Shopping Guide forRefrigerator in India

Refrigerator – Introduction

Refrigerator is becoming important and an unavoidable part of every family. A refrigerator (colloquially fridge) is a common household appliance that consists of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump(mechanical, electronic or chemical) that transfers heat from the inside of the fridge to its external environment so that the inside of the fridge is cooled to a temperature below the ambient temperature of the room. Lower temperature in a confined volume lowers the reproduction rate of bacteria, so the refrigerator reduces the rate of spoilage.

A refrigerator maintains a temperature of a few degrees above the freezing point of water. Optimum temperature range for perishable food storage is 3 to 5 °C (37 to 41 °F). A similar device that maintains a temperature below the freezing point of water is called a freezer.

The refrigerator is a relatively modern invention. It replaced the icebox, which was a common household appliance for almost a century and a half erstwhile. For this reason, a refrigerator is sometimes referred to as icebox.

Purpose of this Guide

This guide will help you to understand different types of refrigerators and their features which will help you to make a better informed decision.

Why should you read this guide:

• You will get proper information about the product and service

• Will get knowledge about the brands

• Can compare the prices and features of the products

• This guide helps the buyers to make a correct buying decision

• Offers knowledge about the new brands available in the market

• Provides adequate knowledge about uses of Refrigerators

How to Buy the RIGHT Refrigerator

There are no general RIGHT criteria; it is about the RIGHT refrigerator that fits your need and budget. (To understand what will be the RIGHT refrigerator for you, please read below)

• Figure out how much food storage capacity you need. Generally, smaller families require 18 to 22 cubic feet of refrigerator space, while large families or people who entertain frequently need 25 to 28 cubic feet.

• Decide on a door configuration. Refrigerators are available in side by side with freezer and refrigerator compartments next to each other, bottom mount with freezer below the refrigerator and top mount with freezer over the refrigerator.

• Determine which features are important to you. Some refrigerators have humidity controls on storage bins to prolong freshness of meat and vegetables. Buy a refrigerator that best fits your eating, shopping and living habits.

• Compare prices and look for sales. • Read ratings and reviews of models that suit your needs. • Ask for warranty information. A good refrigerator warranty will cover parts for one year and

the sealed refrigeration system for five years. • Measure the space where the refrigerator will sit.

Understanding Refrigerator

Types of RefrigeratorsWe are dividing Refrigerator into different segments to help you understand the working of it.

1A. On the Basis of Compartments

Top Freezer: Traditionally the most popular style (largely due to its economical price), this is likely

the refrigerator type you grew up with. the freezer compartment is positioned atop the fresh-food compartment.

Advantages: Familiar design; lower price than more feature rich styles

Disadvantages: Among the least flexible configurations; requires wide, deep space to allow doors to swing fully open.

Bottom Freezer:

This style inverts the more traditional top-freezer configuration, placing the freezer compartment at floor level and raising the fresh-foods area to a more convenient height. The freezer compartment may be accessed via a drawer or a swinging door.

Advantages: Economically priced; offers easier access to fresh foods than with a top-freezer refrigerator.

Disadvantages: Among the least flexible configurations; access to frozen foods may be less convenient (especially with a swinging door) than with top-freezer models; requires wide, deep space to allow doors to swing fully open.

Side-By-Side:

In this type, the refrigerator and freezer compartments are more equal in size. The compartments are narrower; as a result so are the doors. Adjustable shelves are mast for optimal flexibility. Some models offers features like through-the-doors ice and water dispensers.

Advantages: Convenient access to both fresh and frozen foods; abundant freezer space; space required for door swing is less, thus taking less space in kitchen.

Disadvantages: Narrower refrigerator compartment may not accommodate large platters; less overall fresh-food space than top and bottom freezer models; costlier than top and bottom freezer models.

French Door:

This type combines the advantages of side-by-side and bottom-freezer configurations. The French doors at the top open to reveal a spacious, full-width fresh foods compartment that easily accommodates large platters of foods. 3-door models sport a bottom-mounted freezer, 4-door models are also available that offer dual freezer compartments. Through-the-door ice and water dispensers are offered on most French door refrigerators.

