How much does a refrigerator really weigh?
A refrigerator is an essential machine used in the kitchen since its inception. Hundreds of models of refrigerators are available in the market. You can select according to your requirements and demands. You can find a refrigerator in every kitchen or house, and they are the bulkiest machines present there.
The weigh you ask?
Giving a clear response to the query of how much do refrigerators weigh is dodgy. Having knowledge about the weight of a fridge can be helpful. The weight of refrigerators can be crucial for you if you want to change the position of your fridge or move it from one place to another. So, without any further due,
Let’s Dive In!
What is the Average Weight of a Refrigerator?
A typical refrigerator weigh will range between 200 to 400 pounds. The fridge weight is highly dependent on its type. It is estimated that every refrigerator weighs ranges from 200 to 400 pounds. The average weight of a fridge ranges between 250 to 350 pounds while the modern refrigerators have 220 pounds weight. Refrigerators are available in various models and sizes, which directly affect that how heavy a fridge is. Before buying a refrigerator, try to know the average weight of the appliance because it will determine the mobility of your fridge.
To do that, we must first take a look at the insides of this device.
What’s inside a refrigerator?
They are four following significant constituents of the refrigerator that also contribute to the major part of its weight.
- Refrigerant: it is a liquid that is responsible for the low internal temperature inside the refrigerator.
- Compressor: it is in the form of gas and hence compresses the refrigerant.
- Heat-exchanging pipes: they are the holder of refrigerant and absorbs the heat when refrigerant heats up.
- Expansion-valve: refrigerant boils after flowing through the expansion valve of the fridge.
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Types of refrigerators
Some of the major types are:
- Side-by-side refrigerator: in this type, half side is the fridge while the other half is the freezer section.
- Bottom-freezer refrigerator: The upper section of the refrigerator is refrigerated, and the bottom space is the freezer to store relatively large items.
- Top-freezer refrigerator: they have a smaller freezer installed on the upper portion of the refrigerator.
- French-door refrigerator: they have a double-door for the refrigeration process.
- Mini-fridge: they are lightweight and ideal for low budget.
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What makes a refrigerator heavy?
Many components contribute to determining the weight of refrigerators. They sum up to make the total weight of the appliance. Let’s discuss it one by one.
Manufacturing year of a refrigerator
Knowing the year of manufacturing can be a deciding factor when you are looking for the answer to how much an average fridge weighs. The manufacturing year of a fridge can influence your decision to buy a refrigerator. In the early years of its invention, heavy machinery is used in its manufacturing.
Traditional refrigerators are heavier because of the enormous propulsion tank installed in them and also weighty electrical items. On average, they weigh around 250 pounds. On the other hand, modern refrigerators have detachable items inserted in them. Lightweight electrical machinery is the highlighting featuring of contemporary refrigerators. So, their estimated weight is between 150-350 lbs. Hence, the new-fashioned fridges have almost 100 pounds less weight than old ones.
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Model of the refrigerator
The refrigerator`s model is one of the factors that contributed to its weight. Before deciding how much a refrigerator weighs, try to acquire enough knowledge about the various refrigerators available in the market. All the electronic items making companies offered a large variety of fridges with weight and size variation.
When you are wondering how heavy a refrigerator is, you should know that weight shows considerable variations along with the model of the fridge. There are different types of refrigerators being manufactured by several brands to cater to the needs of all kinds of customers. Users should know that the side-by-side refrigerator`s weight and French door refrigerator are much more than the mini-refrigerators.
Size of the refrigerator
The most reliable reply to how much a fridge weighs is that the refrigerator`s weight and size are directly proportional. If the size of the refrigerator is increased, then it is evident that its weight also increases with the same ratio. The average height of a refrigerator is 60-75 inches.
Suppose the height of a fridge is 30 cubic feet, then its weight is more than the refrigerator having a height of 20 cubic feet. The customer should consider the size of the fridge before buying it. The weight of your refrigerator is determined by how tall the average refrigerator is. The heightened fridge is equipped with more features and modern accessories then its weight should be more than the less-heightened refrigerator. The average size of a fridge is around 20-40 inches.
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Features in the refrigerator
If you are aiming at a lightweight refrigerator, you should go for a fridge with minimal features because the number of components increases the total weight of the fridge. The fridge with a water dispenser is weightier than the one without a dispenser. The material used in the manufacturing of this additional feature can be heavier, so ultimately they will add to the total weight of the fridge.
