Deep Freezers use WAY less energy than you think
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- Опубліковано 4 вер 2024
- Given the state of the world, you could be forgiven for planning ahead with back-up power and a method of preserving food. Deep freezers - or chest freezers - are great for storing large amounts of food for a long time. But how much juice do they really use? If you're running on the back-up power of a generator, for example, will the deep freezer suck too much electricity? It turns out the answer will surprise you!
Also, note that some chest freezers use less instantaneous power. I have one that only uses a max of 120W! However, it's annual kilowatt-hour rating is the same as other units that use 200W. So, a lower power rating doesn't necessarily mean a lower annual operating cost. Sometimes, the compressor just runs more to compensate.
Finally, keep in mind that the bigger the deep freezer and the more frozen food you have inside, the longer it will all last in the event that you have to unplug it. It's the same as a small ice cube vs a block of ice the size of a car: the big block of ice will last WAAAY longer.
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No surprises that when you open the door of an upright freezer the cold air "falls out", but when you open the chest freezer the cold air "stays" where it is. But upright freezers (with shelves/drawers) are much easier to manage than digging into a chest freezer trying to find something 3 years old. Chest freezers also preserve your food more effectively during power outages.
Yeah... Chest Freezer organization is kind of important! Either that, or wear gloves when you go digging...
My parent's had one. It was ancient, but still worked. They opted to replace it with an "energy efficient" new upright. I have no doubt the new one with last no where near as that old chest freezer. Such a shame that things are done on the cheap, shorter term usefulness, and obsolescence built in.
Mike , Yes. We have a chest freezer. We will upgrade to an upright for that very reason, ease of actually seeing what is in there. Granted, one could easily make a detailed list of what you have in there, but c'mon, during "life", those plans never quite work out.
@@jimkiser1429 Theyre so efficient in this day and age you should get both. I have a chest freezer just for storing meat long term because they can get much colder and stay that way because the insulation is typically thicker. But ya in day to day life the visibility of a fridge is amazingly easier. Also chest freezer/fridge is the way to go if you have limited electricity camping or off grid. Nothing like someone standing in front of an open vertical fridge being indecisive watching all that cold air fall out.. Oh they can see everything with perfect visibility, and they still dont know what they want.😂 I used to get yelled at for that as kid.
we live completely off grid and attempted on our small solar to have even a small under counter fridge..... nope, crashed the solar alllll the time.... was a guzzler.... however we got a chest freezer and it works like a dreammmmm.... we dont have it on at all at night and we keep it on only about 6 hrs per day. We have filled some old juice jugs with water and have them frozen inside the chest freezer. We use these in 2 ways..... firstly as a cold bank for the chest freezer its self so when its off its got a good base of block ice in it. secondly we can alternate the juice bottles in a cooler for a zero energy fridge. We open our freezer many times a day because we keep ice in it and we all like cubes in our water.
i like the ice trays with the lids and keep small bottles of spring water and some spring water bottles frozen and otg vitamin drinks. I want to know is some solar pannels better then others like do some of them work better ?
This is such great information! Thank you so much for taking the time to share.
Great Idea. Awesome. Thank you!
Good afternoon Cletus and Scottie! I’m not getting notifications, but I’ll grab a coffee and watch👍🖖🏻
I don't get YT e-mails or any other notifications anymore, either. I think they just gave up on sending them!
We recently got a new Frigidaire 7 cu.ft. chest freezer. Plugging it into a power meter, we found that it runs at 54 watts with the setting at 6, bringing the temperature to below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Plugging that into an energy calculator I found online, at 13 cents per kWh with our current energy provider, this chest freezer shouldn't cost us anymore than $4 per month.
I have that same freezer, its super efficient. I bought the Inkbird ITC-308 and set it for 39 degrees and it runs like 105 watts when the compressor kicks on, then drops to around 64 and thats on max setting with the Frigidaire dial and the temp controller and then the temp controller also lets you set how many minutes to space when power can come on for the chest freezer to protect the compressor, so I set mine for 4 minutes and the cooling will drop to like 37 with + or - degree margin and I swear that thing goes way beyond the 4 minute protection time before it fires up again and then when it does its on for 1 or 2 minutes.. Its ridiculously efficient, even with running the temp sensor smashed by the magnetic seal of the chest freezer lid, so its not perfectly air tight but its awesome. That Inkbird Temp module is like 35 bucks and you can transform any chest freezer into a perfectly climate controlled machine and do a ton of other things with the heating side.
UA-cam was being dumb again, I wasnt suggested this when it came out. I am always happy to hear you talk about tech though, especially when its something as helpful as this likely will be.
It's good to know also, what "frost free" refrigerator/freezers means. Once a day, they blow hot air through the freezer compartment in order to melt and evaporate the frost. This consumes extra energy and also causes freezer burn and vitamin loss in the food kept there. It also makes uncovered ice cubes taste bad. It's best not to keep anything there long-term, and use a chest freezer for anything that you want to really preserve.
