Do Mini Fridges Run Constantly

Updated on April 14, 2022

Because refrigerators do not utilise energy on a continuous basis, it is impossible to estimate how much energy they consume. Instead, they turn on and off in a cycle. When they are regularly opened, or when heated goods are placed inside them, or when they are set to their coldest setting, they run more.

Mini Fridges Save Electricity

In fact, if you’re in the habit of opening your big kitchen refrigerator frequently merely to grab the next cold drink, a compact fridge can actually save you money on energy. Because it is so compact, a mini-fridge loses a lot less cold air than your kitchen fridge every time you open it.

A mini-fridge that holds 90 cans has a volume of only 2.2 cubic feet. When compared to a regular kitchen refrigerator, the following is the difference: Frigidaire refrigerators are available in sizes ranging from 18 to 27 cubic feet, with the average home having one between 22 and 25 cubic feet. Imagine having to open that 25 cubic foot fridge every time you want a Coke, and you can understand how much more energy efficient a little fridge is.

Scrambling for Space in Your Kitchen Refrigerator

Even if you have a 25-cubic-foot refrigerator, you already know how quickly it can fill up. Trying to fit a few cans of beer or soda into a small space can feel like a Rubik’s cube. You may need to put the cans in small nooks and crevices, where they’ll be quickly buried beneath tubs of leftover potato salad and stacks of take-out containers.

What happens when visitors arrive? You go to the garage to retrieve more room temperature beers to fast cold the three or four cans of beer you’ve had chilling in your enormous fridge. You just hope they’ll be cool enough to drink when you need them. If you’re really pushed for time, put a couple cans in the freezer and remember to take them out before they burst. This pattern of hunting, grabbing, and replacing consumes a significant amount of electricity.

It’s Energy Efficient to Store Many Drinks at Once

A tiny refrigerator, on the other hand, allows you to reach for the can or bottle you want right away. Because of the glass refrigerator doors, you know exactly where everything is. You don’t have to rush to the kitchen to get the next can if your thirsty friend downs a Coke in 5 minutes and looks at you eagerly.

And you won’t have to worry about keeping track of how quickly your visitors consume their beers or figuring out when the next batch of cans will be cold enough to serve.

The smallest mini fridge from NewAir has a capacity of 90 cans, while the largest has a capacity of 177 cans or 92 beer bottles. You won’t have to worry about running out of cold beverages ever again. Furthermore, if you keep your soda at 34 degrees F, you won’t need any ice cubes. In every one of our mini-fridges, external condenser coils work in tandem with an evaporator and a compressor to deliver big cooling power in a compact package.

Understanding Refrigerator Energy Consumption

Because refrigerators do not utilise energy on a continuous basis, it is impossible to estimate how much energy they consume. Instead, they turn on and off in a cycle.

When they are regularly opened, or when heated goods are placed inside them, or when they are set to their coldest setting, they run more. In addition, the quantity of insulation they have is a consideration.

NewAir’s tiny refrigerators offer triple-layer insulation and double-paned doors.

The less energy is required to keep a fridge at 34 or 36 degrees, or whatever temperature you choose for cold drinks, the better protected the interior is from the outside environment.

However, some refrigerators are clearly more energy-efficient than others, and you can get a good idea of how much electricity they use if you understand what the various numbers indicate.

Watts and Kilowatts

Let’s begin with the wattage. When running, several refrigerators (including NewAir) display the number of watts they consume. Depending on their size, NewAir micro fridges utilise between 85 and 100 watts. Smaller refrigerators do not cycle on and off as frequently as larger refrigerators.

We’ll take the example of a NewAir refrigerator that runs for 1/3 of a 24-hour day. That’s a total of 8 hours. We multiply those two values together to get watt-hours if it utilises 85 watts for 8 hours. In a day, 85 watts times 8 hours is 680 watt-hours.

The following step is to convert watt-hours to kilowatt-hours (kWh). Your utility company bills you in kilowatt hours, which is how all home power consumption is assessed.

Simply move the decimal point three places to the left to convert watt hours to kWh. .680 kWh equals 680 watt hours.

Quickly Calculate Your Energy Cost

The kilowatt hour is the unit of measurement for electric utilities. You may find out what your electricity rates are by glancing at your statement or contacting your utility company.

The majority of electric companies use a tiered pricing system. This means that if you use less electricity, you save money. The electric provider establishes a standard level of power use for a home and then charges you the lowest price per kWh up to that level. Your price per kWh rises if you use more electricity than the baseline level.

