you open the door.
- Defrost your freezer regularly and give it a good scrub. A cleaned-up freezer requires less electricity to maintain a cool temperature.
- If you don't use the automatic ice maker, turn it off, especially if your freezer is on the top or bottom. It takes energy to pump water to the dispenser.
- And remember what mom used to say about deciding what you want to eat before you open the door.
The right home improvement products, techniques, and services:
Contractors, home improvement stores, and specialty shops in your area may not yet have a complete familiarity with the ‘green’ opportunities, products, system integration, and overall savings potential. So, you may get some resistance, since people in general are typically more comfortable recommending something that they are already familiar with rather than something new. To help break the inertia, use the information across this website like our Return on Investment Master ROI Table. Also feel free to post a question in our forum on the message board about a particular need for your home relative to your area. Our team has spent multiple years aggregating research from public and private sector performance reports and from manufacturers and homeowners across the country in order to provide you with the perspective you may need to see the initial payback and long term advantages. Environmental enthusiasts and leading institutions like the American Institute of Architects and the National Association of Realtors, see the value and link into our resources to support their members.
The Green Home:
For your overall home improvement, you can save money, improve your family’s health, and save the planet. Find out for free how much it will cost to do different types of home improvement in your home from a qualified and member approved contractor in your area. Get a FREE Quote . Plus, regardless of the size and scope of your home improvement project, save money and keep your home clean with the top rated chemical free and concentrated Green Home Cleaning Products.
Home Improvement Basics:
When it comes to home improvement basics, look for interior home improvements like creating a clean, safe, and healthy home through sustainable ‘green’ furniture, home décor, zero VOC and Interior Paint, plus ENERGY STAR Appliances and Electronics. For energy and utility savings you can focus on insulation and air sealing, windows, doors, lighting and skylights, water saving plumbing opportunities, and high efficiency heating and air conditioning systems. On the outside of your house, look for exterior home improvement opportunities through landscape design and gardening plus solar energy, wind and other power sources. If you are undertaking a major home renovation, an additions, or building a new home, then take the lead to ‘go green’ in as many ways as possible to save money and the environment.
