New House, New Fridge

I've just been doing freezer research recently. What I'd say is look at the KWh/year figures - category A is a broad range, and there are things that could cost an extra £30 a year to run compared with the hungiest appliances that are still marked as 'A'. It may be worth spending slightly more to get a better energy figure.

Theo

mmm I suspect there will be unhealthy differences between manufacturers test methods & assumptions etc that could well make any savings negligible in reality.

Jim K

In general, I know several people who have fitted under-counter fridges and they have all turned out to be useless for some reason - not researched this though. My mother uses her under-counter fridge to keep pots and pans !

Simon.

We have had an under-counter larder fridge for well over 20 years. Absolutely no problems. Bear in mind that some do need a vent in the worktop to work properly.

Thanks, but it would be nice to know the reasons.

I know that there is need to allow space around them for air to circulate, but in particular the first in the list should allow enough. The other thing is that really one wants the fridge at counter level, to save oneself stooping, which is why I'm tempted by the idea of a fridge freezer, which is what I had before.

Unfortunately, I'm somewhat constrained by the room's ill-thought out design.

What they've done is make the old small kitchen into a utility space, which contains really just an old sink and the gungy washing machine, so it's basically wasted, and take over this large end-room as a kitchen / dining-room. This means that you can't use this for anything else more general purpose, like a dining-room / study. I'm sorely tempted to rip out all these new fittings and put them into the old kitchen, which is where they should have been put in the first place, and reclaim this room for more general use. Possibly cut a hatchway into the old kitchen for when this needs to be used as a dining room.

It's the expense though ... and it seems such a waste of the new fitt>

Our fridge and freezer say they do, but run fine without. Decent airgaps though - I guess the efficiency is down a little.

Andy

I have two near identical chest freezers except one is A rated the other is A++. The wall thickness is significantly different, more insulation in the A++one.

Basically the modern stuff is all crap. I very strongly suspect that they all come out of the same factory with different badges. Most likely made in Poland. The days of quality as in what Zanussi used to be have gone. I would just buy the cheapest and budget for a new one in eight - ten years.

I've had various fridges & freezers, from quality stuff to barrel scrapers, and to be honest none of them have been a problem - except the frost frees, which I definitely now avoid.

NT

Frost free are s**te.

and to be honest none of them have been a problem - except the frost frees, which I definitely now avoid.

I've not needed to defrost my basic freezer as often as some colleagues have needed to get their frost-free ones fixed. The basic compressor/evaporator/condenser/stat is extremely reliable, very much more so that the extra bits added on to make this into a frost-free unit.

and to be honest none of them have been a problem - except the frost frees, which I definitely now avoid.

There is one feature best checked for - that you can unscrew and replace the door seal(s). If not, seal repair is too often uneconomic.

NT

Thanks for the various replies. The short list is now:

Fridge Zanussi ZRG310W1 Larder Fridge, £154.00, H84.7 x W49.4 x D49.4cm

Freezer Indesit TZAA10, £159.00, £18.25, H85 x W55 x D58cm

... or possibly one or other of these instead ...

Fridge Freezer Beko FS5552W Fridge Freezer, £279.00, £23.30, H152 x W55 x D60cm

You can search for seals for the model number, or look at one locally.

Obviously that establishes nothing. Lots of seals fail.

NT