Comparison Haier A3FE-837CHJ stainless steel vs Haier A3FE-737CMJ silver

Various special features provided in the refrigerator, such as holiday mode, control via smartphone, child lock, ( LED display or TFT display), door alarm reversible door. And now in more detail:

— Holiday mode. A special mode of operation in case of a long absence of users — when there is no foodstuff in the refrigerating chamber and there is no need for the unit to work intensively. In holiday mode, the temperature inside is maintained at about 12 °C; this prevents the growth of mould and unpleasant odours, while the energy consumption is very low.

— Control via smartphone. The ability of access to control the refrigerator via the Internet. The refrigerator, usually, is connected to the World Wide Web using Wi-Fi — via a router or a smart home system. The convenience of this function is obvious: it allows you to control the operation of the unit from anywhere in the world where there is an Internet connection. However, the specific implementation of such control may be different: some models of refrigerators use an application installed on a smartphone or tablet, and others allow you to work through a web page available in any browser. However, the user can thus obtain various data on the unit's operating mode (temperatur...e and humidity in the chambers, the use of special functions, malfunctions and emergencies, etc.) and, if necessary, change its settings.

— Child lock. Various features to keep your refrigerator safe from small children. Often, it means blocking the control panel — so that a curious baby cannot change the settings.

— Display. Refrigerators of any level can be equipped with displays — from the simplest to the most advanced. Anyway, the screen provides additional convenience in operation: it can display various detailed information about the operation of the unit, as well as other useful data (for example, time). But the specific type of display may be different.
— LED display. Usually, they are very simple — they display one colour (maximum two or three basic colours) and a limited set of characters (numbers, individual letters and some special icons). However, such limited functionality is enough even for fairly advanced refrigerators, and LED displays are inexpensive.
— TFT display. These are already the most functional screens — like those used in smartphones, tablets, etc. They are capable to display a huge variety of information and can even be made touch-sensitive. And some units with TFT displays are not just refrigerators at all but multifunctional smart home components. However, such an appliance costs accordingly.

— Door alarm. An alarm system that warns that the refrigerator door is open for a long time (or not closed tightly enough). After some time after opening, such a system gives a signal (usually sound), notifying the user of the need to check the status of the door. It avoids a critical increase in temperature in the refrigerator chamber and damage to the contents. In some models, this system is also complemented by a light indicator that confirms the correct closing of the door — this further reduces the risk of leaving the refrigerator loosely closed.

— Reversible door. The ability to choose from which side the hinges on the refrigerator door will be located and, accordingly, in which direction it will open. It allows you to optimize the space in the kitchen, providing access to the contents of the unit from the most convenient side. Please note that this function is only available for classic design models, including display refrigerators (see “Product type”). In Side-by-Side and French Door refrigerators it makes no sense to provide this feature.

The freezer, if present, may be positioned differently relative to the main compartment of the refrigerator. In classic units and French Door models (see "Product type"), the bottom location of the freezer is found predominantly (in some cases, such a freezer has a retractable design). The top location is noticeably less popular, although it is also used quite often. Side-by- side freezer models are almost all in the Side-by-Side category (see "Type"). And some modern refrigerators may not have a freezer at all. Here is a more detailed description of each option:

— Bottom. By installing the freezer at the bottom, you can raise the main (refrigerator) compartment to the optimum height: it will be in front of the user’s eyes, and you will not have to bend down to access the contents of this compartment. That is why this option is the most popular nowadays: most users often need access to the main volume of the refrigerator, and a freezer is required relatively rarely. Note that we are talking about classic freezers with doors; drawer freezers are placed in a separate category, described below.

— Bottom (retractable). Freezer with a bottom location, made in the form of a drawer. The general advantages of the bottom location are described above. And the retractable design provides added convenien...ce for the user, relieving him of the need to make unnecessary movements: to access the contents, it is enough to pull out the drawer without having to open the door first. On the other hand, such freezers are more demanding on the quality of thermal insulation, which affects the cost of the entire refrigerator. In addition, the pull-out chamber is one common container, without division into levels, while such chambers are rarely provided for more than two — this limits the possibility of separating different types of products into different compartments of the freezer.

— Top. The top position of the freezer makes it easy to access the contents without having to bend over. On the other hand, you will most likely have to bend over to access the main compartment. So this layout option is not as common as the bottom freezer installation and is mainly in two categories of refrigerators. The first is individual models of classic layout or French Door layout (see "product type"); many of them have a large overall height, which partly compensates for the features of the top location of the freezer. The second variety is compact units of small volume in which the freezer is installed inside the main compartment and does not have its outer door. In such cases, the top setting is considered optimal for several technical reasons.

