keep the fridge from running so much

**sabrelvssammy** · 02-17-2009, 08:02 AM

so we all know how much electricity these fridges are eating up...but they only 'use' electric when they are actually running (cooling down)...so i thought what about this to keep them colder thus running less....thus less electricity used....thus LOWER electric bill....on and on.....

i keep frozen jugs in my freezer to keep it full and cold and not running so much....i have been moving frozen ones to the fridge when i have the room (which has been alot lately)...and they slowly start to thaw in the fridge but while they are doing that they are putting cold air into the space which keeps it colder so in theory it shouldn't turn on as much....thus less electric usage....YEA!!!!

**Momto2Boyz** · 02-17-2009, 08:06 AM

In theory, that is a really good idea. I know it's proven that if you keep your freezer full, the frozen items help keep the freezer from sucking electicity, so I don't know why it wouldn't work for a fridge too. Good tip!

**Spirit Deer** · 02-17-2009, 09:28 AM

What about the energy used to freeze the water jugs?

**gardenstategirl** · 02-17-2009, 10:07 AM

Originally Posted by Spirit Deer

What about the energy used to freeze the water jugs?

I think the energy used to freeze the water jugs would probably offset at least some of the gain putting the water in the fridge to thaw would produce.

I do make a practice of thawing things in the fridge to take advantage of the extra cool, rather than on the counter. I also pre-chill drinks on my kitchen porch this time of year so my fridge doesn't have to work as hard.

**redmaples** · 02-17-2009, 10:09 AM

I save the milk jugs, fill them & set them out on the stoop to freeze when it is cold enough.
I didn't think about putting them in the fridge, great idea!

**Greebo** · 02-17-2009, 10:19 AM

Take a jug of water from 72 degrees F to 0 degrees F.
Put it in the fridge. It thaws to 40 degrees F.

You've saved the fridge 40 degrees of cooling, but cost the freezer 72.

It's counter productive.

Put items in the fridge or freezer, let them cool/freeze, and leave them there a long time. That's how you save money.

The money saved is because less heat is lost by those solid, cold objects when exposed to warm air than is lost when the fridge is empty and all the cold air escapes.

**Greebo** · 02-17-2009, 10:19 AM

Originally Posted by redmaples

I save the milk jugs, fill them & set them out on the stoop to freeze when it is cold enough.
I didn't think about putting them in the fridge, great idea!

Now freezing them outside and then putting them in the fridge *WILL* save you money, because you don't pay to freeze them in the first place.

**sabrelvssammy** · 02-17-2009, 03:50 PM

if they have thawed in the fridge and they are still ice-cold how can it take that much more energy to refreeze them? i'm not filling them out of the tap...i am juggling them back and forth...

then in the same theory i am better off making ice one tray at a time instead of 6 at once....coz the freezer has to work harder to freeze them???

**Spirit Deer** · 02-17-2009, 04:19 PM

Your freezer still has to bring the temp down from 33 degrees to whatever your freezer is set on, which in our case is zero or lower, so the temp of the water has to be brought down at least 33 degrees to get down to zero.

**sabrelvssammy** · 02-17-2009, 04:33 PM

ah...so the freezer has to run more to re-freeze the water...well there goes that idea huh?.... bummer.... maybe i could talk the neighbors into freezing it in their freezers....haha

well thanks guys...i never pretended to be a scientist....i guess i will have to go find some other way to cut costs.....

**craftypam** · 02-24-2009, 01:35 PM

Greebo;

Freezing is 32degrees not zero; plus it depends on how old you refrigerator/freezer is; some are much more efficient. I would just freeze the jugs outside.

**Greebo** · 02-24-2009, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by craftypam

Greebo;

Freezing is 32degrees not zero;

Freezers do not run at 32 degrees, but it doesn't matter what the temperature is - it could be -30 in the freezer, it wouldn't matter.

plus it depends on how old you refrigerator/freezer is; some are much more efficient.

No, craftypam, it doesn't. This is about thermodynamics, not efficiency.

Say the fridge is at 35 and the freezer at 30.

Temperature changes in a mass require exactly the same amount of energy, regardless of the direction of the change.

Start with 1 cup of water in the fridge already.

If you take 1 cup of water from 35 degrees (liquid) to 30 degrees (solid) in the freezer, your freezer uses a certain amount of energy to remove those 5 degrees of thermal energy from liquid to solid state.

When you put the ice in the fridge at 30 degrees, what the ice does is start absorbing heat from the air in the fridge. By removing the heat from the air, it saves the fridge from having to remove that heat. It saves the fridge exactly the same amount of energy that it took to freeze the water in the first place.

Ultimately, its a revenue neutral action - you save 5 in the fridge but spend 5 in the freezer. When you add in the energy it takes to recool the air that you lost when you opened both the fridge *and* the freezer, and you lose out overall.

I would just freeze the jugs outside.

That's the only way for this idea to save you money. Otherwise, just put the jugs in the fridge and leave them there to reduce the amount of cold air lost when the door opens.

**Spirit Deer** · 02-24-2009, 03:00 PM

Originally Posted by craftypam

Greebo;

Freezing is 32degrees not zero

But freezers are usually set at about zero. Therefore, the temperature of the ice you've frozen in your freezer is going to be zero, not 32, and the freezer will have to work to bring the temp of the ice down from 32 to zero. It will freeze at 32, true, but that does not mean it doesn't get any colder than 32, and it will take energy for the freezer to continue cooling that warm ice. So the ice in Greebo's example has to be cooled 72 degrees, from 72 through the freezing temp at 32 and continuing on down to zero.

If you've ever packed a cooler with ice from your own freezer vs. buying ice, you'd recognize what a huge difference there is in the temperature of ice. Ice from our freezer will freeze our food in the cooler if we're not careful because it's so far below freezing, and it takes days to melt. I'm convinced boughten ice is only about 31 degrees, because it sure doesn't take near as long for it to thaw, thereby making campers buy more so the store selling it makes more money than if they had their freezers set at zero.

**frugalfriend** · 02-24-2009, 03:16 PM

This is hurting my brain!

**sabrelvssammy** · 02-24-2009, 03:43 PM

thanks frugalfriend....and just for the record i have asked a 'scientist' this question and 'he will get back to me'....ugh....

but here's another one for you.... you should not put things on top of your fridge....it causes the fridge to run more...because you are not allowing air to flow completely around the whole unit...(there should always be space on both sides of your fridge for airflow too...doesn't have to be alot...can be an inch...just so that nothing is 'smashing' up against it to trap heat) when you store items on top you are trapping that heat that would normally radiate and escape from the top but now can't...so it makes the fridge work harder which in turn runs more...more energy used...more of your money GONE GONE GONE.......