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A refrigerator is not an appliance we can easily lose in our voyage to greener lifestyles. But, we can substantially reduce the energy our refrigerator uses with a few simple tips.
- Keep the coils clear of collected dirt to keep your refrigerator running efficiently. Make sure you un-plug your refrigerator before you do this. First, find the narrow nozzle accessory for your vacuum cleaner and attach it to the hose. Remove the cover panel at the bottom of the refrigerator to reveal the coils and vacuum out the coils. Finally, replace the cover and plug the refrigerator in.
- Prevent your refrigerator door from leaking valuable cold air. To test, close the door on a dollar bill, then see how easy it is to remove the bill. If easy, replace seals to maximize insulation of the refrigerator.
- Maximize air circulation around your refrigerator. Keep a few inches of space between the refrigerator, cabinets and countertops.
- Set the refrigerator temperature between 35 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit and the freezer temperature at 0 degrees. Temperatures any colder can use 25% or more energy and are not necessary for keeping food cool.
- Keep your refrigerator full but not overstuffed. Full refrigerators help the refrigerator recover more easily from opening the door. If you do not have much food in your refrigerator, place containers full of water inside in order to have the same efficiency as a full refrigerator.
- Choose your grub before opening the door. If you think about what you want to eat or drink prior to opening the door, you can shut the door faster and release less cold air.
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I have a plug-in energy monitor on my two refrigerators. I know, it would be greener to have one but we have a big family. Anyway, the refrigerator that’s kept in a very cool garage uses half the energy of the one in the relatively warm kitchen. It’s certainly worth keeping it in the coolest part of the house if you can.