In San Diego, for example, the base home electricity tariff in 2018 is around 27 cents per kWh in the summer and 23 cents per kWh in the winter. In the summer, the next higher pricing tier is 47 cents per kWh, while in the winter, it’s 40 cents per kWh.

This is more than the national average of 13 cents; the graphic below from the US Energy Information Administration shows comparable electricity costs across the country. Another good reason to consider a tiny refrigerator is if you reside in an area with high utility rates.

1. Clean Your Condenser Coils

Your refrigerator’s condenser coils perform one of the most critical functions. They dissipate the heat that builds up inside your refrigerator, as well as the refrigerant that keeps it cool. Dust, hair, and debris can jam these coils, causing them to malfunction. Cleaning these should be done at least once a year to help avoid problems from arising.

Seasonal maintenance is required for condenser coils to ensure that they function correctly and efficiently.

1. Remove the plug from your refrigerator.
2. Slide your fridge away from the wall with care.
3. Remove the coil cover from the condenser. They should be in the back of the fridge, near the bottom. Screws or nuts are used to secure it.
4. Use the brush attachment on your vacuum to clean the condenser coils. You can also use a rag or a brush to clean them, but this will take significantly longer.
5. Remove the cover and replace it.
6. Reconnect your refrigerator by sliding it back into place and plugging it in.

2. Check Your Temperature Settings

We’re going to need to check a few different temperature settings inside your refrigerator.

The temperature in your refrigerator should be kept at 40 degrees Fahrenheit, while the temperature in your freezer should be kept at 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Setting either of these higher than that will cause major issues.

Food deterioration is the most serious issue.

Food must be maintained at these temperatures to be safe to consume.

When food reaches these temperatures, bacteria and mould can begin to thrive.

If the temperature in your refrigerator is set too high, it may struggle to keep things cool. Temperatures that are set too high cause the refrigerator to heat up faster. As a result, the fridge has to run all the time to keep things cool.

The thermostats on your refrigerator should be on the inside. Keep in mind that the numbers on your refrigerator’s controls are reversed. The greater the number, the more effort your refrigerator will make to keep items chilled.

Consider reducing the temperature if your fridge has been running nonstop and is getting a touch warm.

3. Faulty Fan Motors

There are a few fans in your refrigerator that assist keep items cool. These fans are meant to remove hot air from the system and replace it with cool air. If any of these fans malfunctions, your refrigerator will have to run continuously to keep the temperature cool.

Here’s how to fix a refrigerator fan motor that’s broken

1. Unplug your refrigerator and slowly move it away from the wall.
2. The condenser fan is placed at the bottom of the refrigerator’s back panel.
3. The evaporator fan is situated directly above the coils of the evaporator.
4. Take a look at these supporters.
5. The fans should be able to spin freely and should not be overheated.
6. By unscrewing the fan from its mounting and detaching the electrical connection connectors, you can replace either fan.
7. Join forces with your new fans.
8. Replace the replacement fan in the mounting.
9. Replace whatever coverings you had to take off.
   Reconnect your refrigerator by sliding it back into place and plugging it in.

4. Frosted Evaporator Coils

The frost on your evaporator coils can be removed in the following manner.

1. Remove everything from the freezer.
2. Unplug your refrigerator.
3. To get to your evaporator coils, follow the manufacturer’s instructions. In the freezer, they’re usually hidden behind an access panel. With a screwdriver, you’ll need it to remove this panel.
4. You’ll need it to defrost your evaporator coils if they’re covered in frost.
5. Set the thermometers on all of your refrigerator’s thermostats to the warmest setting.
6. Allow the frost to melt by keeping the freezer door open.
7. Everything in your freezer should be dried out.
8. Connect your refrigerator to the power source
9. Push your food back into your fridge and freezer after it’s nice and chilly.

The ice on your evaporator coils may only be removed temporarily. You’ll have to figure out how they came to be frosted in the first place. Let’s have a look at why your defroster isn’t working.

5. Problems With the Defroster 

To keep your fridge frost-free, the defrost heater assembly, defrost thermostat, defrost timer, and defrost control board all operate together. Any of these components can fail, causing your refrigerator to run continuously.

Repairing problems with your defroster can be difficult. To locate the component that isn’t working properly, you’ll have to look at each one independently.

All you have to do now is replace the broken part of your refrigerator’s defroster.

An appliance repair professional might be able to help you with this. The defroster assembly is the most difficult component of your refrigerator.