Introduction
When your refrigerator breaks down, you have to change your plans for the day since you need to clean stock and ask out friends and neighbors for some spare storage space in their fridge. You can search for “refrigerator repair near me” and hire a technician to fix your fridge for you. If you’re in the market for a new fridge, here are a few features you need to look out for.
The Features
- Water and ice dispensers – Over the past few years, water and ice dispensers have become common in large French door refrigerators. If you have a family of four or more people and are buying a large fridge, then make sure to have this feature. Water and ice dispensers also come in various flavors. There are regular dispensers that can dispense a set amount of water or ice at a time and those that can detect the capacity of the container and dispense the perfect amount you need.
This feature sounds gimmicky, and most people don’t really need it. You can always fill water pitchers in the fridge and set ice trays. However, it brings a genuine quality of life improvement. Moreover, you don’t have to open the refrigerator several times throughout the day and let out cold air. Having a water and ice dispenser does improve the energy efficiency of the fridge.
- Drawer options – Refrigerator drawer options deserve an article of their own. Modern refrigerators come with all sorts of drawers, and some have modular designs to accept third-party options as well. However, it’s important to cut through the clutter and get a refrigerator that has a few important drawers with irreplaceable technology.
Make sure that you buy refrigerators with crisper drawers that have multiple climate zones. Crispers have the ability to suck out ethylene and other such gasses emitted from your veggies and fresh produce and keep them fresh for as long as possible. However, with multiple climate zones, you get more flexibility. You can separate items that emit ethylene gas and other such compounds that quicken the ripening process and those that don’t.
If budget isn’t an issue and you’re planning to spend thousands of dollars on a new refrigerator, make sure to get one that has temperature-controlled drawers. This kind of refrigerator allows you to set different temperatures in different compartments and drawers. Also, make sure that the drawers have nifty features like tilt-and-take for easy accessibility.
- Energy efficiency – While most refrigerator features aim at providing ease of access, usability, and improved quality of life, there’s one feature that you should never compromise on. Make sure that the refrigerator you buy is energy efficient. If the refrigerator isn’t energy-efficient, a big flat screen and in-built speakers on your smart fridge aren’t worth the price.
Make sure to read the energy rating label on the refrigerator. Unlike the EU and Australia, the US doesn’t have a national standard for the energy rating of electronic appliances. However, there is an energy label on refrigerators that are sold in the country, and they contain valuable information. All energy labels on refrigerators clearly tell you the amount of power the refrigerator is going to consume every year.
While those numbers only hold in ideal conditions, they are a benchmark that allows you to judge the energy efficiency of your refrigerator. When you’re buying refrigerators of a certain size, make sure to compare the energy consumption and choose one that consumes the least. Choosing an energy-efficient refrigerator allows you to save hundreds of dollars every year and also helps to reduce your carbon footprint.
- Touch screens and digital controls – While you don’t need a large LCD display on your refrigerator, it’s best to look for one that has a touchscreen digital control panel. There are several advantages of touch screen digital controls. All of them are backlit and that means you can operate the controls even at night without shocking your senses.
Moreover, those touchscreen panels come with a child lock feature. They usually require you to press a combination of keys to unlock the panel. This way there are no accidents, and you don’t find your freezer completely frosted when you’re trying to get some ice.
- Lighting – Your new refrigerator should have interior LED lighting instead of those inefficient tiny bulbs used in the past. LEDs are brighter, more efficient, and create a softer light. Some models even have non-glare lighting where there are light panels at the edge to offer you a clear vision without emitting photons directly at your eyes.
- Antibacterial coat – You’ve truly scored big if you’re able to find a refrigerator that has all the features you need, is energy efficient, has enough storage, matches your style, and also has an antibacterial coating on all drawers, shelves, and compartments. Antibacterial coating prevents bacteria from thriving on a surface and also prevents outside bacteria from spoiling your food or creating nasty odors.
- Edge-to-edge shelves – Irrespective of the size of the refrigerator you buy, you’re always going to run out of space. That’s why it’s important to alleviate that problem from the start by purchasing a refrigerator with edge-to-edge shelves. These shelves extend throughout the entire width of the fridge and help you maximize storage.
- Smart diagnostics – While smart refrigerators aren’t necessary, they do help. If you’re buying one, check for the smart diagnostics feature. This feature monitors all the components of your refrigerator and sends you alerts on your phone. That means you’re able to figure out what’s wrong with your refrigerator and order replacement components yourself. Smart diagnostics also lets users know when the refrigerator needs to be serviced and helps you to maintain the fridge in pristine condition.
Conclusion
Refrigerators are complex machines and very expensive. That’s why you need to make sure that your refrigerator has all the necessary features you need. On the other hand, if you need to get your old fridge fixed, you can search for “refrigerator repair near me” and hire technicians fit for the job.
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