Help me buy a fridge

[sauravghosh]

So just over a month with this bloody fridge. Here's a mini review:
1. Go for double door please. It's been a mistake. Mainly because of this frost build up. I mean obviously i never remember to hit the defrost switch every 3 days. And if you don't then about two weeks in this is what happens ...
When frost builds up like this the avg. temp inside deep fridge also goes down to -7 from otherwise of -8/9.

2. Power consumption is absurd. About 0.35 units per day. Only good thing i suppose. But shouldn't matter if other inconveniences overcast it.

3. Door doesn't open smoothly. It gets airtight sort of. Trying to open it by the handle might topple the entire fridge. There's a groove on top, that works slightly better for opening.

Don't think one should spend almost 20k behind this. I'm naive and dumb. Thought all fridges came with Frost free technology nowadays.

 

[blr_p]

1. Go for double door please. It's been a mistake. Mainly because of this frost build up.

Think I said to go with a double door but you wanted to keep the price down.

I mean obviously i never remember to hit the defrost switch every 3 days. And if you don't then about two weeks in this is what happens ...

Is there a tray underneath to catch the melt when you defrost it or do you end up with flooding inside the fridge?

3. Door doesn't open smoothly. It gets airtight sort of. Trying to open it by the handle might topple the entire fridge. There's a groove on top, that works slightly better for opening.

That means you have a good seal, it keeps things cold and reduces power consumption means the compressor runs less and lasts longer. Those seals will harden over time and the seal will be less airtight. Then you hit them with a hair dryer or remove them and put them in hot water and give them a good clean and they should rebound back.

Don't think one should spend almost 20k behind this. I'm naive and dumb. Thought all fridges came with Frost free technology nowadays.

It will be easy to maintain. Any repairman will be able to fix it.

 

[chyawanprash]

Thought all fridges came with Frost free technology nowadays.

I've read a lot of refrigerator reviews and seen user pics. It seems many frost-free ones aren't that great in keeping the fridge/food frost-free either. Though they won't create thick ice like yours but there will be a visible layer of frost on the food. Some items will rot faster due to this.

But yours is working as per the design. It needs more user intervention though.

 

[sauravghosh]

Regarding DD, Yes you did, I didn't take your advice. Hence the mistake.
Yes there's a tray right beneath deep fridge. It catches the melted water (along with chunk of ice) and drains it through that hole which can be seen in the photo.
Thanks for the clarification regarding door air seal, good to know. Thanks for the advice of heating method too.
What bothers me is in the end it was not about my budget anymore, only efficiency. If i could spend 20k, i could have spent at least 5k more behind a proper frost free.
What bothers me even more though is why the heck the Alwyn fridge didn't have anywhere near this much frost build up? It only had a thin layer of ice, not something like this gaudy iceberg crap. Was it because the deep fridge didn't go as low as this LG, or was it because it's simply well built? I might turn it back on and check monitor temps inside its deep fridge
@blr_p

 

[blr_p]

Thanks for the clarification regarding door air seal, good to know. Thanks for the advice of heating method too.

Try not to slam the door and those gaskets will last longer. Your seal is good so its not leaking or allowing warm air into the fridge

What bothers me is in the end it was not about my budget anymore, only efficiency. If i could spend 20k, i couldn't spend at least 5k more behind a proper frost free.

This is a common condition that afflicts a lot of people.

Compromising requirements and experience to fit into some arbitrary budget that has no bearing with the market price.

If you can pony up 20k I agree 25% more isn't much of a stretch. But you'd be surprised at the pushback I've had when I suggest this.

What bothers me even more though is why the heck the Alwyn fridge didn't have anywhere near this much frost build up? It only had a thin layer of ice, not something like this gaudy iceberg crap.
Was it because the deep fridge didn't go as low as this LG, or was it because it's simply well built? I might turn it back on and check monitor temps inside its deep fridge
@blr_p

It likely ran at a colder temperature and kept it that way more consistently. Might have consumed more power.

What is your LG temp at? you have a logger now so do some tests with different dial settings over a 24h time period per dial setting to understand what the average temperature inside the fridge stabilises at. Your logs to date are only for the freezer.

You want to maintain it between 2-3 degrees C

If it's closer to 5 degrees C that might cause more moisture and require more frequent defrosting.

And yeah do the same with your older fridge to understand how it maintained temperature. If you match the LG with it then it should work as you want.

 

[sauravghosh]

It likely ran at a colder temperature and kept it that way more consistently. Might have consumed more power.

If a 40 y.o fridge maintains more consistency that's very sad indeed. I'll check its temps and report back.

Presently I'm in need of airtight containers for storing fish/meat in freezer. The ones we have are not airtight and i see frosts building up inside the container. Could you recommend some good quality ones? Glass made would be better than plastic i assume?

 

[blr_p]

If a 40 y.o fridge maintains more consistency that's very sad indeed. I'll check its temps and report back.

Older fridges ran longer and consumed more power because there was no inverter. I don't know about consistency. If anything the difference between high and low would be more than inverter fridges. You just need to use a colder setting.