Advantages: Elegant aesthetic and functional design; highly versatile to efficiently hold a wide variety of different types of foods; narrow refrigerator doors allow more flexible installation; advanced 4-door models deliver variable cooling zones for optimal food freshness.

Disadvantages: Great looks and versatility come at a price.

Counter Depth:

Available mainly in side-by-side and French door styles, counter-depth refrigerators offer a shallower configuration than their standard-depth counterparts. This allows them to blend seamlessly with kitchen cabinetry for a bulk in look. Some models are designed with wider dimensions to compensate for their reduced depth.

Compact:

These miniaturized versions of traditional refrigerators are ideal for dorm rooms, bedrooms or home offices. Most compact refrigerators feature little or no freezer capacity; and in most, the freezer is located inside the refrigeration compartment.Boutique designer models are available with separate freezer compartments, similar to a full-size refrigerator.

Freezer less:

As the name implies, freezer less refrigerators use the entire volume of the cooling compartment for refrigeration, not freezing. they are ideal if you have full-size chest freezer for frozen goods or if you just have little need for freezing.

1B. On the Basis of Total Capacity

Single Door Refrigerator Double Door RefrigeratorSingle door refrigerator with a super cooling system is both rich in features to make cooling for the food faster and keep your food fresher.

The double door should have 4 Star and freezer compartment for long term storage. It should have recessed handle.

Features:

• Separate chiller compartment for short term storage• Reversible door• Door racks hold 2 lit. bottle• Two selves

Features:

• Electronic control• 4 Temperature sensor• Inverter fan• Electric damper• Minus zero cooling• Forefront freezing

Less Expensive More Expensive than Single door refrigerator.

Price Range: Rs. 6.5K to 16K Price Range: Rs. 10K to 45K

Space: Lesser space than double door refrigerator. Space: More space than single door refrigerator.

1C. Other Segmentation Attributes

There are other attributes that can be used for segmentation:

Features: There are few features in a refrigerator to look for, for e.g.

• Ice makers

• Water dispenser

• Adjustable shelving

• Spill proof shelving

• Soda can dispenser

• Moisture control

• Auto–defrosting function

• Enclosed condenser coils Brand: Refrigerator brand is a very important factor. Customers have a positive perception about a refrigerator associated with a brand.

Some Important Features that should be taken into consideration before Buying a Refrigerator

Good to have:

• Recessed handle • Electric control • Door racks holds 2 liter bottles• Auto restart

Core – Must have (check and confirm):

• Better freezing capacity • Fruit and vegetable box with glass covers • Inverter fan • 4-star rating • Moisture control • Enclosed condenser coils • Temperature control

Core – Generally have:

• Check for the Sustainability, Durability. Maintainability

Core - Generally all have

Must have

Good to have

Amazing to have

Some Important Features that should be taken into consideration before Buying a Refrigerator … contd.

Recessed handle: A refrigerator should have a recessed handle which should be useful for the user to operate the refrigerator.

Electric control: A refrigerator should have electric control system to make the best operation of the refrigerator.

Doors racks: A refrigerator should have a door rack for at least holding two litters bottle and must have adequate space for other items.

Auto restart: A refrigerator should have an auto restart facility so that it starts and stop cooling according to freezing condition.

Fruit and vegetable covers: To keep vegetable and fruits fresh, it should be covered with glass box.

Inverter fan: It is used to surround the cooling facility all around the corner of the refrigerator to protect the things from spoilage.

Star rating: More nos. of stars, less consumption of electricity. 5 star rating consumes less electricity.

Moisture control: Controlling indoor moisture is crucial for a number of reasons. Humidity, dampness and moisture cause damage to property. Problems include like staining, rust, rot, warping, peeling, crumbling, sagging, curling and a whole range of problems, from minor damage to complete ruin.

Brands that should be kept in mind while buying Refrigerators

1. Whirlpool 2. LG 3. Samsung 4. Electrolux 5. Godrej 6. Videocon 7. Kelvinator 8. Videocon 9. Hitachi10. Voltas

How to Use the Refrigerator

• Don’t leave the door open • The longer the door stays open, the more hot air will get inside – making the refrigerator consuming more

electricity to cool it down.

