Author Topic: Refrigerator Usage  (Read 6635 times)

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Harold in CR

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Refrigerator Usage
« on: September 08, 2015, 01:47:41 PM »

 Just got my Kill-a-watt meter and plugged the fridge into it, 3 days ago. The average usage was 5.426 Kwh per day, or 162.78 Kwh per 30 days. That is half of our electric bill wattage.

 Looks like this thing needs to go out the door.

DamonHD

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Re: Refrigerator Usage
« Reply #1 on: September 08, 2015, 02:14:36 PM »
Yes, ours is around 1kWh/d (not that I'm happy with the 0.75kWh/d claimed in the literature).

http://www.earth.org.uk/note-on-Siemens-KG34NA10GB-upright-fridge-freezer-REVIEW.html

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dnix71

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Re: Refrigerator Usage
« Reply #2 on: September 08, 2015, 02:59:54 PM »
That's horrendously high, BUT. Do you have bad door seals? Are the hot side coils clean? What is the ambient temp where the fridge is kept?

That level of use is 230 watts continuous for 24 hours.

Make sure your KaW meter is reading true. Get a 60 watt common incandesent lamp and see what the KaW meter reads.

Bruce S

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Re: Refrigerator Usage
« Reply #3 on: September 08, 2015, 03:09:40 PM »
That is a bit much!
Might be the age of it, and the defroster, along with the door seals.
Our 2014 full size fridge doesn't use the amount you posted!

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Harold in CR

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Re: Refrigerator Usage
« Reply #4 on: September 08, 2015, 07:59:12 PM »

 Door seals seem OK, WHEN the doors are completely shut.  ::) ::) Wife doesn't make sure doors are closed, lights are turned off or water is not running a small stream all day or night.  ::)

 Will do that 60W light bulb test.

 This thing heats the freezer to defrost, then cools off that wet food and then reheats the freezer. Gotta love some engineering thinking.

 Room temps are 85F down to 65F, at max and minimums. Fridge is about 4-5 inches off the wall. This one is 8-9 years old. Down here, efficiency is not a priority.

 I clean all coils under the fridge every month or 6 weeks or so. Side walls get warm to the touch, occasionally.

 I'm gonna make some BIG changes very soon.  ::)

dnix71

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Re: Refrigerator Usage
« Reply #5 on: September 08, 2015, 08:14:32 PM »
If the defroster is running excessively, that would account for the high electricity use.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto-defrost    If the fridge monitors door openings/compressor time and your other half is in the habit of leaving the door open, the fridge will be in defrost mode a lot.

Harold in CR

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Re: Refrigerator Usage
« Reply #6 on: September 08, 2015, 09:41:04 PM »

Yup. That's why I'm thinking about MaryB's fridge-freezer set up. Chest units don't get defrosted nearly as much. Gotta buy something new, so, It's in the planning stage.

joestue

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Re: Refrigerator Usage
« Reply #7 on: September 08, 2015, 11:23:00 PM »
just completely disable the defrost mode and the heater strip that runs around the door seal...
My wife says I'm not just a different colored rubik's cube, i am a rubik's knot in a cage.

Harold in CR

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Re: Refrigerator Usage
« Reply #8 on: September 09, 2015, 09:27:40 AM »
 Joestue, was just going to ask if anyone has any idea how to disable-disconnect heater system on a frigidaire model about 9 years old.

 Have to find more info, if needed. It might seem like I am always asking simple things. I can not afford to damage stuff, because here, no one works on things like refrigerators, etc., unless I can haul them 50 miles to the closest city. No one makes house calls, as far as I can find out from the locals.

 I would love to get a 12-24V fridge, but, shipping from USA would be the killer. No such stuff exists here.

 Thanks again for all that offer info to my problems, projects.
« Last Edit: September 09, 2015, 09:32:24 AM by Harold in CR »

Mary B

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Re: Refrigerator Usage
« Reply #9 on: September 09, 2015, 02:46:33 PM »
Look up the model number and find a wiring diagram(there might be one in the back of the fridge or behind a removable panel on the back). Look for the block labeled defrost timer and pull the wires to it. In many fridges it is inside that hump in the top of the fridge above the top shelf(top mount freezer models). In side by sides it is often under a cover on the side facing the freezer, on a bottom mount freezer it might be behind a cover on the back of the fridge or under a cover inside the fridge on the bottom.