One aspect of knowing how much a refrigerator weighs is the number of features a refrigerator offers. If you focus on features, you should have to bear with heavier fridges rather than lightweight ones. Thus, it is opined that modernistic fridges are weightier than the standard ones because of a large number of features added in them such as ice dispenser and additional freezer drawers.
Keep on adding new and up-to-date design, and the average fridge`s weight accelerate.
Other factors affecting the weight of a fridge
Despite all elements mentioned above, several other factors conclude how much does a refrigerator weigh. The age and internal machinery of the refrigerator are also the determining factors in its weight.
The refrigerators made before 1995 are supposed to be much bulkier and heavier than modern and futuristic fridges as they were composed of heavy-weight machinery and electronic devices.
Why is the refrigerator weight important?
The weight of a fridge plays a significant role when you buy a refrigerator, and now it’s time to take it to your home, or you want to move your existing fridge. Then it is an excellent time to ask how much does a refrigerator weigh?
The weight of the fridge is an indicator of age, type, model, size, height, features, and design of a refrigerator. For example, whirlpool refrigerators’ weight is more when it comes with French doors, but it weighs less than that if it does not include French doors. Similarly, if the measurement of the fridge differs with the same features, then it directly affects the weight of the appliance. So, the weight of the refrigerator is essential when you want to know the age, type, features, and size of the refrigerator.
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Selecting the right refrigerator to minimize cost and weight
Before choosing a refrigerator for you, always keep your demands in your mind. You will find thousands of various kinds of refrigerators out there in the market. But it would be best if you had the clear about the space at your house. Have an idea about the size of a fridge, its height, and the width of its doors, and try to measure your space.
These things will help you in purchasing a refrigerator that is best suited for your home. It is recommended to search how much does a refrigerator weigh before making a final decision because having an idea about the weight of a fridge can be useful in analyzing other dimensions of the appliance.
If you end up buying a refrigerator with more features, then it may cause a problem in transportation because of its more weight. If you have knowledge about how much does your refrigerator weighs, then you can have an estimate about the space it is going to occupy. A formula for calculating the weight of the refrigerator is that ten cubic feet weigh 100 pounds.
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How to move a heavy refrigerator?
A refrigerator is not only an essential gadget of the modern kitchen, but it is also the heaviest and bulkiest appliance in the kitchen. Moving a fridge can be a nightmare for you. So here are few steps that will help you in moving your refrigerator from one place to another.
- Step 1: remove food items from the fridge. This will decrease the weight of the fridge. Use a cooler for temporarily storing your food.
- Step 2: disconnect the power supply of your fridge, this will cause defrosting of the ice. Make sure to take out all the ice cubes before melting. When the defrosting is complete, remove all the water from the refrigerator.
- Step 3: Protect the refrigerator’s doors by shutting them properly and wrap the tape around them so that they will remain secure.
- Step 4: clear the path for the fridge before you start to move. It includes measuring the width and height of the fridge as well as measuring the doors of your house. Also, transfer anything that can be your hurdle while moving the refrigerator.
- Step 5: if moving your fridge seems humanly impossible, then rent an appliance dolly. But never forget to know how much a refrigerator weigh does. Moving dolly can make the moving of your refrigerator hustle-free.
- Step 6: transfer your refrigerator on the dolly from its current position. Warp the strips of the dolly around your fridge and move the dolly backward by slightly tilting it.
How do you make a refrigerator last?
Few tips can help you in maintaining your refrigerator for a long time.
- Always leave a room in your fridge to release hot air. Always leaves a few inches of space between the wall and your fridge.
- Always try to place your refrigerator in the airy area or away from stoves and ovens.
- Using an appropriate electrical outlet will eventually increase the life span of your fridge.
- Always keep your fridge neat and clean; it includes cleaning from behind and under the refrigerator.
- Assure the proper closing of the doors of the refrigerators this will enhance the proficiency of the fridge.
Working principle
The working principle of a refrigerator involved three steps. Firstly, the food items you place in the fridge are surrounded by a cooling refrigerant. Secondly, heat from the food items is absorbed by the refrigerants, and thirdly, absorbed heat by the refrigerants is transmitted to the outside, which is comparatively cooler.
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Buying Guide & Frequently Asked Questions
If you plan to buy a new refrigerator for your home or your business, you should have basic knowledge about the appliance. As you will invest a lot of money, the refrigerator must be worth your money. We have developed this buying guide to assist you in making your decision. Going through our buying guide is suggested so that your doubts will be cleared and you will get the best-suited refrigerator for you.