• Keep food away from the back wall • If food or anything else touches the back wall of the refrigerator, the cooling cycle will go haywire and energy

will be wasted. Prolonged contact with the back wall will also damage your veggies.

• Keep warm leftovers out • Putting warm food inside your refrigerator will, not surprisingly, make it work harder. It also increases the

chances of unpleasant bacteria growth in the food, so it’s better to cool the food to room temperature first.

• Thaw frozen food in the fridge • Are any of tomorrow’s dinner ingredients in the freezer? Put them in the fridge today, and let them thaw

slowly. As an added bonus, slowly thawed food will taste better.

• Dust or vacuum the cooling coils • The coils on the back of the refrigerator get rid of heat from its interior. If they get too dusty, they’ll be less

efficient at conducting heat, making the refrigerator work harder. The same applies to your freezer. Make sure you don’t damage or bend the coils while you dust them; it’ll make them less efficient.

How to Use the Refrigerator … contd.

• Defrost the freezing compartment • Built-up frost and ice will reduce energy efficiency significantly. The same goes for your freezer; defrost it

when frost build-up is getting noticeable.

• Use an energy efficient light bulb • The light bulbs in refrigerators are normally incandescent bulbs that will produce more heat than light –

kind of counterproductive in a cooling appliance. LED bulbs are especially suitable in a refrigerator. • Avoid stoves and hot water heaters • Try to place your refrigerator away from anything that will radiate heat.

• Give it some air • Make a healthy flow of air around the appliance possible; this helps to transport heat away. This is

especially important for the coils on the back – the air they heat up has to be replaced with cooler air, or your poor fridge will be working hard and wasting energy constantly.

FAQs about Refrigerator

1. What is the ideal temperature for a refrigerator?Since the refrigerator has to keep the food fresh and extends its life, the temperature should be cold but not too cold. So, the ideal temperature for the residential refrigerators is between 25 and 28 degrees Fahrenheit. 2. Why does frost form in refrigerators? Frost formation in the refrigerator is a very common problem. It is formed when the water vapor hits the cold coils inside the freezer. You can compare it to your breath blown on a cold window. 3. How does a frost free refrigerator work?Today, most of the refrigerator models are frost-fee. Three essential parts - the timer, the temperature sensor, and the heating coil lets the refrigerator stays clean and frost-free. 4. How to get rid of the bad odor in the refrigerator?If you can sense the same odor even after adding boxes of baking soda in your refrigerator, then you need to do a complete cleaning process. Remove all the items from the refrigerator and don’t forget to throw away all the spoiled food.

FAQs about Refrigerator … contd.

5. What is the difference between a built-in refrigerator and an ordinary refrigerator?Built-in refrigerators come merged with the cabinetry, whereas, a standard one stands alone. Built-in refrigerators are placed around 28 inches deep inside the cabinet, thus, allowing lot of space in the kitchen unlike the ordinary ones. 6. Can I recycle my old refrigerator? Yes you can replace according to offer and company rules and regulation. 7. Why the back of a refrigerator is painted black? If you've ever stood out in the hot sun wearing a black shirt, you know that black is excellent at absorbing heat. But because it works well as a heat radiator it is the perfect color for all external refrigeration coils. 8. What does the fan in a fridge accomplish? Most refrigerators today have 2 fans. There is one located under the refrigerator which helps to cool the compressor. It also forces air through the exterior refrigerator coils. The second fan is on the inside of the refrigerator. Its purpose is to force air to move around the coils which improves the cooling efficiency. If you have a frost free refrigerator, you'll find that this fan is also helpful with the defrosting process.

Maintenance Steps of Refrigerator

Every 1 Month Every 6 MonthsInspect and clean inside of refrigerator Cheek the compressor

Clean Glass Box Check the freezing process

Change the ice water Check the electricity supply

By following these simple maintenance steps regularly, we can extend the life of our refrigerators. These steps are:

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