Refrigerator
Refrigerators
Refrigerators are essential in clinics, residences, hotels and many other institutions for storing critical things that otherwise perish at room temperatures. Invariably, they are built in various capacities with a host of features for different functionalities, all of which, of course, affect your power bill.
Characteristics of Refrigerators
Typically, refrigerators are also called as fridges for short and the domestic variety of these important home appliances have two distinct sections: first – the deep freezer or the ice maker and the second – the rest of the area within the fridge which is generally referred to as the refrigerators. The characteristics of these refrigerators become apparent if you go by these generic names.
A deep freezer or the ice maker is a small enclosure wherein the temperature is maintained well below the freezing point of water (-180C) so as to make hard enough ice and food articles are stored outside the freezer. You might have heard people say vegetables must be stored in a particular place and must not be dislodged to place meat or sundry items.
Reasons for this are very scientific. Characteristically, temperatures within any single compartment of refrigerators are not homogenous (uniform throughout.) Let us simplify this further; characteristically temperature is lowest at the middle of the refrigerator chamber and highest at the bottom as well as top unless your fridge has a built in deep freezer fitted inside top. Area closest to the freezer will have a relatively cool temperature in contrast to the bottom.
Howsoever different the arrangement of cold breeze is, the simple heat transfer law adjusts the temperatures back to their characteristic zones. Food items that have short shelf life or those perish fast must be kept in the coolest middle zone and so on.
Similar zones get developed within deep freezers also. Here the coolest zones are the paces where maximum frost deposits. If you forget the stored products for a minute, maximum frost deposition occurs at the middle of the bottom surface indicating that it is the coldest zone. This should give you some insight to storing pattern you would want to adapt.
Types of Refrigerator
Domestic refrigerators are available in predominantly two different types.
- Free standing type
- Built into a kitchen
Characteristically and functionally there is hardly any difference between the two types, however the former of the types is more popular amongst the domestic refrigerators apparently because of the freedom and flexibility of installation.
Nevertheless, this classification is purely non technical and the correct technical classification of refrigerators is based upon the principles of their operation. Prominent types of refrigerators classified according to operating principles are
- Compressor refrigerators
- Peltier refrigerators
- Absorption refrigerators
Absorption refrigerators are hardly used in a domestic scenario and Peltier refrigerators are so small (4 liter) to be used in kitchens and are preferred for glove compartments of cars or similar places where refrigerating requirement is small such as storing a few beer cans etc. Whatever we use in kitchens are almost invariably compressor refrigerators. This brings us to the doorstep of compressor operated refrigerators.
Compressor operated refrigerators, like Peltier refrigerators consume electricity and make a characteristic little noise. Domestic compressor based refrigerators have a capacity range of 90 liters to the gigantic 600 liters and can be as big as 1 meter by width and about the height of a man. The smaller ones are about 3’ tall and can slide below kitchen cabinets easily. Inside the door, you will find most available features such as a deep freezer, a chest freezer, drawers and stacked compartments for ease of storage.
An inbuilt thermostat is an invariable feature in modern refrigerators; thermostats are useful to maintain steady temperatures within the cabinets and importantly in moderating power consumption. With these many convenient features and different models, compressor based refrigerators are the most preferred refrigerator type for domestic use.
Refrigerator Accessories
If you are keen on spicing up your refrigerator accessories are for you. The most popular and most sold accessories are ice makers in different brands and capacities, water filters and water purifiers in standard and deluxe varieties, updates both in stainless steel and PVC, adjustable racks for cans, under shelf wraps, adjustable door racks, dispenser totes for cans, baskets, 2 and 3 tiers foldable shelves in chrome plating, and what not.
While many of these can be purchased at low one time prices of around $6 to $30, the ones that cost more are ice makers at a little less than $100 and stainless steel door panel kits which cost anywhere between $550 and $650 depending on brand & quality. Water filtration units are also not far behind; they also cost some where upto $100. An icemaker may be an essential accessory as is a water and ice filtration unit if your refrigerator already doesn’t have them built in. Keep a couple of issues in mind to cross check before you pay high price for them.
First and the foremost of them is to find out whether they fit to you brand and model of refrigerator or do they require additional fittings, of course, many of them do. The second thing you will need to check is how much power they consume over and above that required by the refrigerator and that’s all there is to check about them.
You can just pick up the simpler accessories like adjustable racks or refrigerator magnet sets from anywhere for as low as $5 to $10. Only thing you will ever need to care for about the additional racks is they don’t possess harmfully sharp edges. Tupperware airtight boxes are of high utility for any refrigerator to store meat or sweet dishes or nuts for a long time.
How to Choose Refrigerators
Choosing refrigerators can be quite confusing looking at all those aspects- brand, size, price and your budget, type, features and space availability at your kitchen. But if you were to look deeper, these exactly the points you need to care more for. Apparently the confusion arises out of the considerable investment that it takes and the fear of misjudgment. There are many ways to decide on a refrigerator type, nevertheless, the under current is the requirement.
Size of refrigerators is a tricky terminology. When they are specified in cubic feet, they refer to the inside storage volume available to you, not the external dimensions. The smallest in the market is of 18cu.ft. However, if your family size is small and you aren’t the type that throws parties at home, a 22cu.ft model would definitely suffice for you. But check the interior organization and whether available space is usable to its maximum. Nevertheless, the first thing is to measure the space you are going to place it.
Type is a critical factor here; double door refrigerators will have two narrow long doors regardless of larger external dimensions. This is unsuitable for using with larger platters when you want, space inside is quite long but narrow. Another thing you must mind is the placement of freezer; top placed freezer models efficiently will have better space organization than bottom freezer models. And in addition, it is convenient to use the freezer rather than having to bend over every time you want to use it.
Features make up the next step. Features like crisper, butter, meat, eggs trays, open-door alert, adjustable shelves, manual defrosting and temperature control are standard these days. You may checkout those which are extras too. For example, ice and water dispenser, auto defroster and clear crisper trays & shelves.
A little extra money invested on glass shelves and crisper goes a long way; it saves you from pulling them out and in to see their contents and they don’t get easily stained. Finally, opinions from friends and relatives can’t be over emphasized. They exactly know how a model/brand performs and whether it is worth its money.
Selecting the Best Brand and Cost
Some premier brands also flaunt high price tags that may just be right but may not fit everybody’s budget. But it doesn’t actually mean that one should compromise on her or his dreams of buying the best refrigerator. Striking a balance between price and best brand requires you to do some real homework and do some amount of running around or web surfing. Be prepared to compromise on a feature or color in case all else go your way. Once you have a clear idea and how you are going to make use of it, what remains for you is to actually scout for the refrigerator.
Top selling stores may charge extra dollars just what top brands do but remember not all shops charge the same price and you are out to get the best product for your money. Refrigerators are pretty much seasonal products in terms of marketing, the best time to buy them is winter or rainy season and not fall or summers when there exists a big demand and sellers just want to make hay. Off season discounts can be as high as 25-40% in many cases. Avoid falling for nice sales talks. Sales people are trained to talk you out and sell extra things you don’t actually need.
For example, you may not need a deep freezer at all if it is for your drug store or clinic; this is your point to chop off a $100 or there about, straight away. You can look for a model that doesn’t have a built in freezer or ice maker. Nevertheless, don’t forget the high premium, in many cases, you might pay may be your insurance in refrigerator’s performance and durability. There is always a weight associated to brand value built upon years of customer response. After all, you don’t ant to repent later for having saved a few dollars at the time of buying your first refrigerator.