Defrost timers were a common replacement item on trade in fridges when I worked at the TV/Appliance store. I replaced quite a few.

Bruce S

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Re: Refrigerator Usage
« Reply #10 on: September 09, 2015, 03:50:58 PM »
Mary B;
Same here! A close friend was about to go out and spend $800 on a newer fridge, just because it iced up. I installed a $15 replacement just to test it out. TADA!
Got a nice bottle of Saki for my troubles which included an exact replacement for his 3-drawer.

Bruce S
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Bruce S

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Re: Refrigerator Usage
« Reply #11 on: September 09, 2015, 03:54:09 PM »
I would be careful with bypassing it. Even though it merely turning off  a relay to the compressor for a set amount of time, the timer should still run and you'll need to NOT engage the defroster while the compressor is running :)
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Harold in CR

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Re: Refrigerator Usage
« Reply #12 on: September 09, 2015, 07:08:04 PM »

 OK. Soon as the Lightnin stops, I'ma gonna look for that thing. Thanks y'all.

OperaHouse

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Re: Refrigerator Usage
« Reply #13 on: September 10, 2015, 04:36:46 PM »
Perhaps no one has told you that chest fridges develop a lot of water.  I have a bowl under mine that I have to empty every day.  Sorting through all the food is a real pain.  I went from a 5CF to a 7CF and if I could have found a cheap 9CF I would have bought that.   It was replaced because the fridge was running over 9 hours a day due to loss of freon.  I'd look at how many hours this runs a day.  I control a chest fridge with a uno and that is also my charge controller.   

Mary B

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Re: Refrigerator Usage
« Reply #14 on: September 10, 2015, 08:58:06 PM »
I put a container of that water absorbing stuff in mine to keep it dry. I have 2 of them and swap them about once a week then set the other in the sun to dry back out. I bought the kind that changes color when wet.

Harold in CR

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Re: Refrigerator Usage
« Reply #15 on: September 13, 2015, 03:48:50 PM »

 Just a little more info on the stupidity I have to endure here.  Normal wattage use per month, is 330 Kwh at $94.00 roughly. Just paid last months usage of 337Kwh at $79.00 roughly.

 I figure the whole bill taxes and all to be what I pay per Kwh. Here, they play with usage fees, admin crap, "other fees", ?/, tariff fees, etc. This way, people think they have a decent rate LESS these "extras".  ::)

 Still haven't messed with the fridge. Had a large tree try to flatten my shop, so, been busy propping up the fractured ridge beam and replacing the broken purlins and a couple of rafters, so I could get up on the roof and start cutting limbs and dropping them to the ground.

 Stuff here is light construction because of no snow load or high velocity wind. 1 X 3 purlins set at 58" apart, to nail the tin roof to, and the 2 X 3 rafters set at 1 meter centered, makes for a spongy roof for a gringo.  ::)

 Roof is cleaned off, need to finish the wood work and replaqce 2 roof panels. Then, back to the fridge and other stuff.

Harold in CR

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Re: Refrigerator Usage
« Reply #16 on: September 17, 2015, 03:07:55 PM »

 Keep forgetting to post the kill-a-watt readings. 1--75W incandescent bulb showed 78.7watts.

just-doug

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Re: Refrigerator Usage
« Reply #17 on: January 20, 2016, 07:15:20 PM »
a small frig placed threw the wall like a window air conditioner with a sun shade works real nice.some months in the winter,it doesn't have to turn on at all to keep cool.

Bruce S

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Re: Refrigerator Usage
« Reply #18 on: January 20, 2016, 08:06:59 PM »
a small frig placed threw the wall like a window air conditioner with a sun shade works real nice.some months in the winter,it doesn't have to turn on at all to keep cool.
Unless you're in Costa Rica , where winter is ummm 75F :o
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