Advantages of Refrigerator with Inverter Compressor in 2022

February 28, 2022 / RefrigeratorPro Team

Many new refrigerator models have come up with inverter based models. You might have questions such as- What is an inverter refrigerator? Do I need an inverter refrigerator? We will help you with the answer to these questions.

What is an inverter compressor?

A compressor is the engine of a refrigerator. It is responsible for constant flow of refrigerant and it also compresses it to convert it into high-pressure liquid. The speed of the compressor determines the cooling of refrigerator.

For example, as soon you switch on a refrigerator with regular compressor, the compressor runs at full speed to reach the desired temperature. And as soon as it reaches this temperature, it switches off, so that the cooling stops. And when the temperature starts rising again, the compressor switches on to decrease the temperature. This is an “on” and “off” cycle.

An Inverter compressor, on the other hand, is a compressor that is controlled by inverter chip. It means that the speed of the compressor is controlled by inverter chip and the software in it. This gives better and efficient cooling.

Because of its energy saving capability and noise-free operation almost all top brands have come up with inverter refrigerators

How does an inverter compressor work?

As discussed, regular compressor (reciprocatory compressor) works by switching on and off regularly to maintain a range of temperature.

For example, to maintain a temperature of 5 degrees Celsius, as soon as you start the refrigerator, regular compressor will run at full speed to reach 5 degrees and then it will stop. When the temperature starts to increase again it will again run at full speed for some time till the temperature reaches 5 degrees and stop again. This means that the temperature does not remain constant and goes through up and down cycle. As you can see, this not a an efficient way to cool.

On the other hand, inverter compressor maintains the temperature constantly by regulating the speed of the compressor. It never switches off and runs at slow speed to keep the temperature constant.

It means that the compressor will not have to work at full speed and then stop abruptly like regular compressors.

Advantages of Inverter Refrigerator

Consumes Less Power

Biggest advantage of an inverter compressor is that it is more energy efficient as compared to regular compressor. This is because the inverter compressor runs constantly at optimum speed. In some cases, it is 40% more energy efficient.

Better Freshness

Inverter compressor is able to maintain freshness better than regular compressors because the temperature inside the fridge remains constant.

Long Lifespan

Regular compressor experiences more wear and tear because the it starts and stops many times. And just like many other machines, whenever it starts and stop, it faces slight wear and tear. This decreases the life of regular compressor. However, inverter compressors run constantly and it reaches maximum capacity slowly. This leads to long life.

Noise-Free Operation

Inverter compressor produces less noise because it is better regulated. Regular compressor produces more noise whenever the compressor is in ‘on’ state.

Environment Friendly

Almost all refrigerators use refrigerants with some level of Global Warming Potential (GWP). This is not good for the environment. Since inverter refrigerators use less energy, its impact on the environment is less.

Can Connect with Home Inverter

Usually, refrigerators with inverter technology can connect with the home inverter with batteries. Even though we do not highly recommend this because refrigerator load is high and may not be ideal for home inverters. However, in some situations you may connect lower capacity inverter refrigerators to your home inverter.

Types of Inverter Compressors in Refrigerator Brands in India

Intellisense Inverter

Whirlpool’s Intellisense inverters are equipped with multiple sensors to regulate the temperature as per the temperature inside the refrigerator, amount of food present inside the refrigerator and user behaviour.

First sensor finds out the current temperature inside the fridge. Second sensor detects the volume of food inside the fridge and the third sensor detects the user behaviour. The data from all the three is fed to a chip and analyzed to give most optimum temperature.

Linear Inverter Compressor

High-end LG refrigerators come with Inverter Linear compressors. A linear compressor contains linear arrangement of an electromagnet that attracts the plate where the piston is fixed.

Regular inverter compressor consists of several friction points, whereas the electromagnet setup in linear compressor reduces the friction point to only one. Thus, saving power and producing less noise.

Plasma Inverter

Whirlpool launched plasma inverter in the year 2019. It is an enhanced version of Intellisense inverters. These similar to intellisense inverters in their working and come with 3 sensors. However, the compressor rod is covered with plasma coating. This helps in increasing the lifespan of the inverter compressor. In fact, it improves the lifespan of inverter compressor by 25% to around 25 years.

Digital Inverter

Brands such as Samsung come with ‘digital inverter’ technology in their refrigerators. It is not much different from inverter technology because most of the inverters are ‘digital’ anyway. However, Samsung inverter allows 5 adjustable speeds, which gives decent level of cooling precision.