Presently I'm in need of airtight containers for storing fish/meat in freezer. The ones we have are not airtight and i see frosts building up inside the container. Could you recommend some good quality ones? Glass made would be better than plastic i assume?

Lock & Lock Glass Series

^ None of them has an air vent. So can't be used in a microwave without the lid popping off. If you wanted to reheat food in a microwave then you would need a container with one

With Airvent

 

[lockhrt999]

Could you recommend some good quality ones? Glass made would be better than plastic i assume?

Check ikea.

 

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Look what I've found at IKEA

IKEA Search puts the extensive IKEA range at user’s fingertips.

www.ikea.com

Looks decent but no vented models. Their workaround is to undo the latches. I guess that will work

Suppose a vented model will eventually lose its air tightness. The vent is a future point of failure.

1,000+ reviews model from the 365+ series

Even mentions the name of the person who designed it. Nice touch.

Ya, I can see how Ikea are outcompeting Amazon here

Finally, they opened a store in Bangalore so I don't have to pay more to resellers

You want the models with the latch. The ones without won't remain airtight for long

Airtight will hold so long as the silicone seal (that white rubbery thing on the lid) is viable. It will degrade over time and good thing is they sell lids separately

IKEA 365+ Lid, rectangular, plastic - IKEA

IKEA 365+ Lid, rectangular, plastic. Snap-and-lock lid creates an aroma-tight seal, so the food you store in the food container stays fresh for longer. Leak-proof lid prevents spills and protects the contents from frost damage, making it ideal for both transporting food and storing leftovers.

www.ikea.com

 

[lockhrt999]

1,000+ reviews model from the 365+ series

I have it. 365 series is borosilicate so it's a little expensive but then it's oven ready. Other glass ware are microwave ready and cheaper.

IKEA packing and shipping is very nice. And they have 90 day return policy.

 

[sauravghosh]

Older fridges ran longer and consumed more power because there was no inverter. I don't know about consistency. If anything the difference between high and low would be more than inverter fridges. You just need to use a colder setting.

Lock & Lock Glass Series

^ None of them has an air vent. So can't be used in a microwave without the lid popping off. If you wanted to reheat food in a microwave then you would need a container with one

With Airvent

Thanks. These are rather costly compared to the random ones I found on Amazon. But I'm sure their quality is worth the asking price. IKEA ones are cheaper but my pin is not eligible for delivery. Lmao. We don't have/use any MW, so the vent thingy is inapplicable.

Regarding colder setting, I thought the opposite. As frost building up often i thought the fridge is cooling too much. Ha ha.

 

[blr_p]

IKEA packing and shipping is very nice. And they have 90 day return policy.

90 days

Regarding colder setting, I thought the opposite. As frost building up often i thought the fridge is cooling too much. Ha ha.

Colder air holds less moisture than less colder air is the theory

Whether a few degrees make that much of a difference remains to be seen

Do you store any open containers with liquids in them?

 

[desiibond]

My mother was hell bent on buying single door refrigerator as she thought double door frost free ones are kind os scam. She used single door one for years. She toooved from Alwyn to kelvinator. It was pain to maintain as excess water during power cuts would fill the tray and overflow.

Finally, we made her agree for double door and she has never been happier. She thought that food stays fresher in old ones where ice firms. What she did not know was that the over amount of freezing pills moisture from meat. It’s the frost free ones that keep meat fresher in freezer.

If you have a chance, sell it off and get double door one.

 

[sauravghosh]

Do you store any open containers with liquids in them?

No not anymore. Kept a metal tumbler as per your suggestion but removed it later.

@desiibond That will be too much of a loss. We all know how people on olz are. Cannot deal with chindi bargaining. My mum is so sweet, asking me to go to store and request them to replace with DD, thinking they would agree just like that. Lol.

 

[blr_p]

Kept a metal tumbler as per your suggestion but removed it later.

When did i say to do that

 

[Mr.J]

@desiibond That will be too much of a loss. We all know how people on olz are. Cannot deal with chindi bargaining. My mum is so sweet, asking me to go to store and request them to replace with DD, thinking they would agree just like that. Lol.

It doesn't hurt to ask tbh. You are going to use it for a decade at least. Spend a bit more and ask for a DD replacement.

 

[sauravghosh]

When did i say to do that

Post 48. However you only said that for the tds metre. I forgot and kept the tumbler inside even after its intended purpose. Lol.

 

[sauravghosh]

Check ikea.

Is there any way to have a forwarding service to pickup from one of the ikea stores and deliver at my doorstep? If yes, kindly mention the name.

 

[lockhrt999]

Is there any way to have a forwarding service to pickup from one of the ikea stores and deliver at my doorstep? If yes, kindly mention the name.

Sorry. I don't know any. I think you should ask IKEA first.

 

[Mr.J]

Is there any way to have a forwarding service to pickup from one of the ikea stores and deliver at my doorstep? If yes, kindly mention the name.

IKEA doesn't deliver to where you are?