Most of us never ask ourselves: how much does a refrigerator weigh? The homes and apartments we move into almost always have a refrigerator running in the kitchen. Delivery and installation professionals usually do the heavy lifting when our appliances need to be replaced. This means that we rarely have to think about refrigerator weights, but it is an interesting subject. Refrigerators come in a dizzying array of styles, sizes, and weights, and the way they are made has changed a lot over the years. This article will tell you how to find the weight of a specific refrigerator, give you an idea of how much modern refrigerators weigh, and explain why they weigh so much. It will also provide you with some tips that could come in very handy if you ever have to move a refrigerator.
Finding the Weight of a Specific Refrigerator
Finding the weight of a refrigerator manufactured in the last few decades should be fairly simple if you have the owner’s manual or know the model number. The owner’s manual will almost certainly have a specifications section that lists the weight along with the interior and exterior dimensions, and you will be able to find the model number on https://www.samsung.com/hk_en/support/home-appliances/how-to-find-the-model-and-serial-number-of-the-refrigerator/ product identification labels if you have misplaced the manual. Most manufacturers place these labels inside refrigerators as well as on the outside, so finding the model number should be easy. Once you have this information, you can visit the manufacturer’s website to find out the weight of the refrigerator. Here are the options you can expect to find when you click on the support link:
- Download an owner’s manual: Most manufacturers allow consumers to enter a model number and download an owner’s manual. Dimensions and specifications are sometimes placed in a different booklet, so check to see if there are any other download options before you leave the site.
- Start a live chat: If there is no option to download an owner’s manual, starting a live chat is probably the next best option. Look for a chat bubble icon at the top or bottom of the page. Customer service representatives have access to a huge database of information, and they should be able to find out how much a refrigerator weighs in just a few moments if you give them the model number.
- Send a message: If the manufacturer does not offer the owner’s manual downloads or live chat support, you will have to use the contact form to ask your question. Check the email address you enter for typos, and make sure that you include the refrigerator model number in your message. You should get a response in one or two business days.
How Heavy Is a Refrigerator?
There is no average refrigerator weight as they come in all sizes. As a general rule of thumb, each cubic foot of cooling capacity will add about 12 lbs. to a refrigerator’s weight. However, refrigerators with the same interior dimensions can have very different weights. Some refrigerator designs weigh more than others, so let’s take a look at the most popular styles to see how they stack up.
French Door Refrigerators
French door refrigerators have two cooling compartment doors above a large freezer drawer. Some French door models have more than one freezer drawer, and many have water and ice dispensers. These refrigerators look great, but those extra doors, drawers, and features add a lot of weight. All large French door refrigerators weigh more than 200 lbs. and some weigh almost 400 lbs.
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Side-by-Side Refrigerators
Side-by-side refrigerators have at least one less door or drawer than French door refrigerators, so they tend to weigh about 25 lbs. less on average. Most household side-by-side refrigerators weigh between 240 and 350 lbs., so they are still pretty hefty. A water dispenser will add another 20 lbs. or so, but choosing a counter-depth model will more than offset that weight penalty.
Top-Freezer Refrigerators
Most of us grew up in homes with a traditional top-freezer refrigerator. These models are generally much smaller than French door or side-by-side refrigerators, so they weigh a lot less. Top-freezer refrigerators are great for apartments and may meet the needs of a small family, and they usually weigh about 160 lbs. These refrigerators only provide about 70% of the cooling capacity of a French door model, but they can weigh hundreds of pounds less.
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Bottom-Freezer Refrigerators
Bottom-freezer refrigerators also weigh less than side-by-side and French door models, but they weigh a bit more than top-freezer refrigerators. This is because they tend to have larger freezer compartments and require more insulation to maintain internal temperatures. If you choose a bottom-freezer refrigerator, you can expect it to weigh between 120 and 290 lbs.
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Mini Refrigerators
Mini refrigerators are much lighter than their full-sized counterparts, but they can weigh a lot more than their compact dimensions suggest. Some small mini fridges weigh as little as 20 lbs., but larger portable refrigerators have internal capacities of more than 7 cubic feet and can weigh almost 100 lbs.
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What Makes Modern Refrigerators So Heavy?