Econavi Inverter

Panasonic launched Econavi inverter in 2018 in India. It is equipped with 2 types of sensors. First sensor detects human activity such as movement and other human behaviour, while the second sensor detects sunlight intensity. Both the sensor data is fed into their algorithm that then regulates the compressor to give optimum cooling based on the inputs.

Twin Inverter

Twin Inverter technology was introduced in India by Haier in 2019. This inverter compressor comes with smart sensors that adjust the cooling based on the load. We found that there is not much difference between a twin inverter and other digital inverters and is more of a brand name.

Smart Inverter

You will see smart inverter refrigerators in many LG refrigerators. Smart inverters are again very similar to digital inverters. In this inverter, a dedicated microprocessor chip regulated the motor to control the compressor. Mostly single door refrigerators come with this type of inverter.

Nutrifresh Inverter

You will Nutrifresh Inverters in Godrej refrigerators. It senses the type of feed inside the refrigerator and gives cooling based on this information. However, there is not much difference between a digital inverter and this inverter that is also controlled by a microprocessor.

How Does an Inverter Compressor Save Electricity?

As discussed, regular compressor works by switching on and off regularly. In fact a regular compressor can switch on and off  6 to 8 times in one day.

• It is important to understand that maximum current is consumed in switching on a compressor.
• On top of this, every time the compressor starts, it runs at full speed irrespective of the cooling requirement. Even though it stops when the desired temperature is reached, it consumes good amount of electricity in this process.

On the other hand, when you switch on an inverter refrigerator, the following things happen.

• The compressor will start with slow speed and then increase the speed gradually till it reaches the desired temperature. This consumes less electricity.
• When it reaches the desired temperature, it decreases the speed to a minimum level required to keep the temperature constant. This is also very energy efficient.

These are the reasons why some inverter refrigerators are even 40% more energy efficient as compared to non-inverter refrigerators.

Inverter Compressor Refrigerators – FAQs

Best Inverter Refrigerators in India

LG, Samsung, Whirlpool are top inverter refrigerator brands in India.

LG

LG is a South Korean brand. It is one of the best brands when it comes to value for money. All popular types of refrigerators are produced by LG and enjoy relatively decent customer support.

Best LG Inverter Refrigerator

LG 260 L 3 Star Frost Free Double Door Refrigerator (GL-I292RPZX, Shiny Steel, Smart Inverter Compressor)

LG is a leader in India’s refrigerator market. No wonder we bring you an LG refrigerator. LG GL-I292RPZX comes in an elegant design and shiny steel finish. It also has a special smart diagnostics feature that helps in the quick detection of issues. This reduces your dependence on service technicians in case of any malfunctioning. So, if you live in areas difficult to access, you can consider buying this product.

• Capacity: It has a capacity of 260 L, which is decent for a mid-sized family
• Cooling: Ice beam door cooling system (frost free)
• Energy consumption: It consumes less energy at 194 Kilowatt Hours
• Warranty: It comes with 1 years of warranty on entire washing machine (product) and 10 years of warranty on motor (compressor)
• Stabilizer: It gives stabilizer-free operation and an optimum range of 100 V to 310 V
• Door Type: Double Door

Here are its key features.

• Smart inverter compressor: This is a decent inverter compressor from LG which is energy efficient and is quite durable. Various customer reviews suggest that the noise levels are low and similar to what we tested in our lab.
• Ice Beam Door Cooling: This technology ensures even cooling throughout the fridge. This is achieved with the help of cooling air vents that are situated after every few inches. These vents ensure multi air flow cooling
• Smart Diagnosis: This is a special feature to troubleshoot your fridge in case of any issues with your refrigerator. In case of any issue, you have to call the customer care helpline and place the phone on top of the refrigerator. This will give all the diagnostics data to your agent automatically so that the agent can find out the exact issue and give you a fix for it.
• Auto-Smart Connect: This technology connects your fridge with the home inverter.
• Moist balance crisper:The vegetable box (crisper) comes with moisture control tech. This helps ensure optimum moisture inside the crisper so that the vegetable will get longer life.

Pros:

• Smart inverter compressor for efficient and noise-free operation
• Smart diagnostics for easy resolution of issues
• It is energy efficient
• It connects directly with the inverter in case of power failure
• It can withstand good amount of voltage fluctuation

Cons:

• No major cons

Whirlpool

Whirlpool is a US-based multinational and one of the world’s largest home appliance makers. While Whirlpool is a household name for washing machines, it is catching up with LG and Samsung in the refrigerator segment.

