STACK #203 Sep 2021

FEATURE LIFE TECH

The Ice Cube

Godfather Born in 1879, American Fred WWolf began lodging patents for domestic refrigeration in the early 1900s. The ambitious engineer envisaged a cheap refrigerator he could bring to the mass market and, in 1913, unveiled the air-cooled DOMELRE

The cost of being cool Seeing stars Like any appliance, you’re going to want to know how much a fridge is going to cost before you hand over the moolah. Fridges are the only household appliance that run 24 hours a day, seven days a week (some online gamers might argue this point), so choosing one that is energy efficient is a priority. There’s a sticker on the front of every appliance that provides all the information you need. The more stars at the top of the badge, the more energy-efficient the fridge is. Watt ’ s that? Below the stars,

in the centre of the badge, you’ll find a box dedicated to kWh (energy consumption number). This is a more accurate way of calculating the annual cost of your appliance and the lower this number is, the better. To calculate the running cost, multiply the

that could plug directly into the household electricity supply. While it didn’t reach the dizzying commercial heights he expected, one of his design concepts within the fridge would change the world – the humble ice cube tray was born.

energy consumption number on the device by the tariff on your electricity bill. So, if your tariff is 30 cents per kWh and your energy consumption number is 350, then the fridge will cost $105 a year to run. It’s worth remembering that comparisons with stars and kWh should only be done on fridges with similar size, capacities and features. Cool Smarts If you haven’t bought a fridge for a while, you’ll likely be surprised at how much has changed. Like all consumer tech, the technology in white goods is constantly adapting to lifestyle needs and requirements. Smart fridges connect to the home network and offer a full gamut of features, from push notification alerts that the door is open (handy if you’ve left the house in a hurry) to in-built cameras, so you can check what’s in it whilst out and about.

Smart displays can turn the fridge into a central home hub for the family, and see- through panels reveal what’s inside without opening the door. Why does that matter? Every time a fridge door is opened and the cold air escapes, the compressor must work harder to restore the correct temperature; that’s detrimental to the environment and your hip pocket. The door-in-door concept is another innovative design to counter that. A second,

shallow door is included in the front of the main door and can be used to store frequently used items like milk, butter and OJ. By keeping the main part of the fridge sealed, the overall temperature isn’t compromised. Water filter need changing or ice getting low? No problem – your fridge can let you know. Smart technology in refrigeration is ubiquitous in 2021 – there’s a solution for every family's needs.

While we’ve all seen old fridges unceremoniously dumped on the side of the road, this is a huge no-no. Fridges and freezers contain toxic chemicals that could leak into the ground or water supply. The safest way is to either hire a professional to come and collect it or take it to the nearest transfer station (the local tip in old parlance) where the components can be recycled, and the chemicals responsibly disposed of.

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