Good to know👍🏼
Wow, I did not consider all the factors that would contribute to the fridge expenses, I only thought of how much power would go in, but now considering the other factors, it makes sense
If you have a big family and want space for beverages and the extra freezer space it may be more practical to have a second refrigerator. However, now we know it will be a higher electric demand. The after holiday sales on food do require lots of freezer space!
Good video, also the freezer usually has thicker insulation
Can you PLEASE do a video on various electric heater kWh usage? That would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks. I know this is a tech/geek channel and some people want to know the whys/hows but what would have been really helpful is to tell what the avg kwh usage is for the freezer.
Thanks, Scottie. You are a great teacher.
If you keep you freezer full it barley runs. I live on a boat . I will put those blue things in or water to keep it full. Mass in the freezer makes a difference.
i have 2 chest freezers, an old whirlpool from the 1970's that uses r-12 refrigerant and a newer kirkland (from costco, made by whirlpool) from the late 90's that uses r-134a refrigerant. both work well but the older whirlpool uses less energy even though it is a few cubic feet larger than the newer one.
Yeah, that's possible. Years ago, I remember reading that the 'new' refrigerants were safer but required higher electrical consumption... But then again, a lot has changed since the 70's in terms of motors/compressors as well. Around here, I can get freezers that vary in efficiency rating from C to A++. The more expensive, the higher efficiency - usually, but not always. Sometimes modern freezers even skimp on insulation, whereas older/different models use really good stuff.
Friend of mine gave me an old chest freezer r-12 . Compressor is running but not cooling. Compressor had zero freon in it. Emptied the system. Vacuumed . Installed a piercing valve on low side and just bite the bullet. Recharge the system with r134 a @ 2psi pressure. Brought back to life. Compressor was reading 156 F°. Inside temp is 0 F°Will see how long. will hold. Fingers crossed.
Can you put a small chest freezer in a kitchen where a side by side refrigerator has lived and died? The vents are on the side?? Here is my story. Bought a 1950s home. Small kitchen, built in cabinets surround frig. The seller had put a second hand side by side in for staging. We immediately replaced with a top of line Kenmore 16 yrs ago. Sears left. During Covid frig died. Couldn't find repairman, so bought a new Whirlpool side by side as close to our Kenmore as I could find that fit the space. Has been nothing but problems. first the icemaker had to be fixed. did it myself. then the frig part refused to stay cold. repairman took weeks to get here, (lost over $400 dollars in food) claimed it was a wire connection that had not been been properly connected at factory. Well, the problem persists. So we only use freezer and bought a tiny Target refrigerator. (amazed at all I can fit in that tiny frig). I realized I really need more freezer than frig. The space constraints limits options. Most side by side or top/bottom single units are either too tall or too wide or both. I have wondered if I could put a chest freezer on rollers, build a shelf and put a separate refrigerator on top? I am concerned though about ventilation for chest. Most regular frig/freezer combos have vents facing out (along the bottom). Chests have them on the side right? How much room would one need to properly work?
Most chest freezers either have a side vent, or sometimes none at all. I have one that doesn't even have a fan. So, I'd say as long as there is some gap and a way for a small amount of air to flow, you should be okay. For example, I might leave1-2" space on sides/back of chest freezer, then add little vents on bottom front of chest enclosure, and 2 more little vents on top of cabinet somewhere to let heat out. Shouldn't take much.
Dude! Glad I found your channel again. Saw a few videos, and was going to look for you to consult you for emf/van issues. That will be in the future though. Thanks for existing
Good info! Thanks 👍
Just as a side note. How are you getting on with the pendant?
Good! I actually stopped wearing it for a few months, and then started again. Didn't think too much about it, but I swear I still feel better when I wear it. Calmer. ??? Who knows!
@@ScottiesTech what type of pendant?
Tony Robbins has been advocating those since since the '90s. I finally got one a couple of years ago. One of the issues with my chronic health conditions is dizziness... the Q-Link certainly helps. I barely fall down anymore. I recommend it.
I'm living in Idlib Syria which we have power just for 2:30 hour every day .. the rest of the day you have to deal with it on battery for lights and phone charging use home gadgets etc.
So I have a choice of having a small solar system instead ,
It can turn my fridge for 6 hours max in summer so I decide to just live without using a fridge.. and it work somehow!
Did you see this comment that somebody else posted - "Housewife In The Woods
2 years ago
we live completely off grid and attempted on our small solar to have even a small under counter fridge..... nope, crashed the solar alllll the time.... was a guzzler.... however we got a chest freezer and it works like a dreammmmm.... we dont have it on at all at night and we keep it on only about 6 hrs per day. We have filled some old juice jugs with water and have them frozen inside the chest freezer. We use these in 2 ways..... firstly as a cold bank for the chest freezer its self so when its off its got a good base of block ice in it. secondly we can alternate the juice bottles in a cooler for a zero energy fridge. We open our freezer many times a day because we keep ice in it and we all like cubes in our water." Don't know if that could help you or not. I think you good people in Idlib are having a tough time of it - I wish you good luck in Idlib!!!!