Best Whirlpool Inverter Refrigerator

Whirlpool 265 L 3 Star Inverter Frost-Free Double Door Refrigerator (INTELLIFRESH INV CNV 278 3S, German Steel, Convertible)

Whirlpool INTELLIFRESH INV CNV 278 3S refrigerator closely follow LG 260 and is another popular double door refrigerator in 2021. It has plenty of advanced features. Its artificial intelligence-based adaptive intelligence cooling provides excellent cooling. It has features to block bacterial growth and excessive ripening of fruits and vegetables.

• Capacity: It has a capacity of 265 L, which is decent for a mid-sized family
• Cooling: Intelligent cooling. (Frost free)
• Energy consumption: It consumes less energy at 194 Kilowatt Hours
• Warranty: It comes with 1 years of warranty on entire washing machine (product) and 10 years of warranty on motor (compressor)
• Stabilizer: It gives stabilizer-free operation and a range of 130 V to 300 V
• Door Type: Double Door

This machine comes with a moisture lockin feature to ensure the long life of your grocery. It also features auto-connect to home inverter that automatically connects the fridge to your inverter then power fails.

Whirlpool 265 L 4 Star refrigerator gives up to 15 days of freshness. This is achieved with help of several technologies such as zeolite, microblock, freshflow technologies.

• Adaptive intelligence: It comes with intellisense inverter technology. This is a system of 3 sensors and 1 microprocessor. Sensors collect data on power load, weather and usage pattern. This data is then fed to artificial intelligence based microprocesso for analysis. Based on the analysis of this input, the compressor increases or decreases cooling real time. This unique technology helps in efficient cooling.
• Zeolite technology: This technology prevents fruits from getting extra-ripe. It achieves this by absorbing ethylene emission from fruits that reduces their sugar content.
• Microblock technology: This technology prevents growth of bacteria by upto 99%
• Freshflow air tower: This air tower comes with numerous small vents. These vents  are place in a manner that that they ensure optimum air flow. This ensures optimum cooling in all the directions.
• Freshonizer: This anti-bacterial filter is placed inside the vegetable box to reduce oxidation of fruits and vegetables.

Pros:

• It comes with adaptive, intelligent cooling
• I has various technologies to ensure freshness of the grocery
• It is quite energy efficient
• It also has technologies for prevention of growth of bacteria and for prevention of excessive ripening of fruits

Cons:

• No major cons

Samsung

This is another South Korean giant known for its superior technology. It is a leader in a variety of refrigerator segments. This brand is known for decent feature-packed and modern looking refrigerators. However, some of the models are priced higher than the competitors.

Best Samsung Inverter Refrigerator

Samsung 253L 3 Star Inverter Frost Free Double Door Refrigerator (RT28A3453S8/HL, Elegant Inox)

Samsung RT28A3453S8/HL refrigerator is one of the best selling refrigerators in 2021. It is popular because it comes with almost all the features of a double door refrigerator at attractive pricing.

• Capacity: It has a capacity of 253 L, which is decent for a mid-sized family
• Cooling: Frost-free cooling with direct inverter compressor
• Energy consumption: It consumes less energy at 193 Kilowatt Hours
• Warranty: It comes with 1 years of warranty on entire washing machine (product) and 10 years of warranty on motor (compressor)
• Stabilizer: It gives stabilizer-free operation and a range of 100 V to 300 V
• Door Type: Double Door

It comes with a big door shelf to prevent bigger bottles from slipping. All the shelves are made up of toughened glass, ensuring they remain scratch-free. It also has a LED light that saves energy and gives more brightness.

• Digital Inverter Technology: Digital inverter technology gives decent energy efficiency because it adjusts the speed of the compressor regularly. It also produces less noise.
• Smart Connect Inverter: This technology connects the refrigerator with your home inverter during power cut. It also comes with a cool pack inside the freezer. It ensures that food remains cool for 12 hours in during power failures.
• All round Cooling: Multiple shelfs on every level ensure that cooling takes placed uniformly
• Cool Wall: During power outages, cool pack / cool wall ensures that food remains frozen for upto 12 our after power cut.
• Deodorizer: These are activated carbon filters that absorb strong odour and help preserving original flavour of food.
• Digital Display: It features a modern design digital display that you can use to adjust temperature. It also has an indicator to alert you if the door is accidentally kept open for some time. It starts blinking along with buzzing sound to alert you.

Pros:

• It is energy efficient
• It gives super-fast cooling
• It comes with smart and modern digital display
• It has cool wall feature to ensure long cooling during power cuts
• It has a pleasing design

Cons:

• No major cons

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