What refrigerators it is not necessary to buy and why it is not necessary to save on it.

It would seem that what could be difficult to buy an ordinary refrigerator?

But in fact, there is such a huge variety of refrigerators on the consumer market that it is sometimes difficult to choose the right one. Especially considering that each of the refrigerators has a unique set of functions.

For example, now there are only 3 technological variants, according to which the refrigeration equipment works. And which of them is better - it is not always clear to the average user.

Why you should never save on a fridge

Technically, a refrigerator is a complicated device. And its main nodes are a compressor, as well as a sealed freon circulation system. And failure of one of them is a very expensive repair, comparable with about 60% of the cost of the same new refrigerator.

And with cheap models, as it is not difficult to guess, such problems occur really often. Because their compressors are the cheapest, they do not have any protection against unstable voltage.

And freon leakage is not safe at all, because the gas used now for refrigerator charging is explosive. Accordingly, if there is a depressurization of its circulation system, and in addition to that, if there is a spark from a faulty compressor, it can end in a fire.

And in addition to this, the cheapest refrigerators are really inconvenient.

They have to be serviced (defrosted) often, the food in them when stored exchanges odors (therefore it is necessary to prepare a separate hermetic box for each "dish").

Also, they do not have the ability to precisely regulate the temperature in the refrigerator or freezer, they are not productive (allow you to freeze only 2 - 3 kilograms per day).

What refrigerators you should not buy now

Definitely do not buy refrigerators that have a manual defrost and also have to regularly "swab" water into the box where it drains. These are the most popular models from back in the days of the USSR.

But now even the cheapest refrigerators have a drip defrosting system. And this means that moisture practically does not condense in them. You only have to defrost it a couple of times a year.

Also, you should not buy single-chamber refrigerators, in which the freezer is separated only by a plastic door-partition.

As the practice has shown, they consume the electricity very uneconomically, and the temperature inside the fridge chamber is distributed unevenly. That is it is about 3 to 5 degrees lower near the freezing chamber. Because of this, the cooked food can freeze, due to which it loses its original taste.

As for manufacturers, the most unreliable, unfortunately, are domestic concerns. In particular, Biryusa, POZIS, and Saratov. Their budget models are inferior to imported refrigerators both in assembly quality and reliability.

And of the foreign manufacturers, the worst are recognized:

1. Indesit. Inexpensive, but they are often assembled by third-party companies. That is, many models are unsuccessful (although not all).
2. Nord. Often "suffer" from malfunctioning, broken compressors, as well as spontaneous refrigerant leakage.
3. Vestel .. Turkish brand, but the assembly of many models of refrigerators is done in the Russian Federation. Cheap, low-quality components are used. It's also almost impossible to get spare parts for them.
4. Beko. Also a Turkish brand. In budget models, the refrigerant R134A is often used. And it often leads to clogging of drip system, the repair turns out expensive.

What volume is better to choose

Concerning the volume, if it is less than 150 - 200 liters, then such fridges are suitable only for bachelors. For a family of 2 people, in most cases, they are not enough.

The average variant is from 250 to 350 liters. Approximately 2/3 of useful volume is occupied by refrigerating chamber and the rest by freezing chamber. Such fridge is suitable for a family of 2 to 3 persons.

Fridges over 350 liter are for large families of 4 and more people.

If even this is not enough, then it is recommended to give preference to the so-called "refrigerated cabinets", i.e. which have two doors for refrigerating chambers. But they are much more expensive, and also take a lot of space in the kitchen (because you also need to provide space to be able to open the door).

And if the refrigerator is purchased for the apartment, it is recommended to measure immediately the available "landing" space for it. Particularly the width.

Variations of refrigerators according to their purpose.

Conditionally, all refrigerators can be classified into the following:

1. Single-chamber. In the home life is not very convenient, so they are most often bought for the country house. Many do not even have a freezer. But if you have to use the equipment rarely, then this is the best option.
2. Two-compartment. Meaning where there are separate refrigerator and freezer compartments. The most popular variant for a house.
3. Three-compartment. Option for a large family. And also they are bought for restaurants, where you have to store a large volume of cooked food at the same time.

What kind of defrosting is better

According to the type of defrosting refrigerators are classified into:

1. Manual.
2. Drip-type.
3. NoFrost type systems.

Manual .

Technically the most primitive. As all moisture from stored meals is condensed on cold walls of fridge.

When the compressor is switched off it melts and drains into a special tray. And one has to empty it by oneself periodically.

How often? About once a month (depends on how often the fridge is used and how full it is most of the time).

Drip

Most common today. The principle of their work is similar, but instead there is a gradual freezing of ice on the back wall.

The main advantage of such refrigerators: they have optimal humidity inside the refrigerating chamber. Therefore, the food does not become frosty.

It is necessary to defrost such refrigerator rather seldom: only 1 or 2 times a year, purely for preventive purposes. Also, such equipment is relatively inexpensive.

NoFrost

Technically the most advanced option.

All the shelves in the refrigerating chamber are constantly frosted with cold air from above. Thus, there is no condensation. Therefore, it is not released at all, there is literally nothing to defrost.

Also some manufacturers have now switched to a modified version of NoFrost. Its key difference: the blowing of cold air is carried out not only from the top, but also from the side or back side walls. The only nuance is that it can mix the aromas of the food.

But such refrigerators are practically maintenance-free. The only thing to do is to keep the refrigerating chamber clean.

The only their essential drawback is a more expensive repair in case of breakdown of the equipment.

What type of freon is better?

Today 2 variants of freon are commonly used:

1. R290. Explosive, many manufacturers have already refused to use it. It is also quite dangerous for humans and pets. The only advantage is low price.
2. R600a . It is also explosive, but for charging one refrigerator it is required small volume - only 150 - 200 grams. Accordingly, even if the leakage happens, the probability of any emergency is small. And in the refrigerators charged with R600a, the whole system of refrigerant circulation is situated as far as possible from the nodes of power supply (compressor, control board, and so on).

Additional functions

As for additional functions, the most common now are the following:

1. Freshness Zone. This is a small compartment in the refrigerator compartment, where a constant temperature around 0 degrees is maintained. The optimal option for storing vegetables, fruits.
2. Antibacterial coating. Prevents quick leakage of products, prevents the spreading of pathogenic microflora.
3. Ice Maker. Option for those who like to drink cocktails. Some models also provide a system of drinking chilled water.
4. Childproofing. With this function, you can block the buttons from being pressed. For most refrigerators, it is not necessary because the controls are high up.
5. Vacation function.. Allows you to keep the temperature around 15 degrees. Naturally, only non-perishable foods can be stored in the refrigerator compartment in this case. Reduces power consumption by an average of 80%.
6. Supercooling or superfreezing. The function is useful when a large amount of food is placed in the freezer or refrigerator compartment at once for storage. In normal mode, it may even take several days to cool them down (for example, if you put 10 kilograms of meat or more in the freezer). With super-freezing it will take literally 3 - 5 hours. That is, the refrigerator works at full power, and then - goes to normal mode of operation.

For many people it is also important to have a mini-display, which displays the current temperature readings. Other models simply have light indicators for this purpose.

Of course, what list of functions is optimal - each buyer decides based on his own needs.

To sum up, it is quite easy to choose a really reliable and high-quality refrigerator.

From inexpensive models it is better to give preference to those ones, which have drip type defrosting, and from more expensive ones - with NoFrost.

Which manufacturers do you prefer? Many people trust such brands as Samsung, LG, Bosch, Atlant, Sharp. All of these companies have been producing them for decades.

Useful video

Here is a video about what refrigerators you shouldn't buy: