Appliances account for a large percentage of your annual energy bill. Spending a little time making sure they are running properly can save you lots of green!
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Make sure that your refrigerator has a few inches of space behind it so air can circulate around the condenser coils. The appliance that uses the most energy is the refrigerator.
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Dusty condenser coils cause your refrigerator to work harder, leading to higher bills, and a shorter life for the fridge. Clean them with a vacuum, duster, or a cleaner every three months to ensure it is running efficiently. If you have pets clean it every month. You can find vacuum attachments, dusters, and cleaner at www.apwagner.com
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How cold is your refrigerator? Having it too cold can be a waste of energy. It is recommended that the temperature for the refrigerator is 37 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and that the freezer is 0 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Is your refrigerator full? A fuller fridge ensures the temperature is evenly distributed. If you have a lot of room in your refrigerator, fill some containers with water, and fill in the space. If that doesn’t work, consider a smaller fridge.
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Make sure your fridge gasket is clean and does not have any holes or cracks in it. The gasket’s job is to keep the cold air in and the warm air out. If it is not working properly the refrigerator will work harder keeping the air cold, and thus lead to a larger energy bill.
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Wash clothes in cold water if possible. Most of the energy used for machine-washing clothes goes to heating the water.
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Is the lint screen on your dryer clean? A clogged lint screen makes the dryer use more energy. In addition to that it can also become a fire hazard.
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Dry one load right after the other. This will reduce warm-up and drying times.
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Set the fan on your central air conditioner to “on”, rather then “auto”. Doing this will circulate the air constantly, leading to a more evenly distributed temperature throughout the house.
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Maintain your central air conditioner by cleaning the compressor with a garden hose. Make sure the power-flow is off before you do this.
If your appliance is broken, don’t replace it, visit www.apwagner.com for all your appliance part needs, and detailed repair help!
May 23, 2008 at 2:55 pm |
i have read some articles about water cleanliness and would like to purchase a water filter. Do you have any suggestions on where I can find one?
May 23, 2008 at 3:11 pm |
Check out this link http://www.apwagner.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=555. It has exactly what your looking for!
June 19, 2008 at 9:49 am |
Somehow i missed the point. Probably lost in translation
Anyway … nice blog to visit.
cheers, Moxie.
March 16, 2009 at 11:51 pm |
I thought it was the freezer that was supposed to be full (boxes of water help) and that the refrigerator should have room for air circulation to be most efficient. ??
March 17, 2009 at 1:55 pm |
I don’t think it’s ever a good idea to over pack your freezer or fridge, but esp. your freezer. It’s the freezer that creates the cold air that circulates to your fridge. Over-stuffing your freezer might block valuable vents needed for the cold air made in your freezer to travel to your fridge.
Read this for more details:
Can I pack my freezer too full?
http://www.apwagner.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=835
July 3, 2009 at 4:23 pm |
i am buying an energy efficient chest freezer (Kenmore 13 cu ft) and want to put it in my garage. it is NOT an attached garage (so stays cold during the winter) and becasue it is brick and sheltered by trees, stays cool in the summer. i live in Maryland where it gets below freezing in the winter. i plan to cover it with blankets in the summer (will obviously leave the back and bottom uncovered so motor has air). but my question is about winter. CAN IT GET TOO COLD FOR THE MOTOR IN THE WINTER? some websites i’ve been on describe motor stopping below 40 F, but seems related to refridge/freezer combo where lowest cool temp in fridge is 40F. thanks so much for you reply. would like to purchase asap.
July 6, 2009 at 8:44 pm |
Hi Susan,
We don’t recommend that refrigerators or freezers be used in freezing areas unless they are designed for garage use or have a garage kit that is recommended by the manufacturer for that model.
Such garage kits can also be purchased online at
http://www.apwagner.com.