Cost of running a vintage fridge?

[ryan840]

Does anyone have a ballpark estimate of how much it costs to run a 1950s fridge? Hoping someone here has one and could give me some insight... I'd love to get one for my new house to go with the vintage stove but I don't want to spend a fortune running it... I've found a few locally for a crazy cheap price and it's soooooo tempting! Thanks in advance!

 

[hercamore]

I dont know the cost, but do you want to defrost the thing every month!

 

[ryan840]

I know, that's another thing I'm debating... I'm thinking that the freezer section is so small it won't be too much of a hassle as I'd have to have a back-up freezer anyway. Which of course adds to the cost... Decisions, decisions!

I'm also thinking of buying one and just using it for non-food storage, but there isn't any other place in the kitchen to put a working fridge so it would have to go in the basement.

 

[disneyismyname]

Does anyone have a ballpark estimate of how much it costs to run a 1950s fridge? Hoping someone here has one and could give me some insight... I'd love to get one for my new house to go with the vintage stove but I don't want to spend a fortune running it... I've found a few locally for a crazy cheap price and it's soooooo tempting! Thanks in advance!

If you bought it...could you use it for shelving? Like a pantry? I've seen people that use it as an extra cabinet. You wouldn't have to defrost it all the time and you wouldnt have to plug it in! Just a thought...

 

[ryan840]

That's what I meant in my second post, using it unplugged. It's just that the kitchen is so small I wouldn't have anywhere to put it.

 

[Sadie22]

We just replaced a 20-year old fridge and will be paid by our electric company for allowing them to recycle it. We also will be paid for purchasing an Energy Star refrigerator. Your local electric utility may have data on the cost to run a vintage refrigerator.

 

[ryan840]

How do you go about getting paid for replacing your fridge? Do you mind if I ask how much? My current fridge is about 10 years old and energy star qualified, I was going to sell it to pay for the new one (and have money left over, yay!) but now I'm thinking maybe I can give that one to my dad for up north and we can get rid of the old one up there if we can make get more that way. (we need a diabolical plan smiley...)

 

[Imzadi]

Has the vintage fridge been refurbished at all? Id worry about a leaky gasket seal all around. Also, how old is the motor? There obviously wouldn't be any advanced, electronically regulated thermostat system inside from the '50s. So you'd not only have a fridge that sucks more electricity because it's not energy efficient, you'd have other reasons in which it would always be drawing excess electricity.

What if you got a 50's retro-style fridge that is an an Energy Star refrigerator? I think Rachael Ray has that on her 30 Minute Meals TV show.

 

[Sadie22]

There are two rebates available to customers of our electric company for a limited time. One is $50 each for having them pick up a working refrigerator and/or freezer. (I think there's a limit of two per household, and they do check to make sure the appliances work.) The other is $50 each for purchasing an Energy Star refrigerator and/or washing machine (limit one of each).

 

[ryan840]

I'm pretty sure any of the ones I'm seeing for sale are all original, but I would check the seals and a few other things before purchasing. I'd love a refurbished one but don't have several thousand to spend on one.

 

[ryan840]

There are two rebates available to customers of our electric company for a limited time. One is $50 each for having them pick up a working refrigerator and/or freezer. (I think there's a limit of two per household, and they do check to make sure the appliances work.) The other is $50 each for purchasing an Energy Star refrigerator and/or washing machine (limit one of each).

Cool, thanks for the info!

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

Someone once gave me a small upright freezer for my basement- my electric bill went up $40!!! DH immediately bought me a new one at Lowes!

 

[scrapquitler]

How about buying a new one that looks like from the 1950s?
http://www.barsandbooths.com/bandbrefrigerators.htm
http://www.elmirastoveworks.com/northstar.aspx?src=fridges&sub=colors

That would cost more upfront, but I think the price of electricity would be for the real 1950s fridge

 

[ryan840]

How about buying a new one that looks like from the 1950s?
http://www.barsandbooths.com/bandbrefrigerators.htm
http://www.elmirastoveworks.com/northstar.aspx?src=fridges&sub=colors

That would cost more upfront, but I think the price of electricity would be for the real 1950s fridge

They are about 10 to 20 times more expensive than the vintage ones I'm looking at or I would.

 

[BunsenH]

Buy (or borrow) one of those watt meters that measure energy consumption of appliances. Compare the old fridge to your present one.

 

[HM]

Buy (or borrow) one of those watt meters that measure energy consumption of appliances. Compare the old fridge to your present one.

This is what I'd suggest too. DH uses one of these on all our appliances, lamps, electronics, etc to see what we use. The device will show you what your yearly cost would be to run it.

 

[Lucille1963]

So many good things have already been said, but I just wanted to add... Be sure to triple check the measurements. Vintage fridges appear to be smaller than modern ones, but in my experience they are a bit wider. After years of hoping, I finally got the vintage fridge of my dreams, a hand me down from grandma's cottage. Yellow with an aqua interior! Unfortunately it wouldn't fit in my kitchen OR my sister's kitchen! Too wide! It now sits unplugged in my garage... sigh.

POST PICTURES PLEASE!!!

 

[GeorgeG]

Most appliances, even older ones, will have a metalic tag somewhere on the back or on the motor that will specify voltage, amps, and watts. You can compare that with your newer appliance. Keep in mind that while those old refrigerators were very well built, motors and compressors with significant wear and tear can be less efficient than they were new. If you're using a meter, electric motors (old or new) draw 5-6 times the normal running power on start-up so give it a few seconds before checking.

 

[ryan840]

Buy (or borrow) one of those watt meters that measure energy consumption of appliances. Compare the old fridge to your present one.

That's a great idea, I didn't even think of that. As tempting as it is though I can't seem to commit to buying one, I just keep going around in circles. Fun fridge or lower energy bill... Fun fridge or lower energy bill... My cheap side usually comes out on top but only by thismuch.

I have to say, the thought of $40 a month more instantly brought me back to reality, no way is it worth that. I was thinking it might be a $10 a month difference going by a (very non-specific) website that estimated energy savings. The only problem with that was the closet I came to finding out how much a 1950's fridge would cost to run was "1980 and older".

 

[ChrizJen]

I'd venture to guess that the cost of running a vintage fridge over the years would eventually surpass the extra you'd spend on a new fridge with a retro look.

I wasn't able to look at the links that the other poster left, so this may be a duplicate, but there are some REALLY cute ones here:
http://bigchillfridge.com/site/

Good luck! I'd love to have a vintage-looking kitchen!