When to change a fridge/freezer?

Joined
27 Jan 2008
Messages
23,514
Reaction score
2,641
Location
Llanfair Caereinion, Nr Welshpool
Country
United Kingdom
There are two reasons to change one clearly when it no longer works the other when it costs too much to run.

The no longer working must also include likely to fail, so a fridge/freezer motor running for an extended time indicates either loss of gas, or thermal insulation break down, as to what that limit it is a major question. From my studies it would seem a good unit with run for around ¼ to ⅓ of the time so once ½ is reached there is a good chance that food in some areas may not be as cold as it should be, so changing is more to do with food hygiene than money saved.

If we consider a fridge/freezer to cost around £300 and interest on that money say 5% then it has to save £15 per annum before change is considered on a money basis. At 15p per kWh that’s around a 100 kWh per annum that needs to be saved.

OK so far so good but this is where it all seems to go up the creak even new fridge/freezers vary 100 kWh/annum best an A+++ was 130 kWh/annum where some still show for an A+ unit 370 kWh/annum. So even a new unit, could be seen as ready for replacement. Clearly an A+++ costs more than an A+ and all these figures have not included size or how nice they look in the kitchen.

In use the figures recorded often don’t match manufactures data so although it may say 250 kWh per annum it could use quite a bit more or less so likely we would need to set the figure at around the 500 kWh per annum before really looking for a replacement.

Next is of course measuring the plug in power meters will record kWh used and time on test but also if a motor runs for 2 hours at a time then even 24 hours could record +/- 2 hours running depending on where in the cycle you start to measure.

The studies have used 3 weeks as the test time but even then temperature of the room can clearly alter the study results as can how many times the doors are opened and how much air is changed each time the door is opened clearly big difference between full and empty.

Making ice lollies or even drawing cold water must affect the running cost my old fridge/freezer was plumbed in but new ones tend to have water tanks which require the door to be opened to fill them.

So to work out if it needs changing as well as the power used also one has to monitor variations in power used returning from shops in Winter likely the food going in is much colder then in the Summer so even if the room stays as a set temperature say 20 degrees all year round the power used will vary.

So the only way would be to measure over a whole year. As if that is going to happen! So add a bit more to allow for variation in weather and temperature of food from the supermarket so say 800 kWh per annum.

Now we have reached a stage where hardly any fridge/freezer will fail and need replacing and those which do will be running near 24/7 anyway so even without an energy meter one knows they are on their last legs.

So is it really worth measuring? And considering the environmental impact of old fridge/freezer, washing machine, tumble drier, dishwasher or other large domestic appliance is it ever worth updating an appliance because the old one is inefficient?
 
Sponsored Links
After a lot of calculations I have come to the conclusion that if one uses the cheapest of the cheap freezer or fridge then swapping for a new A+ rated when running a B rated may pay for its self in 2 years. Even that is open for debate.

However if using frost free freezer then the break even point gets to the 8 year mark, and as a result both, interest rate on money used to buy the new one plus the fact it could stop working before the 8 years are up means it is not economically viable to swap it.
 

DIYnot Local

Staff member

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
Sponsored Links
Back
Top