LG Refrigerator – Design and Energy Efficiency in Refrigerator Appliances
The invention of the refrigerator has allowed the modern family to purchase, store, freeze, prepare and preserve food products in a fresh state for much longer periods of time than was previously possible. The aesthetics and features of kitchen appliances have been constantly improving, like frost-free refrigerators and freezers.
LG has created an innovative frost-free refrigeration appliance that uses a blower fan to keep moisture out of the unit. It also has a heating coil beneath the evaporator that periodically heats the freezer compartment and melts any ice build-up. Some units also have heaters in the side of the door to keep the unit from “weeping.” Manual defrost refrigerators are available in used appliance stores or by special order.
Refrigerators used to consume more energy than any other home appliance, but in the last twenty years great strides have been made to make refrigerators more energy efficient, researched by manufacturers such as LG. In the early 90s, a competition was held in Toronto among the major manufacturers to encourage energy efficiency. It was a huge success with manufactures like LG Appliance creating greener refrigerators. Current models that are Energy Star qualified use 50 percent less energy than models made before 1993. The most energy-efficient unit made in the US and Toronto is designed to run on 12 or 110 volts, and consumes about half a kilowatt-hour per day. Larger appliances, especially those with large freezers and icemakers, may use as much as 4 kWh per day.
Among the different styles of refrigeration appliances, top mount freezer models are the most efficient since the cold air can be distributed through the refrigerator easier due to cold air being heavier than warmer air inside the fridge. Bottom mount freezer models of the same capacity and less efficient since the heavy cold air has to travel upward. Side by side refrigerators are the lest efficient models, but LG is still improving on the design to make them as efficient as possible. Many LG refrigeration appliances offer ice makers that are through-the-door, which are less efficient than those without, but offer a very convenient way of getting ice, models that are very popular with Toronto residents.
It is highly recommended to purchase Energy Star appliances offered by LG and other manufacturers, even though they are slightly more expensive than normal ones. The energy that is saved makes up for the extra charge and in Toronto and the rest of Ontario Energy Star appliances are PST exempt.
By: Paul Rollins