I'd like to hear from anyone out there who has experience with Sun Frost refrigerators, particularly people living in Canada, as I do.

From what I've read on various online sources, Sun Frost products are among the most energy efficient available. Their electricity consumption appears to be far less than anything I can find here in Canada.

But Sun Frost has no dealers here and I'm leery about buying anything without seeing it in person. Another concern would be repairs if I had trouble.

Chare

Are you looking into the solar or electrical powered units?

I'm looking into the electrical powered units.

I'll be using grid power so I'd be interested in the AC version of their full-sized refrigerators, most likely the RF16.

Honestly if you look at some of the better rated "standard" refers they are darn close, I thought one of them actually exceeded the Sunfrost. I have heard Sunfrost units are not rated the best in reliability and servicing them can be really expensive since they are not normal.

My suggestion is go with one of the better regular units. The cost will be less than 1/2 and will be less expensive in the long run.

If you are looking for maximum efficiency there are articles online about converting chest style freezers to refrigerators. Not exactly the most convenient or stylish type of refrigerator, but they are very low energy use.

I have been the owner of a Sunfrost RF19 for about 20 years. It has never been nearly as efficient as Sunfrost claims. I don't understand how they continue to get away with such dishonest advertising.

Their literature says the RF19 consumes .77 kWh at 70F ambient temperature or 1.02 kWh at 90F ambient temp. I am the only person in my house and in normal use it averages about 1.54 kWh per day at 70F ambient temperature and over 2 kWh at 80F ambient temperature. At 60F ambient the consumption drops to around 1.25 kWh

John M

Did you measure it when it was new?

No, it was January 2001 when I first had access to a plug in watt meter. My records from that first test are not quite as detailed as records I am keeping now, but the efficiency looks about the same. I purchased 2 Sunfrost RF19s in March 1991, so they were just under 10 years old when I first tested them. One is now with a relative so I can't easily test it right now.

I have a friend who purchased 2 Sunfrost R19 units at the same time, which I tested in 2001 at .636 kWh per day at 75F ambient.

Another friend bought an RF16 at the same time (same size refrigerator compartment as mine, but small freezer) which tested in 2001 at 1.116 kWh per day at 75F ambient. They have long since disposed of it because they got so fed up with the drain and mold problems.

I think one of the problems with the Sunfrost design is that it is built of fairly heavy plywood (an inner layer and an outer layer), so the space left for foam insulation is severely limited by the thickness of the plywood.

John M

Concerning reliability: of the 5 units I know about, I think all have had at least 1 thermostat fail, 2 have had the small fan that blows air across the heat dissipating elements fail, none has had trouble with compressor or charge. Sunfrost has always been helpful with advice over the phone and supplying replacement parts.

Looks like th RF19 isn't even energy star rated. The RF16 is.