A cheap way to save a little money
25
Aug
Visited 394 times, 3 so far today
Posted by: mark in: "saving money"
This one comes from my grandmother: Fill old milk jugs up with water (leave a little air in the bottle for expanding ice) and put them in your freezer.
How does this save money?
- Water holds it’s temperature better than air, so once the water is initially frozen, the freezer doesn’t have to work as hard to keep things frozen (think oldschool ice boxes).
- When traveling, you don’t have to buy special icepacks since you have them in jug form. (you can also use old soda bottles or anything else that’s watertight)
- If your home is ever invaded, you can lob them at your enemies.
Has anyone tried this before?
2 Responses
David Robarts
26|Aug|2007 1My mom liked to keep small plastic bottles half full of water in the freezer. Top them off with water and throw them in the cooler when you go for a picnic - they keep the other food cool and you have a supply of ice water to drink.
The energy savings from keeping extra ice in the freezer don’t come from how well water holds its temperature (thermal mass) as much as from the fact that less cold air is lost when the freezer is opened. The energy gained through the walls of the freezer (thus the work the freezer must do to maintain temperature) is a function of the quality of insulation and the temperature difference between the outside and inside - the thermal mass is not involved when the system is kept closed and the temperature is maintained. So if you’re frequently taking out these ice bottles to make room you’ll probably end up using more energy freezing them than you gain from having them in there. The most important tip for saving energy is to set the thermostat so that it maintains a temperature that is “just cold enough” to keep the temperature difference minimal. The same holds for cooling your house in the summer (or “just warm enough” in the winter).
mark
27|Aug|2007 2Once again, David brings a great insight into a post. Thanks a ton David!
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