DIY Network

Buying a Refrigerator Tips on buying a refrigerator From "Home Made Easy" episode DHME-121

Host Stephanie Lydecker is joined by Carolyn Forte, Good Housekeeping Institute's home care director, who shares tips that will help you purchase a new refrigerator.

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	Carolyn explains the different refrigerator styles to help your next refrigerator purchase.
	Figure A

Buying a Refrigerator

1. The first thing to think about when buying a refrigerator is to know what refrigerator style will work best for you. There are different model types—traditional, the bottom mount or the side-by-side models. Also, decide what color you would like. They mostly come in black, white, bisque and stainless.

2. Look for the Energy Star label (figure A), and look for the yellow and black Energy Guide label on the fridge to see how much energy they use. The guide will give you the estimated average annual operating cost. Compare these with the costs for the models of the same size and type. Today's refrigerators are the most energy efficient ever built. A refrigerator that costs less to run but has a higher purchase price may be the best to buy.

   Tip: If you plan on using your old refrigerator to put in the garage or basement to store sodas, etc. in, it is not a good idea. The older models use more energy and you will actually be using more energy just to keep the sodas cold. If you want to keep an extra refrigerator for that purpose, it would be better to buy a less expensive model that is more energy efficient.

3. There are different styles of refrigerators. The top mount is the traditional style. It has two doors with the freezer on the top. This is available in wide range of models and sizes. Most of them are self-defrosting which is the most commonly used option and a good choice if you use the freezer often. One disadvantage is if you use fresh fruits and veggies a lot, you will have to bend down to reach for the produce drawer.

4. The side-by-side style has two doors with full length refrigerator and freezer sections. It also comes in built-in models that fit flush to the cabinets. It has more freezer space and more up-front visibility of food. The doors require less isle space for opening. This style is most likely to offer ice and water dispensers in the door, making it a good choice for people that may be disabled. The only thing is the money. Side-by-side's are more expensive to buy and to operate and they have narrow shelves that may limit storage of bulky or wide items.

5. Also available is the bottom mount. This model has two doors with the freezer at the bottom. It is very convenient since the fresh food will be in eyesight. Some of these models offer rollout wire bins and freezer lights. Look for one with a freezer door that pulls out for easy access as opposed to a door that opens from one side. This model is not as convenient if you use your freezer often.

6. The single door style has one door with a small inner freezer compartment for short-term storage only. It is the least expensive to buy and operate, but has limited capacity and all models must be manually defrosted.

Figure B

It's all based on preference, but there are several features available:

• Adjustable shelves and bins for maximum storage flexibility is an option.

• Shelves that slide out for easy access to food.

• Ice and water dispensers. Some refrigerators have filters if there is an ice and water dispenser.

• Make sure all of the controls on the refrigerator are easy to read and access (figure B).

• Interior lighting in the refrigerator and freezer section are great.

• You need an exact temperature display and electronic systems to monitor functions.

• Extra deep door shelves are really nice for bulky items.

• Humidity controls on crispers to keep fruits and veggies fresh longer are good to have, as well.

• Also, look for refrigerators with tempered glass shelves that hold spills and enclosed condensers that don't have to be cleaned.

  Note: These are all great features, but to cut down on costs, you don't need all of them.

• In reference to how big a refrigerator to buy—typically, two people need a minimum of 12 to 14 cubic feet of food storage. Add 2 cubic feet for every additional household member. The ideal for a household of four would be 14-16 feet of storage capacity. This also depends on how much you cook, freeze, and how much your family eats.

• To keep your refrigerator up to par you need to wipe down the rubbery gasket around the door each month. Rub the hinge side with petroleum jelly, Vacuum the condenser coils underneath the refrigerator every six months. Be sure to unplug the unit first and snap off the grate covering the coils. Fill up your freezer to prevent it from overworking. If you don't have enough food to fill it up, stock it with plastic containers of water. And to keep it fresh, clean it regularly with a bleach solution.

GUESTS :

Carolyn Forte
Home Care Director
Good Housekeeping Institute
E-mail: cforte@hearst.com
Website: www.goodhousekeeping.com