We hope everything will be fine :)
The only thing it's ever been kept in there is a dead mouse. $400 mouse trap you got to grab a bargain like that!
Cheers Scottie
Believe it or not, American made chest freezers do exist! Just have to look hard.
I have a Whirlpool chest freezer - purchased in France where I live! It's a popular brand here now.
@@ScottiesTech good point---buy as local as possible
That's a sticky one... I DID buy local for awhile, but man... Some locally-made appliances are really great, and others are just god-awful. For dishwashers, it's Bosch or nothing. For freezers, Whirlpool rules. Plus, even tho Whirlpool is an American brand, they're manufactured here in Europe - at least the ones that are sold here!
@@ScottiesTech I bought a Whirlpool fridge recently and found out Whirlpool is now owned by China.
@@ScottiesTech I agree quality is important. But let's weigh locality greater than cost.
Length OF FREEZER
Thanks
And the American Fridges that are sold now a days are so much cheaper than they were just 20 years ago. No where near as much shelving space. When I don't have a lot of food in my Fridge I put a few gallon size jugs of water in it, so it will work less when I do open the door, it seems to make sense to me.
In Canada and likely in the US the Federacy guidelines for fridge's is no more that 4 C and -18 C for freezers,. May be different in the EU.
AWESOME video very informative just the answer I wanted thanks!
Chest freezers are more versatile - you can get a dead body or two in them.
Sorted
My question is, can it be used as a fridge?
The fridge is broken and I've just gotten a deep freezer. Everyday I've bought 1 or 2 ,20 pound bags of ice. While waiting on different repairmen to
1) get here the quickest
2) diagnose the problem
3) order the part
4) wait for said part.
And for everyday that passes food either spoils since ice isn't adequate for all items. The Canned biscuits explode, opened jars of food have taken in water (idk which family member didnt close it tightly). General downing sizing from fride to ice chest. And other products just going bad due to their date, like the milk. Ironically the MILK lasted its full term. But it came at the cost of daily ice purchases. I only wrote all this to give my original question context.
Can a deep freezer be used as a fridge? At least until the actual fridge is repaired.
Technically, yes... But you'd have to find some way to hack the thermostat so the highest temp is about 6 C / 43 F... Whereas chest freezers usually hover around -18 C / 0 F.
@@ScottiesTech
Oof thanks.
Well hopefully the repair man can fix the fridge by the end of the week. Its been 2 weeks coming into 3 weeks now. (Daily ice and tossing food weekly).
@@ericolens3 Midea makes a 3.5 Cu. Ft. Convertible Chest Freezer that can be set as freezer or refrigerator. It's the only one I've seen like this. Considering its small I'm getting two of them. Two is better then one always for redundancy and reliability anyway. Power consumption as a chest fridge would be lowest and great for my battery backup if needed.
Actually you can find a device on Amazon that you plug your freezer into and you plug the device into the mains power. You put the devices supplied thermostat into the freezer and set the freezer for the coldest setting, you set the device to your refrigerator range 35F - 45F and it will cycle power to the freezer to keep it at the prescribed range.
Great info 👍🏼
Super helpful! 👍
Great stuff bud. Question: if I only open the freezer once a day is it possible to leave it plugged off throughout the evening and early morning ( 9 pm - 9 am) I hear it remains frozen for up to 24 hours once plugged off ?
I think you should be fine leaving it unplugged for 8-12 hours. I mean, it really depends on the ambient temperature of the room where the freezer is located. If it's 35C / 95F, the freezer won't stay cold so long... but if it's 5C / 41F, then the stuff inside will stay deep-frozen much longer. The more modern the freezer, the better the insulation. And the more stuff you have frozen inside, the longer it will stay frozen.
Which one has less electricity consuming deep freezer?
Red hill labs has a very detailed video on this.
Question.. I have a True T-49DT-HC freezer that I want to use in my home. Does it use more electric???
That's a big one... According to the specs, power consumption peaks at 768W. It won't use that much all the time of course, but it's substantially higher than a simple chest freezer.
@@ScottiesTech Forgot to mention.. I forgot to mention.. I have solar on the house. Would that help
@@relaxinmeditation8710 Yes!
@@ScottiesTech how would it help.. you didn’t elaborate. I know solar on most homes saves on electricity..but on this freezer pulling a bit more power.. how does it help?
the american needs far more - at least here in europe.
it is 170 kWh vs 80 kWh ... for Miele freezers
the biggest lost is opening far more and cold fells out of the american freezer.
Watt peek does not count ... cause the compressor needs a high peek in the first second only ... then it goes down
Yeah, it gets pretty confusing. I have a 120W peak deep freezer, and a 200W peak. Not sure if that's a function of spike when starting, weaker compressor / different refrigerant and one runs more than the other, or what... It seems they use about the same annually, tho - at least according to the annual consumption rating in kWh.
I knew it
Love my chest freezer and also you can buy propane ones!