Most efficiecent four-door yet -- refrigerator, that is
Sept. 9, 2010
Special sensors, seals, and a high-efficiency compressor let a new Maytag fridge use energy in a miserly way.
Maytag says its latest French door refrigerator, the Ice2O Easy Access, may be the most efficient four-door fridge yet. The efficiency rating for the refrigerator/compressor is 513 kW/year, 25% less than standards set for by the EPA and DoE. Among its efficiency features: It includes an external drawer, illuminated by four LEDs, that holds up to five bags of groceries. When using the drawer, 80% of the refrigerator remains closed, thus limiting the loss of cold air.
There's also an external ice and water dispenser and an interactive color LCD touch screen offering up nutritional information and quick tips. Consumers can also control the temperature on the LCD and select Measured Fill to accurately fill a reusable water bottle with PUR-filtered water in ounces, cups or liters.
Built in Amana, Iowa, the refrigerator is engineered with four Rapid React sensors inside the refrigerator that take a temperature reading once per minute. A patented door seal minimizes temperature fluctuations to help keep food fresh and ice frozen. The unit also boasts a power outage indicator and a door alarm when the door stays open too long.
