| Fridges and Freezers |
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Other than reviving the use of the larder or 'cool room' in your home or no longer using foods that need refrigeration, there is little choice but to use a fridge and, for many of us, a freezer as well. If you are buying a new fridge or freezer, the single most important thing to look out for is the kind of refrigerant it uses. In the past, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were commonly used as cooling agents. By 1986 a quarter of all global CFC production was for refrigeration, but once the hole in the ozone was discovered and CFCs blamed, fridge makers were forced to find a new gas. They turned to hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) for the coolant and in the foam insulation, but these have now been found to contribute to global warming. HCFCs are being phased out - they are illegal in all newly manufactured fridges and freezers - but HFCs are still being produced and they continue to exacerbate the greenhouse effect. But there is a 'green' alternative developed by Greenpeace called Greenfreeze, which uses a natural gas, hydrocarbon, for the refrigerant. If you are not in the market for a new fridge or freezer, there are still ways in which you can improve the energy efficiency of your current model. For example: Minimize the number of times you open the door: for each minute that a fridge door is open it will take your fridge at least three minutes to regain its temperature. Regularly defrost your fridge or freezer (especially in summer): on average a fridge/freezer should be defrosted every three months and a fridge every month. Always cool food before putting it in the fridge. Make sure your fridge or freezer is not in a sunny spot in your kitchen and is well away from other hot spots such as the cooker, boiler, tumble dryer or washing machine - putting it in a cool garage or cellar helps save energy. Check the condition of the seals on your fridge and freezer by trapping a piece of paper in the door when closing it; if the paper can be pulled out easily, the seal is no longer working well and should be replaced. Keep the coils at the back dust free, as accumulation of dust on condenser coils can increase energy consumption by up to 30 per cent. Consider insulating around the sides of your fridge or freezer, using aluminum foil (recycled if possible), to save energy. Do not fill your fridge more than three-quarters full, to allow for circulation of cold air. Many items that are commonly put in the fridge may not need to be there at all, such as bread, root vegetables or fruit cordials. Keep a thermometer in your fridge or freezer to check that the temperature is kept constant - 3-5C (37-41F) for fridges and -18C (64F) for freezers. If your appliance is not maintaining constant temperatures it needs to be serviced. |
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