Freezer FAQ

Every frequently asked question there is to answer about freezers

A stand-alone freezer. (Image credit: Haier)

A stand-alone freezer. (Image credit: Haier)

What is the difference between a chest and an upright freezer?

Chest freezers are generally bulkier than upright models and come with a top-mounted door. They are better suited to storing large and bulky items, such as large cuts of meat, and are also more efficient at trapping cold air inside the freezer because the cold air travels downwards. Upright freezers look similar to traditional refrigerators. Their shape is better suited to the majority of kitchens designs with vertical cavities. They also store food horizontally on shelves, which makes it easier to access and retrieve frozen items.

What does ‘energy efficient’ mean?

Freezers use energy (electricity) to keep food cool. When two freezers of the same size are compared, the one that uses less electricity is more energy efficient. The Energy Star rating is a guide designed to tell you how efficiently a freezer uses electricity. (The more energy efficient a model is, the more stars it receives.)

Why do some freezers with a better star rating use more electricity?

It’s important to remember that the Energy Star Rating is not actually based on the amount of electricity a freezer uses. Instead, it lets you know how efficient a freezer is at using electricity – this allows the rating system to take different freezer shapes and sizes into account. Obviously, a big freezer will use more electricity than a small freezer, but if it converts this energy more efficiently, it will receive a better rating.

How can I tell which freezer will help decrease my energy bill?

The Energy Rating label provides an energy consumption number in kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year. This is the amount of energy a freezer will use under set conditions, and can be used to compare how much electricity different freezers will use.

The smaller this number, the less energy the freezer will use. The kW-hours used per year will differ based on the size, type and energy efficiency of the unit.

Some new freezers offer advanced features that monitor and adjust the flow of cold air in the freezer, adapting to your daily usage patterns as well as the external climate conditions. These features are designed to increase energy efficiency, as well as keep temperature fluctuations in the freezer to a minimum.

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