As we have discovered, modern refrigerators can be extremely heavy and far too large and cumbersome for one person to handle. But why do they weigh so much? Let’s take a look at that question to find out what manufacturers are putting in their refrigerators that make them so difficult to move around. Here are some factors that influence a refrigerator’s weight:
- The age of the refrigerator: Modern refrigerators are heavy, but the largest fridges and freezers found in American kitchens in the 1950s and 1960s weighed even more. Today’s household appliances are made out of lightweight materials and exotic alloys and have control systems that feature microchips instead of transistors, and they often have shelves and bins that can be removed to make moving them easier.
- Consumer tastes: Appliance manufacturers give consumers what they want, and what consumers want are feature-packed refrigerators that look good and are packed with features. Refrigerator dimensions have crept up over the years as bigger is often equated with better, and features like ice makers and water dispensers just add even more weight. Doors within doors, bronze fittings, and multiple cooling zones make modern refrigerators attractive and functional, but they also add a great deal of heft.
- Refrigerator depth: Standard refrigerators are 33″ deep, but counter-depth refrigerators that are only 29″ deep have taken the market by storm in recent years. The streamlined look is very popular with consumers, and it also reduces the weight of a refrigerator by between 50 and 60 lbs.
- Cooling technology is heavy: Small air conditioners that are designed to cool a single room can weigh as much as 50 lbs. because evaporators, condensers, and compressors are heavy. If you have a large refrigerator that provides excellent cooling, it will almost certainly weigh a lot.
Tips for Moving a Refrigerator
We have discovered just how heavy modern refrigerators can be, so moving them should be left to professionals whenever possible. You won’t throw your back out watching a mover place a refrigerator on a dolly, and any damage the movers cause will be covered by their insurance. If you do have to tackle this job yourself, here are a few tips that could save you some time:
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- Measure twice, cut once: Before you empty and unplug the refrigerator you plan to move, you should map out the path that you will take and then measure every doorway to make sure that you will have enough room. You should also remove paintings and mirrors and move any obstructing pieces of furniture out of the way.
- Empty and clean: You should remove all food before you unplug your refrigerator. Once the refrigerator is empty, take out any removable bins, baskets, and shelves. Thoroughly clean the cooling cabinet, shelves, and bins with an antibacterial cleaner, and place an open box of baking soda inside the refrigerator if you notice any odors.
- Unplug and disconnect: You will probably have to pull the refrigerator away from the wall to unplug it. Many appliance manufacturers put wheels on their refrigerators to make moving them easier, but not all do. If your refrigerator does not have wheels, you can use wooden slats to protect your floor. Roll the cable up to keep things neat, and use zip ties or tape to attach it to the refrigerator and keep it out of the way. This is also the point where you should disconnect the water supply if your refrigerator has an ice maker.
- Defrost the freezer: Melting ice can cause refrigerators to leak water when they are moved, so you will want to make sure that your freezer is defrosted completely before you reach for a dolly. You can leave the door open and wait for the laws of physics to do their work, or you could grab a hair dryer and speed things up a bit.
- Prepare the refrigerator for transport: You may have to take the doors off your refrigerator before you move it, so check your owner’s manual before going any further. You should also wrap the refrigerator in moving blankets before you put it on a dolly to protect its finish during transit. Ask a friend to tilt the refrigerator back a little so you can slide the dolly underneath it, and then get ready to take the weight.
- Move the refrigerator: Refrigerators on dollies should be pushed rather than pulled, and you should bend your knees slightly but keep your back straight. Stop briefly at every doorway and corner, and try to avoid going backward.
- Place the refrigerator on the moving truck: Make sure that you place the refrigerator in an upright position when you put it on the moving truck. Refrigerators are robust and durable appliances, but placing a modern fridge on its back or sides can damage its internal components. If this is not possible and you are only traveling a short distance, you should lay the refrigerator on the opposite side to where its compressor lines are attached.
A Weighty Issue
Modern refrigerators have more features and use less energy than their predecessors, but they are still extremely heavy. This post has covered why refrigerators weigh so much, and it has explained how adding features like extra doors and ice dispensers can make them even heavier. No matter what questions you have about the latest home appliances, RefrigeratorHQ has you covered. Our reviews and roundups could help you to choose the perfect refrigerator, and our recall and press release pages bring you all of the latest industry news.