How Much Does A Refrigerator Weigh?

Are you planning to move appliances, and you’re wondering how much your refrigerator weighs? Wonder no more, for we have researched this question, and we have the answer for you.

Here is a summary of refrigerator weight averages:

  • French Door Refrigerators Weight: 317 pounds
  • Side-by-side Refrigerators Weight: 285 pounds
  • Bottom Freezer Refrigerators Weight: 214 pounds
  • Top Freezer Refrigerators Weight: 166 pounds
  • Mini Refrigerators Weight: 60 pounds

Learn about the factors that drive these averages and how to move your refrigerator safely and effectively below. We also have tips on how to pick the right size refrigerator. Read on!

Professional workers carrying modern refrigerator in kitchen, How Much Does A Refrigerator Weigh?

How much does a refrigerator weigh?

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When you look closely at the numbers in our simple table of average weights above, the two heaviest types of refrigerators are the two types that are also the widest. This is because the size and number of doors add a significant amount of weight to a refrigerator.

Refrigerator doors need sturdy supports and more insulation than the rest of the refrigerator to keep the cold air inside. So, take note of the total area of a refrigerator’s door. The bigger it is, the heavier it will be compared to a model with a smaller door and the same capacity.

Here are some refrigerator components and features that influence weight.

Additional Features

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Just like almost any other appliance, a refrigerator with additional features will likely have additional weight. One of the most common additional features that you’d see on wide refrigerators is the ice and cold-water dispensers that you access through the doors.

More Doors For Better Efficiency

Although more doors equate to a heavier refrigerator—and a likely bigger price tag—more doors make a refrigerator more efficient. More doors allow you to organize your refrigerator better. This means that you only open the area where you need to get an item, which reduces the amount of cold air that escapes.

The efficiency more doors bring to larger refrigerator models potentially outweighs the additional weight that results.

How to estimate the weight of a refrigerator?

You can estimate the weight of a refrigerator based on its volume capacity. Smaller refrigerators weigh around 10 pounds per cubic foot of capacity.

As refrigerators get bigger, they tend to include more features that smaller refrigerators cannot have. Larger refrigerators have more storage space, and more shelves and drawers, plus features. Hence, larger refrigerators have a larger weight per cubic foot of volume.

Use the 10-pound estimate as a base weight for estimation, and then go up by a pound or two as the refrigerator gets bigger.

How to move your refrigerator the right way?

We never consider the weight of our refrigerators when we buy them. People pick refrigerators based on features, storage, convenience, and energy savings. We only start to think about the weight of our refrigerators when we need to move them.

Here are some tips on how to properly move your refrigerator.

Empty And Drain Your Refrigerator

A refrigerator is bulky and unwieldy on its own without the weight of groceries inside. Emptying your refrigerator before moving it makes it easier—and lighter—to move.

Transfer your temperature-sensitive food and drink to a cooler.

Some older refrigerators have a drip tray where excess condensation water is collected. Make sure to empty this tray after defrosting your refrigerator. You don’t want to spill water while moving to your new house. Water can get to items that should not get wet and ruin them.

Secure Wires And Doors

Disconnect refrigerator wires and secure them. You can use a short bungee cord to fasten the cables—after winding them—to the back of your refrigerator. Do the same thing for tubes.

Secure the doors with a longer bungee cord to prevent them from accidentally opening and damaging themselves while in transit.

The Cartman 24-piece bungee assortment includes 10", 18", 24", 32", 40" bungee cords. Check it out at Amazon through this link.

Use An Appliance Dolly

Most refrigerators have wheels that make it easy to pull them out so that you can clean the space behind them. However, if your refrigerator doesn’t have wheels, you will need to use an appliance dolly to move your refrigerator.

You can rent an appliance dolly if you don’t have one. Check local moving companies if they have one for rent.

Once you’ve positioned your refrigerator on the dolly, strap it in place to keep it secure while you’re moving it to a truck. Never position your refrigerator where the dolly handle will hit the front or back of your refrigerator.

cropped view of two movers using hand truck while transporting refrigerator in apartment

The doors of your refrigerator can get accidentally misaligned when hit with enough force. A misaligned refrigerator door will no longer be effective in keeping the cold inside.

On the other hand, the back of your refrigerator is where the compressor is located. A sharp force from the dolly can damage the compressor. Position your refrigerator sideways on the dolly.

The Cosco Shifter, a 300-pound capacity dolly, is available on Amazon. Check it out through this link.

Get Someone To Help

Two Young Male Movers In Uniform Placing Modern Steel Refrigerator In Kitchen

Moving a refrigerator is not doable as a DIY for most people. Thus, do not hesitate to enlist the help of a friend.

Even if you’re strong enough to lift your refrigerator, having a second set of eyes will help prevent banging your refrigerator on walls, doorways, or other areas/items, as you navigate through your house.

A refrigerator can be bulky enough to cover your entire front sight and make it difficult to move around your own house.

Plan Ahead

Although this might not sound like a direct way to help move your refrigerator, this step helps in reducing the items inside your refrigerator that you have to transfer to a cooler.

Start to consume the food inside your fridge and minimize putting anything inside during the days leading to the move. Remember from an earlier section that you need to defrost your refrigerator? Planning ahead is important if you have an older refrigerator that takes a long time to defrost.

Additionally, you need to plan the refrigerator's exit route. This will alert you to any doors that might not accommodate the fridge's size.

You can remove some of the doors in your house to allow more space for your refrigerator if necessary. You can even disassemble the refrigerator doors in some models to make them easier to move.

Lastly, planning makes it easy for you to align your moving schedule with that of your dolly rental and the schedule of a friend or two that help you with the move.

How to pick the right size refrigerator?

Modern kitchen with stainless steel appliances

If you feel like your refrigerator might be too big—or too small—then you might not have the right refrigerator size for your needs. In the case of having a refrigerator that is too big, this also means that you are paying too much electricity for a refrigerator space that you do not use.

Here are some tips on choosing the right refrigerator for your needs.

Kitchen Size

Match the size of your kitchen with the size of your refrigerator. Measure your kitchen space and consider not only the depth, width, and height of your refrigerator but also the space that the doors will occupy when you open them. Make sure that a fully opened refrigerator door will not hit anything in your kitchen.

Also, consider the distance between the kitchen counters and the kitchen islands.

Eating Habits

Determine whether your family eats more frozen foods or fresh foods.

If you eat mostly fresh food, a refrigerator with a bottom freezer would be more suitable for you. On the other hand, if you eat more frozen foods, a top-mounted freezer will be ideal since these models typically have more freezer space than models with bottom freezers.

Side-by-side refrigerators combine the best of both options. However, it takes more space because it is wider than a top or bottom freezer model.

Family Size

Another important factor to consider is the size of your family and the ages of its members. If you’re living solo, then a smaller refrigerator would save you money on electricity bills.

However, if you have kids and older adults in the house, consider buying a refrigerator that allows you to arrange food items where they can easily be accessed, like a model with a freezer on top or a side-by-side. These models allow you to store food based on who needs to access it—upper shelves for adults, lower shelves for kids, and older adults.

Conclusion

Open refrigerator filled with food in kitchen at night

A refrigerator’s weight is dependent on factors like the number of doors and the number of extra features. You can estimate the weight of a refrigerator using its volume, multiplying 10 pounds for each cubic foot volume of capacity.

If you enjoyed reading this article, you might find the articles below equally enjoyable to read:

How Long Should Refrigerators Sit After Moving?

What’s The Best Kind Of Paint To Use On A Refrigerator?

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