Simpler and older is now better.
Just like the movie “Robots”.
Beerlizard1996 · 2 yr. agoWith advancements in technology like insulation and refrigeration, a new fridge will be way more efficient with power consumption and on how much stuff you can fit in there.
· 2 yr. ago This is one of the most pervasive myths and it’s not universally true. Fridges became really inefficient in the 60s and 70s when they started adding more features like ice makers and auto defrost, but most fridges from the 50s and older are just as efficient or more efficient than new fridges. They just get cold, and that’s it, nothing extra. They have extremely overbuilt compressors that are usually pretty efficient, and the lifespans for those compressors are almost unknown because they generally haven’t been reached yet.
I have a fridge from 1936 in my house, still running the original compressor and refrigerant. I replaced the dry rotted wiring in it and put a new door seal on, but otherwise it’s 100% as it left the factory 85 years ago and it looks almost new. I measured its runtime per hour and multiplied the compressor’s rated energy use while running by that number, and it beat current energy star rated fridges of the same size in terms of efficiency. Add in the fact that it hasn’t had to be replaced (thrown out) yet for almost a century, and it’s by far the more environmentally friendly option than buying a new one every 10-20 years.
Pretty much the only real practical downsides to pre-1960 fridges is that the freezers are small and kids could theoretically get trapped in them. If you don’t have kids, and have a chest freezer somewhere in your house I’d actually recommend getting a refurbished vintage fridge over a new one because there’s a non-zero chance it might outlive even you, not just the original owners.
Edited to remove “absolutely” from the first line. (https://www.reddit.com/r/BuyItForLife/comments/p9twdg/comment/ha1ssly/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)