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Next to air-conditioning and heating, a refrigerator is the largest user of electricity in a home. If you have an old refrigerator, a new model likely will pay for itself in a few years. To make your refrigerator even more efficient, follow these simple tips:
* Develop quick in-and-out habits. Resist the urge to stand and peruse the possibilities with the door open, and enjoin the rest of your family to do the same.
* Lower the freezer and raise the fridge settings. The lowest you should go for the freezer is 0 degrees; the highest you should go for the fridge is 38 degrees.
* Check for a tight door seal. A piece of paper should stay snug in the door when closed, even if you tug it. If it slips out easily, replace the gasket.
* Make sure the condenser doesn’t have to deal with dust bunnies. Most condensers are near the floor; remove the coverplate and vacuum all around the bottom of your fridge a few times a year.
* Keep a full freezer, which makes it easy to keep new items cold. The same is not the case, though, with a full refrigerator, which forces the motor to run all the time.
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