Project: Shag Carpet Your Refrigerator
|
Tweet this story! Support our efforts for a sustainable world.
|
|
There is almost nothing in the world that feels better on your feet at the end of the day than warm, deep, luxurious shag carpeting. So soft. So gentle. Imagine the pleasure you’ll feel then when you walk through your kitchen one night and feel the friendly carpet that’s spread all across your … refrigerator? Wha?
Crazy. I know. But Stephen and Rebekah Hren, authors of The Carbon-Free Home, are serious about saving energy. And if that means wrapping shag carpeting around their refrigerator to save energy, then by gosh, bring on 1973!
This is one of my favorite projects from The Carbon-Free Home. It wins on sheer style!
Project: Insulation Of Existing Fridge
Renter friendly.
Project Time: Weekend.
Cost: Inexpensive ($50–100, depending on type of insulation used and size of frame to hold it).
Energy Saved: High. Average refrigeration uses 8 percent of the household energy budget. Insulating your refrigerator can reduce energy use by up to 50 percent.
Ease of Use: Easy. Does not affect day-to-day use.
Maintenance Level: Low. Lengthens life of fridge by reducing the compressor load.
Skill Levels: Carpentry: Moderate.
Materials: 2 × 4s, insulation, paneling, connector plates, screws, and nails.
Tools: Saw, drill, hammer.
Most household refrigerators needlessly use excess energy simply because they are poorly insulated or they do not close properly. Insulation can be added to the sides, top, and doors to greatly improve your existing refrigerator’s performance. If you are considering putting a wood cookstove in your kitchen, then extra insulation is a must. Ideally, your fridge would be separated from any heat source by being enclosed in its own closet.
Because refrigerators work by radiating heat off the coils attached to the back (often covered with sheet metal in newer models), it is important to maximize airflow on this side, so insulation here is not a good idea. On every other side, the poorly insulated walls of the fridge allow precious cold air to leak out.
The easiest if not the most attractive way to insulate an existing fridge is to glue or tape insulation board to the sides and top. Cut the side panels so that they extend beyond the top of the fridge to the height of the insulation you put on top. Carpet or corkboard or other panels can be used to hide the insulation and add a little more protection. Alternatively, corkboard or carpet can be applied on their own, although the insulating effect will be substantially reduced. Use only a few dabs of construction adhesive to hold the insulation and carpeting or panels in place, or use plenty of two-sided carpet tape, and make sure the surface is clean and dry.
For the fridge and freezer doors, it’s probably best to skip the insulation, as the constant opening and closing could result in the bulky panels getting knocked off. Apply corkboard or carpeting directly to the doors, working around the handles. Clean the front of both doors with a nontoxic household cleaner such as vinegar or baking soda. Then simply cut out the right size of carpet or board and apply two-sided carpeting tape or a few daubs of construction adhesive around the perimeter and in a few strips in between. Get your edge lined up properly (rolling up the carpet will help), and then slowly apply the material. Shag carpet looks best and will impress your friends, who will secretly pet your fridge as they reach in for a beer.
For a top-notch insulating job that will look like fabulous cabinetry, build a 2 × 4 wall on each side, to a height of 3½ inches (one stud width) above the top of the fridge. Run a 2 × 4 along the front and back in between the two walls and connect with a plate. Fill in the two sides and top with the insulating material of your choice (see chapter 7). The sides of the box can be paneled and the front trimmed out for a sharp-looking fridge upgrade. Again, for the doors apply corkboard or carpeting directly.
[Editor’s Note: Your friends are only entitled to beer if they help you with this project. That means you, Dennis….]
June 25th, 2008 at 6:36 am
[…] How often do you get to start a serious post with a quote like that? Thanks to our friends over at Chelsea Green, for sharing their favorite project from Stephen and Rebekah Hren, authors of The Carbon-Free Home. […]
June 25th, 2008 at 6:43 am
[…] How often do you get to start a serious post with a quote like that? Thanks to our friends over at Chelsea Green, for sharing their favorite project from Stephen and Rebekah Hren, authors of The Carbon-Free Home. […]
June 25th, 2008 at 7:40 am
[…] How often do you get to start a serious post with a quote like that? Thanks to our friends over at Chelsea Green, for sharing their favorite project from Stephen and Rebekah Hren, authors of The Carbon-Free Home. […]
August 29th, 2008 at 5:28 am
[…] need to mitigate the heat soak from the most; - Many sources out there but this gives you an idea: Chelsea Green Blog Archive Project: Shag Carpet Your Refrigerator I personally thinks there’s scope for a thin reflective layer behind the heat exchanger like you do […]
December 9th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
This is not good advice. Many new refrigerators have the evaporator coils in the sides. If these are insulated it will decrease the efficiency of the fridge.
The two simplest things you can do to reduce the power consumption of your fridge are 1/ keep it full, and 2/ make sure there is adequate ventilation around the fridge to allow the radiated heat to escape.
Fridges once had their radiators exposed on the back. I think there’s a case to be made for the energy obsessive to purpose build a fridge into a house, where the radiator is located elsewhere, perhaps doing some work preheating cold water.
December 12th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
[…] Read the whole article here. […]
January 16th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
[…] familiar? Can’t fool you, Alert Reader! See “Project: Shag Carpet Your Refrigerator”. http://www.chelseagreen.com/content/?p=1875 function fbs_click() […]
March 1st, 2009 at 4:58 pm
Gary (or anyone),
How do you know if your refrigerator has side evaporator coils? Would they be visible? I have the coils on the back of mine that all can see. My refrigerator is a nine-year-old basic Sears type. Nothing fancy.
If this is something that would work for me I’d like to try the carpet.
April 7th, 2009 at 7:58 pm
[…] Carpet your fridge. OK, I don’t see this happening much, but it sure does sound cool doesn’t it? And since insulation is the name of […]
April 19th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
[…] http://www.chelseagreen.com/content/project-shag-carpet-your-refrigerator/ […]
June 15th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
Hey By the way Do any of you guys know what the solution to Congress Weed? I am not sure what exactly it is but its a grass and it itches too much if you touch? How do I kill it?
August 17th, 2009 at 8:05 am
very nice great article thank you.
September 1st, 2009 at 3:11 pm
thank you moderator and webmaster
September 18th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Great articles & Nice a site
October 9th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
CAUTION - Could Shag Lead to Mildew??
So, without having seen this article, I tried something similar to this over the summer, because my fridge is old, runs a lot, and is very noisy.
I basically hung a large duvet over the top of my fridge, with the sides draping down.
Mine has exposed coils on the back, so I left the back totally clear with lots of space between the back and the wall.
It seemed to work well and the fridge ran less….
**BUT**
Three months later I wanted my duvet back, so I took it off.
I was going to replace it with a cheaper polyester comforter.
To my horror, there was mildew growing on the duvet and the side of the fridge, which was also beginning to look slightly rusty.
I’m very glad I caught this early on!
I guess the cold air off the fridge condenses when it hits the cloth.
So I’d like to ask the author whether they’ve had any trouble with mildew on their shag fridge - and if not - if they have any suggestion for me and my mouldy-on-the-outside- fridge!
Cheers & thanks.
(and happy to discover there are other people out there who have thought to cover their fridges to save energy!!)
November 17th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
haha, that’s great! I love the idea of carpet on a fridge. Anything to save money these days. But does it equal out after you have bought and installed the carpet???