GreenYour.com

Maintaining your refrigerator is a simple, no-cost way to make the most energy-intensive appliance in your household more efficient, reducing CO₂ emissions and lowering your utility bills.

How to maintain your refrigerator

Just a few simple maintenance tasks will keep your refrigerator's energy consumption in check:

1. Clean the condenser coils on the back of the refrigerator every six months using a cloth or vacuum. These coils transfer heat from inside the appliance to the outside, keeping the inside cold. When dust builds up on the coils, it acts as insulation, hindering the amount of heat the coils can disperse and requiring more energy to keep food cool. Clean coils can improve the efficiency of a refrigerator by as much as 30 percent.[1]
2. Clean the door seals or gaskets to be sure you're getting a tight seal every time you close the door. Occasionally check the door seal to be sure that cold air is not escaping.
3. Turn on the refrigerator's power-saver switch, if it has one. Some refrigerators have small heaters in their walls to prevent condensation build-up on the outside. A power-saver switch turns this heater off to save energy.
4. Clear off the top of the fridge. Clutter on top can block air circulation, which is necessary to keep the compressor working efficiently.
5. Make sure that your refrigerator is in an efficient location. There should be enough space between the condenser coils and the wall to allow air to circulate freely, and there should be space between the sides of the refrigerator and the cabinets. Do not put the refrigerator next to the oven or dishwasher—or any heat source that can hinder its efficiency. If the sun is shining on it, keep the blinds down.

Maintaining your refrigerator helps you go green because…

• Your refrigerator will operate more efficiently, thereby requiring less energy.

In 2002, the average refrigerator consumed 1,281 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per year, which cost $102 in utility bills and created 1,832 pounds of CO₂ emissions.[2] Maintaining your refrigerator keeps it operating efficiently: when appliances operate efficiently, electricity use, and subsequent CO₂ emissions, are decreased.