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How heavy is an empty fridge?
The weight of an empty fridge is around 330 pounds. This weight varies in different types of refrigerators. New fashioned empty refrigerator has 220 pounds weight. At the same time, the weight of the French door empty fridge is 350 pounds due to its huge size. In the similar fashion, we talk about how much does a mini fridge weigh? Then it comes out to be around 22-95 pounds. Typically a mini-fridge has a weight of 60 pounds.
What is a standard fridge size?
If you own a standard size refrigerator, its width ranges from 24-40 inches, height between 62-72 inches, while the depth will be between 29-36 inches. Mainly the French door refrigerator weighs more than regular ones due to more depth, height, and width. But the top-freezer refrigerators and bottom-freezer refrigerators are relatively compact and small in size.
What is the most common size refrigerator?
The most common size refrigerator available in the market has the dimension of 30 inches width, 20 inches depth, and 67 inches height. Standard size fridge should have 20 cubic feet of space internally to store your food items. On average, it has 22-31 cubic feet of space. It is observed that standard size also has some variations. People with small kitchens will consider small-sized fridges as standard, or the refrigerator you find in dorms or apartments can be regarded as standard-sized fridges, but in reality, they are not of standard size.
What Are the Disadvantages of a Refrigerator?
One of the notable disadvantages of owning a refrigerator is that it is expensive to use, it will significantly increase your electricity bill. Secondly, they are not suitable for the environment as they release chlorofluorocarbons in the air that cause skin cancer. Thirdly, repairing a refrigerator can disturb your monthly budget.
Do Refrigerators need room to breathe?
Yes, refrigerators need room to breathe. The efficiency of the fridge is increased when it is provided the proper ventilation system. When you measure space to place, your refrigerator always leaves few inches from the back and top of the refrigerator. If there is no room for ventilation, then the appliance’s compressor starts heating, and its life will be affected.
Things you should consider before buying a refrigerator
Choosing an appropriate and reliable is such a laborious task as tons of models and types are offered in the market by various brands. Beforehand research always saves you few bucks. Your confusion will be cleared after reading our buying guide. Few things should be kept in mind before making your purchase of a refrigerator.
Price
It would help if you had an estimate regarding the price of the refrigerator before visiting the market. The cost of the appliance depends upon the size, features, and model of the fridge. The latest technology and feature fridge are more expensive than the refrigerator with more minor features and older technology. You should know your preference either you want more features or want to save money.
Size
The size of the fridge always concerns its weight. You should know how much does a fridge weighs. In this way, you can estimate the size and weight of the fridge you want. The size of the refrigerator depends upon the type and model. If you’re going to buy a small and compact fridge, top-freezer and bottom-freezer refrigerators will be your options. Mini fridges will also be your top pick if you want to place them in your small apartment or bedroom.
Weight
The standard refrigerator weighs around 250 pounds. If you know about standard weight, then you will quickly decide how much does your refrigerator weigh? While buying a fridge, its weight is one of the critical things that you should consider. The weight of the fridge will give you a summary of its size, height, model, and type. Older and traditional refrigerators are heavier than modern ones because of heavy and dense machinery used in manufacturing. By knowing the average weight of the standard-sized refrigerator, you can get an idea about how much does a large refrigerator weigh?
Door style
It would help if you considered the door style of the refrigerator before buying. In early times, there are no options for doors available in refrigerators. But now you have multiple options to choose from. There are refrigerators with side-by-side doors, French doors, top-freezers, and bottom-freezers. You can select according to your preference and need.
Design
The refrigerator is the most notable and eye-catching gadget in the kitchen, so it must be attractive and beautiful. Always try to choose a fridge with a neat and clean look. In modern times, matte-finished refrigerators are selling like hotcakes because they need less cleaning and dust is not visible. In contrast, the fridge with a shiny surface needs proper cleaning. Contemporary refrigerators are made up of stainless steel that looks amazing in your kitchen. So, design should be kept in your mind before buying a refrigerator.

Hi, I am Kat! I love writing about various kitchen appliances especially ice makers, refrigerators, freezers, ice cream makers & much much more. I am a freelance journalist who is determined to make the best out of everything life throws my way & to write content that actually makes an impact. When I am not writing, I am finding ways to be a better parent & helping mothers the world over by overcoming parenting challenges.