Fixing the Old Fridge/Freezer
Even if you don't have one of the brand-spanking new refrigerator or freezer models with their higher efficiency standards, you can still take some steps to make your current one as efficient as possible. Come to think of it, these steps will help the newest models live up to their potential as well.
 Defrost your manual-defrost freezer when ice or frost builds up a quarter inch or greater.
Clean off the dust at the back of the refrigerator and around the motor area at least once every 6 months. Use a narrow brush and vacuum cleaner.
Check the temperature inside both refrigerator and freezer. If your (accurate!) thermometer says the refrigerator is colder than 36 or hotter than 40 degrees Fahrenheit, adjust the controls. If the freezer falls between 0 and 5 degrees Fahrenheit, you're fine. Otherwise adjust the controls. If you go 10 degrees less than the minimum suggested levels, you can increase your energy use by up to 25 percent.
Your fridge may have a heater built into its walls to prevent condensation on the outside. It may also have an energy-saver or power-saver switch to turn the heater off. By all means turn the heater off. Leave it off if you don't get noticeable condensation.
Move your refrigerator and freezer away from the stove, dishwasher, direct sunlight and other heat sources so they don't have to work as hard. Freezers can go in the attached garage or basement to raise their efficiency in cool months and help the air conditioner in warm months so long as the area doesn't go below 45 degrees frequently.
Make sure there is a minimum of 1 inch space on each side of the refrigerator and the freezer to let the air circulate. Better yet, give the back of the refrigerator 4-6 inches of space.
Defrost your manual or partial automatic defrost refrigerator and freezer when ice or frost builds up a quarter inch or greater. I know it's no fun, but it's also no fun to pay the increase in your electric bill to keep food cold in machines with iced-in coils. You need to defrost more often if you live in a hot, humid climate and don't use air conditioning. Sorry Florida.
Finally, check the seals on your doors. A neat trick to use on older models that don't have magnetic door seals is to close the door on a dollar bill. (Use a twenty if you have something to prove.) Try this in 5 locations around the door. If the door doesn't hold the bill firmly in place you probably have leaky seals letting cold air out. Bad. Also look for cracks, breaks, or brittleness in the rubbery gasket that goes around the door. Also bad. You should replace the seals.
If you do have magnetic door seals, you are in for a treat. You need to put a 150-watt flood light inside the fridge directed toward part of the door seal. Close the door, dim the lights, and look for light through the crack in the door. Repeat to check each section of the door seal. Use a mirror to look for light along the bottom. If you see light, you probably need to install new seals. (Hint: use a battery-operated flood lamp, not one on an extension cord. But you probably figured that out already.)
One last hope if the seal is not good on the door: Is the door out of alignment? Check by lifting the door (gently!) to see if there is any play. If so, tighten the hinge screws and recheck the seals.
If you need to replace the seals, it really may be time to buy a new, high-efficiency model since installing new seals can be pricey.
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