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Would you like to make your home more energy efficient? While heating and cooling systems take a toll on a home's energy resources, replacing other energy zapping appliances, such as the refrigerator, reduces your home's environmental impact as well. But, which refrigerator brand and model should you choose for a replacement? With so many on the market, how can the average consumer select the best, energy efficient model that suits the individual's taste and budget? The government's Energy Star program is designed to help consumers and businesses make informed purchasing decisions about energy efficient products and appliances-and offers a range of quality, tasteful options.

What is the Energy Star Program? The government's Energy Star program is a joint effort between the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help educate consumers and businesses about energy efficient home and office products available for purchase. The Energy Star program uses strict guidelines, developed by both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy, to identify the most energy efficient products in a range of categories from office electronics to kitchen appliances-helping consumers locate the best products to suit both personal needs and lessen household or business environmental impact.

Why is the refrigerator such an energy inefficient appliance? According to Energy Star resources, the refrigerator tops all other household appliances in energy usage--using more electricity than any other household appliance. Of course, that is understandable since the refrigerators must run throughout the entire day to maintain proper temperature.

Why should you replace your old refrigerator with an Energy Star model? Older model refrigerators were not designed to be as well insulated or energy efficient as modern refrigerators earning the Energy Star certification. Choosing an Energy Star qualified refrigerator gives consumers a model that is guaranteed to be at least 20 percent more energy efficient than even other modern refrigerator designs without the Energy Star seal. Upgrading an older refrigerator to an Energy Star qualified model not only saves consumers money on monthly electric bills, but reduces the household environmental impact by making one simple appliance change.

Which Energy Star qualified refrigerators should you consider? General Electric (GE), Amana, Kenmore, and Frigidaire make top rated Energy Star qualified refrigerators in both energy efficiency and customer satisfaction-with many basic, qualified models priced under $1000. While finding the most energy efficient model is important-choosing the correct size and style for your family is important as well. A 10-25% energy savings can be obtained by choosing a refrigerator with a top mounted freezer -rather than a bottom or side by side style. Refrigerators under 20 cubic feet have been shown to be the most energy efficient, making it important to select the smallest acceptable refrigerator to suit your needs. Skipping the automatic water dispensers and ice making features saves additional energy as well.

While refrigerators are modern conveniences that most consumers are not willing to give up, consumers and business owners can take advantage of the Energy Star program resources to find the most economical and environmentally friendly appliances available. Is it time to upgrade your outdated, energy wasting refrigerator?

Sources:
About Energy Star
Refrigerators for Consumers

Your refrigerator is probably your most expensive appliance to purchase, and it can also be your most expensive appliance to own. You refrigerator is about the only appliance that you own that runs non-stop, therefore it is also the biggest consumer of energy that you own. To keep your energy cost down, and to avoid having to replace that expensive appliance, it is essential that you take proper care of your refrigerator.

The most important thing that needs to be done to keep your refrigerator running efficiently - and to simply keep it running - is to take good care of the coils. The coils on your refrigerator are located in the rear of your refrigerator, on the bottom. These coils attract dust, and when they are covered with dust they have to work harder to maintain a cool temperature within the refrigerator. The harder they have to work, the higher your electricity bill will be. Cleaning these coils is quite simple. Simply pull your refrigerator away from the wall and then vacuum the dust off of them.

The next thing that needs to be cleaned is the drip pan of the refrigerator. The drip pan is located beneath the refrigerator, and simply needs to be pulled out, emptied, and cleaned with soapy water. If you have an automatic defrost refrigerator, the water from the defrosting process flows out of a drain in the floor of the refrigerator and into the drip pan. The water remains there until it evaporates. Small particles of food can either flow through a tube to the drip pan or they can get caught in the tube and clog it. To clean the tube, simply stick a pipe cleaner into the tube and flush it with water. Do this before removing the drip pan so that the water is caught. Then, of course, remove the drip pan and clean it.

The gaskets on your refrigerator seal the cold air in the refrigerator, and keep the warm air out. If proper care is taken of the gaskets, they should last the life of the refrigerator. All that is necessary to keep the gaskets in good shape is to wash them down with soapy water from time to time.

Last but not least, if your refrigerator does not have automatic defrost, be sure to not let the frost in your freezer compartment get any deeper than a quarter of an inch.

About Me 0081

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