Help me find a quiet fridge/freezer in the UK.

July 2, 2007 6:05 AM

I need a quiet fridge/freezer as I have an open-plan kitchen/lounge. Do I go for a built-in or free-standing model? Just to add another problem...

...it has to back against a false wall which has my bed on the other side. So quiet is very good.

The only decent advice I've had from salesfolk is that frost-free models will tend to be noisier.

I'm looking at a 30:70 freezer:fridge with the freezer at the bottom. Budget is £400-500 including the surrounding units if needed (up to £150) but not averse to different solutions.
Example, although this and this might be quieter.

Any advice or recommendations? UK-based so UK-specific advice required.

posted by i_cola to Home & Garden (5 answers total)

Well not sure if your budget allows for the optimal solution, but there are fridges that you can remotely mount the condenser (the noisy part of a fridge) in another place and run the cooling lines to the fridge. Works very similarly to central air conditioning system. As far as a quiet fridge, I don't know of any.
posted by wile e at 6:25 AM on July 2, 2007

There is a class of refrigerators called "absorption", which run without a motor at all. They run on either gas or electricity. You hear a click and sometimes a little hiss from them when they are running on gas, and nothing at all if they are electric. Many of the hotel-type fridges use this principle. My Servel (Dometic in the rest of the world) has been running on gas for years and here, where the power goes out frequently, it is very handy.

The problem with absorption fridges - apart from my not finding them on Google within the UK except as used in caravans - is they are inefficient in comparison with good compressor-type units.

Japanese fridges are likely to be very quiet because of exactly the constraints you mention. I must say that the Bosch fridge in my house in France is also exceedingly quiet.
posted by jet_silver at 7:51 AM on July 2, 2007

If you have a look at the Curry's website (Household Appliances - Refrigeration) each fridge has a noise level set out under "Product Specification". I'm renting a flat with an open-plan kitchen/lounge at them moment and we have a freestanding fridge-freezer -- the noise is occasionally noticeable if it's quiet and I'm reading but not otherwise.
posted by patricio at 8:02 AM on July 2, 2007

apologies - it seems I was making it up about Currys - not all of them have the noise rating.
posted by patricio at 8:05 AM on July 2, 2007

Maybe go somewhere like John Lewis? We've always found their staff really helpful and more knowledgeable than elsewhere.
posted by dowcrag at 8:57 AM on July 2, 2007