New refrigerator technology helps improve in-room experience

Despite most efforts at concealing a convenience refrigerator, the noise of a compressor is still going to cause complaints. And for an amenity that doesn’t get used that much, according to Walt Strasser, EVP of Minibar Systems, it can be inconvenient for guests and staff to deal with. But there are a few convenience refrigerator options that offer a nice compromise.

Strasser said Minibar System’s Smart Fridge comes with a compressor snooze button, which could solve figurative and literal headaches for you and your guests.

“What we’ve done is put a hospitality spin on the unit,” Strasser said. With the several snooze options in the unit, the compressor turns off and doesn’t turn back on until the inside temperature hits the 50s. “The snooze could be for six to eight hours,” he said.

According to Peter Kuzyk, national sales manager at Dometic, another option is an absorption refrigerator. This is built just like a standard convenience unit, with a compressor, but it is supplied with a noise absorption part that effectively creates a noiseless product.

“Absorption is 30 to 40 percent more expensive depending on size,” Kuzyk said.

Bob Carberry, product manager at MicroFridge promoted design versatility for convenience fridges. For example, MicroFridge combines a microwave in conjunction with its fridge, but the entire unit only needs one plug.

“The doors are reversible which provides placement flexibility, and even the signal beeper volume on the microwave is adjustable and can be muted, so there’s no need to hide it away in a corner,” he said.

Keep refrigerators running quiet and cool
At more and more properties, there is debate as to whether guestrooms should feature a convenience refrigerator so guests can cool their own refreshments as opposed to a pre-stocked, automated minibar, particularly in limited-service properties.

In terms of maintenance, convenience refrigerators are relatively easy to maintain, but do require more effort than a minibar. For one, they have a shorter lifespan, which Walt Strasser, EVP of Minibar Systems, said is about 12 to 15 years—about half that of a minibar. But even before that, general wear and tear can start to hinder its performance.

“One of the cons [of a convenience refrigerator] is noise becomes a factor,” Strasser said. “And compressor noise level increases with age. Period. That’s a fact of the technology. A compressor in its first year could be quiet; after year six, you have to take it out of the room.”

How you and your guests treat the refrigerators also factor into the longevity of the compressor. According to Bob Carberry, product manager at MicroFridge, keep refrigerators away from windows. The sunlight heats the unit up, making it work harder to cool the inside down. But don’t just hide the refrigerator away somewhere that doesn’t provide the unit proper ventilation.

“You should make sure the fridge is ventilated properly,” said Peter Kuzyk, national sales manager at Dometic. “Thirty-two square inches of space in and around [so air can] follow underneath and in back to flow out, and create a chimney effect to cool itself—you don’t want it trapped in the warm air of an armoire or credenza.”

Kuzyk also recommends defrosting the unit at least once a week if it doesn’t have an automatic defrost.
In times of low occupancy, unplug the refrigerators in rooms that won’t be used for awhile, which Kuzyk said might be a good idea to save energy and keep the compressor from working, depending on the unit.

However, Strasser advised against constantly unplugging the refrigerators, which can happen when guests complain about compressor noise.

“It’s harder on the compressor,” he said. “It has to work very, very hard to get the temperature back down.”
Both Strasser and Kuzyk agreed that when the compressor does go bad, it is probably better to replace the entire unit than to pay for the constant maintenance and replacement parts.