How to Choose a New Refrigerator

It’s an appliance we don’t think much about until it’s broken. Our refrigerator hums along, keeping our pop and chow chilled, until one day…

Here are 4 signs you might need a new refrigerator:

• If there is condensation around the door or doorframe, which means the door is not airtight.
• If the unit feels warm or the back coils are hot.
• The motor runs all the time or runs more often than it used to.
• Your energy bills are high – any unit made before 1993 uses two times the energy of newer models.

Mommy blogger Amy Clark and Kenmore Genius say choosing a replacement unit should be based on the 4 Cs – capacity, convenience, consumption and color.

Capacity – this is based on height, length and width of the refrigerator, known as cubic-foot capacity.

Convenience – bottom freezers have more space for fresh foods but the freezer is usually smaller. Side-by-side units have larger freezers but both sides are narrower. The French door style offers two upper side-by-side doors and the freezer on the bottom. It allows for large tray storage and two levels of storage in the freezer.

Consumption – Top-mounted freezers use 10-25% less energy than other units. French door styles use less because only part of the unit is exposed when the door is opened. Of course, the larger, the more energy used.

Color – Here are Clark’s feedback on the most commonly available colors:

• White is the most available and affordable.
• Black is affordable but may not match the rest of your appliances.
• Stainless steel looks very sleek and timeless but shows fingerprints and won’t hold magnets.
• The metallic finishes don’t show fingerprints and do take magnets.

If you still need help, check out “Help Me Choose” tool for refrigerators at www.kenmore.com.