Refrigerator & Freezer Best Practices
Develop a cleaning and maintenance schedule as suggested by the vendor or at least once a year to maintain efficiency.
• Minimize Frost Formation on Freezers
• Clean Refrigerator & Freezer Coils
• Check the Door Seals or Gaskets for Leaks
Do this by puttling a dollar bill in the door as you close it and see if holds firmly in place.
• Keep a Cleared Radius of 3”
Reduce the heat load by keeping items off and away from appliances.
• Locate Freezers in Cooler Areas
Freezers have to work hard to maintain cold temperatures if the surrounding air is hot.• Consider Using Chest Freezers
Chest freezers are more energy efficient than upright freezers.
• Turn Off Any Empty Freezers
Conduct an Equipment Audit
Identify items that can be decommissioned, not only cold storage, but other equipment as well. You can save electricity by not having excess equipment plugged in, and free up space in your lab. You can also request myPower@berkeley.edu stickers to help signal which equipment can be regularly turned off.Consider Alternate Storage Methods
Switching to new room temperature sample storage methods (e.g., biomatrica.com) or liquid nitrogen storage tanks for certain kinds of samples can reduce electricity use as well as increase storage dependability. Contact myPower@berkeley.edu for more information and case studies.