In cooler conditions, fridges and freezers don't need as much power to run at optimum performance. With that in mind, you might think that giving the appliances better insulation to stop cool air from escaping might help to keep your energy bills down.
However, one Redditor has shared their wisdom about why this might not be the best idea.
"Some chest freezers have condenser coils around the outside," they noted on the r/OffGrid subreddit. "Best not to add additional insulation to save power before checking this on your freezer, or you will actually inhibit its performance."
A condenser coil helps to release heat that the cooling system produces to the outside environment. If you add insulation to the exterior of a fridge or freezer, you will reduce the appliance's ability to release that heat, requiring more energy to keep the inside temperature cool.
To demonstrate their point, the Redditor provided an infrared image of their chest freezer, showing the hot condenser coil on the outer edges of the appliance and the cooler interior spots.
Since this advice was posted to an "off grid" Reddit community, we can assume the original poster does not rely on the wider electricity grid for power. That would suggest they use solar panels or other renewable tech to provide energy for their property, meaning saving as much power as possible is essential.
Solar panels work great in sunny conditions, but efficiency is reduced on cloudy days. At night, they produce no power at all. That's where battery storage comes into play, helping you keep the lights on even when it's dark outside.
But depending on your battery storage capacity, you may need to be mindful about how much power you use daily. Therefore, finding ways to make your appliances more efficient can help to stretch the power that's available.
However, this Redditor found out that insulating a fridge or freezer is not the way to go. There is energy-efficient technology that can make life off-grid easier, though. For example, an induction stove can speed up cooking times and reduce the power needed for operation. An air fryer is similarly more efficient than a conventional oven.
Even if you live in a property that is connected to the energy grid, taking advantage of appliances like these can cut your power use and reduce your monthly bills. You'll also be relying on less electricity from the grid, which is still heavily produced by polluting dirty fuels.
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