So, Old Betsy just ain’t keeping the beer cold anymore and she’s making more noise than Grandpa on the toilet. You’ve had enough and you’re ready to go buy a new fridge. You surf the the web to see what’s out there and now you’re really confused. So many brands, so many styles, what’s a grasshopper to do? Well, you just go grab a cold one, budrow, and plop your pooper at the feet of the master for another magic carpet ride into appliance enlightenment.

If you were to base your selection only on the familiar yellow and black Energy Guide pasted on all new appliances, picking your new fridge would be a no-brainer. But life is never that easy. In addition to energy usage, you’re also concerned about little things like:

• storage space — will it have enough room to hold your case of beer AND your tubs of potato salad?
• configuration — side-by-side or top-and-bottom?
• cabinet size — will it even fit in the space now occupied by your old fridge?

Scarey stuff, ey? Well, here are some energy considerations to keep in mind when purchasing or using your new beer-cooling buddy:

• Top freezer models use 7-13% less energy than side-by-side models.
• Automatic icemakers and through-the-door dispensers can increase energy usage by 14-20%.
• Consider your needs and lifestyle when selecting the size of your new fridge. A refrigerator that has either too much empty space or that is overloaded will have to run more frequently.
• Select a fridge that has earned the EPA’s Energy Star. Energy Star fridges have several advanced features to save energy and must exceed the new 2001 standards by at least 10%. Fun fact to know and tell: if your refrigerator is at least 10 years old, it uses as much energy as two Energy Star labelled fridges.
• Placement of the fridge has a big effect on energy usage. Direct sunlight and close contact with hot appliances, like ranges, will make the compressor work harder.
• Don’t crowd food items stored in the fridge. Overcrowding a refrigerator restricts air circulation and prevents the fridge from cooling evenly.

Happy shopping!

This topic comes up a lot in the forum in various ways, some of them pretty bizarre. In my tireless efforts to help my precious grasshoppers achieve ultimate appliance satori, I’ve put together this handy list of common sources of fridge noises.

1. Some of the newer-design compressors produce a higher pitched sound which can be mistaken as being louder.
2. The evaporator fan (the one in the freezer) makes noise while it does it’s job of pushing cold air around the freezer and fresh food compartments. That’s just what happens when you move air around rapidly in a confined space. On some models, this fan can sound louder than on others.
3. If your fridge is on a floor that’s not level or is weak and buckling, this can cause distortions in the cabinet and make buzzing or rattling sounds, especially around the compressor and condensate drip pan.
4. Occasionally, you may hear a sizzling sound from the freezer. This is just part of the defrost process where ice accumulated on the evaporator is melting and dripping on the defrost heaters below. Defrosting: it’s a good thing.
5. When the fridge goes through its defrost cycle and then cools back down to operating temperature, they’s a whole lotta expandin’ and contractin’ goin’ on in there. This can cause all those mass-produced metal and plastic parts that’re smooshed together to move a little bit and you’ll hear popping and crackling. Don’t sweat the load, everything’s fine.
6. Sometimes, you’ll hear a bubbling or gurgling sound, like boiling water, inside the fridge. Relax, it’s just the refrigerant doing it’s job. The refrigerant boils at a much lower temperature than water. So when it boils and goes from a liquid to a vapor, it’s sucking up heat from inside your fridge. So, this all boils down to this: boiling refrigerant = cold fridge.
7. If you hear a dripping sound from underneath the fridge, it’s just condensate water dripping into the drain pan like it’s supposed to. By the way, if you have a problem with your fridge leaking water on the inside and you pull the condensate drip pan from underneath and it’s bone-dry, that’s a sure sign that the condensate drain port inside the fridge is plugged with ice or gookus.
8. Mechanical defrost timers can make noticeable clicking noises when they switch into and out of defrost mode.
9. Icemakers make some of their own noises. The water valve buzzes when it opens to let water into the icemaker mold. You may hear a trickling sound as water flows into the icemaker. And then there’s the periodic and welcome rattling sound as the icemaker dumps ice into the tray.