Four Electrifying Methods To Determine How Much Energy Your Refrigerator Uses

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A refrigerator is probably one of the most essential and used pieces of kitchen appliance in every household. And If you’ve never considered how much energy your refrigerator usually consumes, it’s probably a good time to start.

Your refrigerator is one of the heaviest appliances in your home, and it uses the most power after your air conditioning unit, washing machine, and dryer. Therefore, you must figure out how many watts your refrigerator uses in order for you to understand and estimate the effect your refrigerator will have on your annual electricity expense.

In this post, we here at DaDongNY will provide all you need to know about refrigerator wattage in this post, including several helpful methods for calculating its energy usage.

What Is The Average Wattage Of A Refrigerator Unit

A residential unit refrigerator usually consumes about 500 watts of power. In terms of energy consumption, that amounts to 1460 kilowatt-hours annually, implying that the average American home spends $206 per year operating their refrigerator.

But despite that, it’s normally the case to encounter fridges that consume anything above 300 and 700 watts of energy. Your refrigerator’s wattage indicates how much energy it consumes when operating at maximum output.

Refrigerators, on the other hand, cycle on and off over the day. This is due to the fact that the compressor within a refrigerator only turns on when the inside temperature has to be lowered.

You must divide a refrigerator’s wattage by 1/3 to get its overall energy usage.

Remember that your refrigerator’s wattage varies according to its dimensions and age. Additionally, its power consumption will be influenced by variables, including the room temperature throughout the kitchen and even how long you leave the door ajar.

How Does A Refrigerator Stack Up Against Other Appliances

Now that you know the average wattage of a refrigerator, how does your reliable cooling buddy compare to other household appliances in terms of energy consumption? Note that several appliances, such as a blender, microwave, or air fryer, are only used for a few minutes daily. However, many appliances, such as air conditioners or dishwashers, could be operated for extended periods.

Household AppliancesWattage (on a daily basis)
Refrigerator300 – 700 watts
Microwave1,000 – 2,000 watts
Coffee Maker800 – 1,400 watts
Blender300 – 1,000 watts
Electric Water Heater1,000 – 6,000 watts
Plasma Television150 – 300 watts
LCD Television 60 – 150 watts
Electric Fan50 – 120 watts
Window Air Conditioning Unit500 – 1,400 watts
Clothes Dryer2,000 – 5,000 watts
Air Purifier25 – 30 watts

What Factors Influence Refrigerator Energy Consumption

Several variables can affect how much electricity your refrigerator or freezer consumes on a daily basis. Here are a few examples:

  1. Type

A commercial refrigerator unit can consume about 10 times more energy than a residential 30-inch refrigerator.

  1. Size

Any refrigerator model with greater capacity, such as side-by-side refrigerators, consumes more energy.

  1. Location

The refrigerator will consume more electricity in a warm or poorly ventilated room. 

  1. Season

Because the environmental temperature increases in the summer, all refrigerators require more power than in the winter.

  1. Usage

If your refrigerator door is regularly opened or kept open, the compressor has to exert greater effort to keep everything cool.

Furthermore, because more cold air is replaced by hot air every time the refrigerator door is opened, an empty refrigerator might require more effort than a fully stocked refrigerator.

  1. Temperature

The refrigerator may stay colder than necessary on the default temperature setting.

  1. Age

Older refrigerators are often less energy efficient than brand-new Energy Star-certified refrigerators.

  1. Condition

Your refrigerator is less efficient if the gasket seals are somehow damaged.

Simple Methods For Calculating The Wattage And Electricity Use Of Your Refrigerator

There are four ways to determine your refrigerator’s wattage and power consumption. With the information on your fridge, choose the approach that suits you best.

  1. Making Use Of The Volts And Amps Sticker On Your Refrigerator

One of the easiest to estimate a refrigerator’s wattage and energy consumption is to look for the sticker inside your refrigerator that indicates just how many volts and amps your equipment needs to operate when turned on.

To find out how much electricity your refrigerator consumes when operating, just multiply the voltage by the amps. The total will be the electrical rating or wattage of the appliance.

And as previously stated, refrigerators turn on and off over the day. To calculate the average energy usage for your equipment, divide the wattage by 1/3.

To calculate the overall energy usage, take a refrigerator with a label rating of 115 volts (V) and 4.5 amps (A), for example, and use the following formula:

115 volts (V)  x 4.5 amps (A) = 517.5 watts (W)
517.5 (W) / 3 = 172.5 watts (energy usage)

To calculate the amount of energy your refrigerator consumes in a day and year, do the following:

172.5 watts x 24 (hours per day) = 4,140 watt-hours or 4.14 kilowatt-hours (daily energy consumption)
4.14 kilowatt-hours x 365 (days in a year) = 1,511 kilowatt-hours (annual energy consumption)
  1. Making Use Of The Energy Guide Sticker On Your Refrigerator

Most electrical equipment nowadays has to possess a yellow energy guidance sticker. This sticker is important because it indicates how much electricity the appliance consumes in a year and an estimated yearly operating expenses.

To estimate the wattage of any refrigerator, use the formula as follows:

  1. To calculate for your daily energy consumption, divide the energy guide’s yearly power use by 365 (days in a year).
  1. The daily energy consumption should then be divided by 24 (hours in a day).

