When it comes to buying a new refrigerator, or refrigerator-freezer combination, there are a number of factors that need to be considered before you make your purchase. Factors that will, influence the best buy for you are in three broad categories:The environment where the appliance is to be installed

The load you will place on the appliance:The total cost of owning and operating the appliance.At Myshopping.com.au you can compare a great range of appliances, and assess them according to their specifications, brands, prices and vendors.

The working life of most fridges is in the order of ten years. This is not to say that fridges can continue to work satisfactorily for longer, nor that some a poorly manufactured and give up the ghost after seven years. However a quick calculation of ten years of 20% of your household electricity consumption will soon tell you how much it will cost over its life. So how do you make a choice that will result in the lowest cost? Use the energy rating star system.

Single compartment refrigerators:Single compartment refrigerators are units with only fresh food space and no freezer compartment. They are generally automatic defrost units.Single door refrigerators:Single door refrigerators have a small freezer compartment built into the main cabinet. These are usually manual defrost and are often referred to as small bar refrigerators.

Cyclic defrost refrigerator/freezers:Cyclic defrost refrigerator/freezers are generally two door units in which the freezer unit is manually defrosted, but the fresh food compartment defrosts automatically using either natural warming of the cabinet during the ‘off cycle’, or a small electric heater on the refrigerator evaporator.

Remember that fridges generate heat on the outside in order to cool the inside the cabinet, therefore there needs to be adequate space around the unit to allow the heat to dissipate. If it is to be enclosed within a cavity, be sure there is ventilation available through the top of the cavity. You can choose a refrigerator to be modelled to reflect and enhance the dcor of the kitchen into which it is being installed.There are a number of basic design differences that you can consider. Each different design has an impact on how it fits into your environment as well as other aspects of the unit.

Generally, larger refrigerators consume more energy. A model that is too large will waste space and energy; too small could mean extra trips to supermarket and inconvenience, and inefficient use of the cabinet.

Be Prepared:However; if you have never purchased new or used replacement parts for an appliance, there are several things that you are going to have to take in to account. The first thing that you will want to keep in mind, is that the onus is on you to have the information that you will need. The person on the other end of the line may be able to be somewhat helpful but don’t expect an appliance repair genius.

Save Your Stuff:Remove the old part that you are going to have replaced and save all the screws, washers or gaskets etc. This is because new ones may not come with the new or used part that you order. Place them in a baggie, tie it or seal it closed and place it in a safe place where you can find it when you need it.

Manual defrost models use less energy than frost-free models, but only if they are defrosted regularly enough to remain energy efficient.If two different sized refrigerators use the same amount of energy, the larger model can be considered more efficient because it keeps more space cold with same amount of electricity.

Popularity: 2% [?]