Is it time to replace your fridge freezer?

When it comes to appliances around the home, not many live as long a life as a fridge freezer. Refrigeration units tend to last a long time – anywhere from 10 years to even 20 years – so they become appliances that we get used to and get comfortable with over the years; especially since they can cost anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand pounds. Not exactly an encouragement for us to replacement them regularly, right?

However, familiarity and frugality don’t equal efficiency. That’s because, over a number of years, refrigeration appliances start to run into problems and will almost certainly lose efficiency. And a loss of efficiency can not only affect your energy bill, but your shopping bill too. At Repair Aid, our engineers spend a lot of time fixing up old refrigerators for our clients. However, there are definitely occasions where we advise people that it may be worth their while buying a new fridge freezer.

So how do you know when it’s time to switch? Perhaps there’s a new hum or buzz? Or perhaps it has suddenly got quieter? You may even notice that food isn’t lasting as long as you expect. Perhaps the fridge feels very warm at the back? Or you’re noticing condensation both inside and outside the fridge? Does your food not feel cold enough? Or are you finding that your freezer has so much frost it resembles an Arctic tundra? These are all indicators of failing refrigeration units.

While that may not be enough for you to consider switching to newer appliances, here are some reasons why a brand new freezer can actually save you money versus a failing refrigerator.

Cuts energy bill costs

As one of your home’s biggest energy guzzlers – due to it always being on – a faulty fridge-freezer can create a serious dent on your energy bill. While new refrigerators can cost under £50 a year to run, older refrigerators – that are already less energy efficient as it is due to technological advancements – can end up even costing double this to run.

So when a fridge-freezer is old and faulty, it can lead to even higher annual costs. This is as good a reason as any to think about replacing your refrigeration options as you could claw back a lot of the initial expense on a new fridge-freezer within five years.

Repair costs

While you may well think that it’s just worth riding it out with your older model(s) due to not wanting to pay the cost of a new appliance, you also have to consider that, as the years go on, your appliances become more and more susceptible to breaking down. Repairing old refrigerators may be good business for us but it’s not good business for you.

Our specialist fridge-freezer engineers are often called out to fix refrigeration units around London that aren’t cold enough, are overheating or are leaking water. We do the best job we can and offer 12 months’ guarantee on all of our work. However, this adds up. When combined with the cost of increasing energy bills, you can surely start to see why that new fridge-freezer is such an enticing option.

Cost of spoiled food

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed to us the importance of keeping a good supply of food in our houses in case we have to self-isolate at a moment’s notice. However, if you’re using an old fridge and/or freezer, you may find that food you had stored in case of emergency has gone off quicker than you expected.

This is the problem with knowingly using a failing refrigeration unit – it can fail at any moment’s notice, or its effectiveness can be sufficiently reduced so as to spoil food far faster than expected. As such, your annual shopping bill can also see a spike.

Health and safety concerns

It’s not just your bank account that can take a hit from a faulty fridge-freezer; your actual health and well-being can suffer too. If your fridge and/or freezer isn’t cold enough (below 5 degrees and -15 degrees respectively), you are inviting a whole load of bacteria to make a home amongst your food.

Notwithstanding health concerns, a faulty fridge-freezer can pose a risk of fire or electrical shock. The former is particularly true if your older unit is plastic-backed. While no longer manufactured as of 2019, plastic-backed fridges have yet to be fully banned – despite posing a significant fire risk. This risk only increases if your unit is older.

So these are just some of the reasons why you should consider replacing your old, ailing fridge-freezer with a brand new, energy-efficient model.