To calculate total energy consumption, take a refrigerator with an estimated annual operating cost of 630 kilowatt-hours:

630 kilowatt-hours (kWh) x 1000 = 630,000 watts (W) 
630,000 watts (W) / 365 (days in a year) = 986 watts (W) 
 986 watts (W) / 24 (hours in a day) = 41 watts (average energy consumption) 
41 watts (average energy consumption) x 3 = 123 watts (W)

Note: To convert from kilowatt-hours to watts, divide the value by 1000

  1. Making Use Of The The Amperage Nameplate

Another method you can use is to make a computation using the nameplate amperage. When applying a computation based on your refrigerator’s nameplate amperage rating, the result resembles roughly an estimated assumption based on an assumed duty cycle.

As most home appliances operate on 120 volts, multiply the nameplate amperage by 120 to determine the operating wattage of your refrigerator.

For example, if your refrigerator’s nameplate amperage is 4 amps:

4 amps (A) x 120 volts (V) = 480 watts (running wattage)
  1. Making Use Of The Energy Meter To Measure Electricity Usage

If your refrigerator is not Energy Star-certified, as most residential and commercial refrigerators do, you have to contact the manufacturer or get an energy meter. An energy meter gadget is the most accurate way to determine how much electricity your appliances use.

This often comes with instructions, although they’re usually incredibly simple. By simply plugging the energy meter into a power outlet and then hooking the refrigerator into the equipment, the energy meter will measure the quantity of energy used by your refrigerator over time.

These energy meters are often cheap, available online, and will save money on your electricity bill by making you more aware of how much electricity your appliances are consuming.

7 Simple Ways To Increase The Energy Efficiency Of Your Refrigerator

Your refrigerator’s energy consumption can be reduced in a variety of simple ways. Furthermore, you should also consider seeking a residential energy audit for more insights on how to improve home energy savings.

  1. Keep The Refrigerator Away From Hot Spots

Placing your refrigerator in a cooler in your kitchen will help it operate more effectively. Avoid putting it near a stove or windows where it may be exposed to direct sunlight. Homeowners typically install a secondary garage-ready refrigerator in the basements that is cooler and thus uses less electricity.

  1. Learn To Keep The Refrigerator Door Open

Keeping the door open enables warm air to pass through, increasing energy consumption. After you’ve finished using it, close the refrigerator door right away.

  1. Change The Temperature

Selecting the perfect temperature context is a tricky thing to do. If it is too high, it will increase the development of pathogenic bacteria such as salmonella and E. coli, as well as listeria. If it is too low, you will use more energy than is needed to keep all the foods and beverages cool, and certain items may even freeze. 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suggests maintaining the temperature below 40°F.

  1. Clean The Coils On A Regular Basis

For the fridge to function properly, you must clean the coils at least once every six months to a year, especially if you have pets that shed. Depending on its model, the coils are usually located in the rear or across the bottom of the appliance. If it’s in the rear, you must pull it out and perhaps unscrew a cover. To clear dust, many individuals use a vacuum cleaner.

Related Article: Five Refreshing Steps On How To Clean Your Refrigerator Condenser Coils

  1. Allow Time For Your Meal To Cool Down

When you put any kind of hot meal in a refrigerator, it also warms the inside. Let heated foods cool before placing them inside.

  1. Examine Your Seal

Warm air could penetrate your appliance if the gasket doesn’t securely seal around the door. Close the front door of your refrigerator with half a dollar bill or a piece of paper hanging out and pull out the rest of the banknote to see if your gasket is sealed tightly.

If you feel any force, it means the refrigerator is correctly sealing. Otherwise, the seal has a problem. If there is an issue, you should be capable of repairing or replacing the gasket, which will be significantly less expensive than replacing the entire machine.

  1. Unplug The Refrigerator If Not Needed

Many homeowners have a second under-counter refrigerator for entertainment and extra storage. Nonetheless, it may mostly include non-perishable things such as canned beverages and is only sometimes necessary. Decide if it is essential and, if possible, turn it off to save energy.

FAQs

  • Can An Ordinary Generator Power Up A Refrigerator?

Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) levels in normal power generators are in the 15-20% range or more. Because refrigerators use electric motors, high THD levels should not be a concern.

On the other hand, modern refrigerators frequently have control circuits that may be susceptible to high THD levels. As a result, if You intend to power your refrigerator with a standard power generator, verify the literature that came with the refrigerator.

Inverter power generators with low THD levels are suggested to operate your refrigerator.

  • How Much Solar Energy Is Required To Power A Refrigerator?

Yes! To securely power a 200W refrigerator using solar panels, however, one should either:

  • A power inverter capable of supplying 200 Running Watts with several additional power for refrigerator Starting Watts, a solid deep cycle battery, a solar charge controller, and just enough solar panels.
  •  A reasonably strong solar power source with enough solar panels.

Bottomline

We hope this blog entry has helped you understand how much power your refrigerator consumes and how to calculate it to determine whether your equipment uses more than you thought.

Although refrigerators consume a large amount of electricity in your household, there are several easy steps you can do to cut power usage and keep it functioning properly. You can also consider installing solar panels on your roof to further reduce your overall power expenditure.

To learn more about refrigerators and how this valuable piece of equipment chills the food and beverages inside, check out the post here.

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