— Side. The traditional option for Side-by-side units (see "Product type"), which is practically not found in other types of refrigerators. Note that the side freezer in such cases does not necessarily occupy the entire height of the refrigerator — it can be combined, for example, with a fresh zone or a wine chamber. In some models, freezers with this arrangement can even be equipped with separate doors. Although usually all compartments on one side of the unit are still covered by one common door.

— No freezer. By definition, single-chamber models do not have a freezer compartment (see "Number of chambers"); at the same time, in this category, there are both compact and rather large and roomy refrigerators. You can also find two-chamber units without a freezer on the market — in them the main compartment is usually complemented by a clearly defined fresh zone, but there is only one door, common to both compartments. Another type of unit with this feature is display refrigerators (see "Product type").

Retractable guides allow the drawer to roll smoothly on a special roller. The main advantage of telescopic rails is that you do not need to make much effort. On the other hand, such devices are more expensive and are used in premium segment devices.

The operating temperature of the refrigerator freezer.

The generally accepted standard for freezers is actually -18°C. It allows you to effectively store pre-frozen foods, as well as freeze them (with certain precautions). At the same time, for most modern refrigerators, lower temperatures are claimed — at -24 °C, and in some models even lower. However, such indicators are not always standard — in many units, they are achieved only in the fast freeze mode (see "Features"). This should be clarified separately. However, the temperature of the freezer below -18 °C means good freezing features.

In turn, chambers with more modest minimum temperatures — -12 °C, or even -6 °C — are only suitable for storing pre-frozen products; they are not suitable for freezing any significant amount of contents. However, there are very few refrigerators with such indicators on the market — mostly low-cost or outdated models.

To indicate the temperature of the freezer, markings in the form of asterisks (snowflakes) are often used, each of which means a decrease in temperature by 6 °C. For example, in models at -24 °C, you can find the designation * (***) — four asterisks, one of which is highlighted. This usually means that in the standard mode the freezer operates at -18 °C (three stars), and at another 6 °C (down to -24 °C) the temperature drops during fast freezing.

The autonomy time provided by the refrigerator when the power is turned off.

Often, this parameter describes the capabilities of the freezer. In such cases, the autonomy time is indicated as the time during which, at an outside temperature of +25 °C, the temperature in the filled freezer does not rise above -9 °C (this level is considered critical for the storage of frozen foods). Accordingly, the actual autonomy time may differ from the claimed one — depending on the ambient temperature, the frequency of opening the refrigerator, etc. However, this parameter describes the quality of thermal insulation quite accurately, and it is possible to evaluate different models and compare them with each other.

Also, autonomy time can be given for models without freezers: in such cases, we are talking about the time during which the temperature in the refrigerator compartment remains at an acceptable level under approximately the same conditions.

Approximate amount of fresh food that a refrigerator can completely freeze from room temperature to freezer operating temperature in 24 hours. Power up to 10 – 15 kg/day will be quite enough for everyday use, but if you plan to freeze food in large volumes and often — you should pay attention to more performant freezers.

Refrigerator energy class according to the new European standard applicable from 2021.

In general, the energy class shows how economical the unit is compared to other models with similar characteristics. In the old system (current until 2021), the most energy efficient class was designated as A+++. However, the development of technology inevitably leads to the emergence of even more economical devices, for which even more pluses would have to be added. To simplify labelling, it was decided to switch to a new notation system. In this system, all letters were "shifted down":

— the old class A approximately corresponds to the new class G;
— old class A+ — class F ;
— old class A++ — class E ;
— old class A+++ — class D.

The new labelling standard will apply to all refrigerators manufactured after March 1, 2021.

The average amount of energy consumed by a refrigerator in a year of operation. Of course, these figures are not absolutely accurate; the actual power consumption may vary depending on the specific operating conditions. However, this parameter makes it possible to evaluate the power consumption of the refrigerator and compare different models with each other. At the same time, it often turns out to be more convenient and visual than the energy consumption class (see above) because in this paragraph we are talking about a specific figure (from which you can also calculate the cost of electricity consumed). For clarity, let's take the following example: a small two-chamber refrigerator with energy class A can consume less energy per year than a large side-by-side unit of class A+++, although formally, in terms of energy consumption classes, the second model will be more economical than the first.

The climate class to which the refrigerator corresponds.

As the name implies, this parameter describes the environmental conditions for which the unit is designed. The warmer it is around — the more powerful the refrigerator should be and the better thermal insulation it should have. Specific classes are indicated by letters, here are the most popular options:

— SN (subnormal). Models for a temperate cool climate, have an operating range from +10 °C to + 32 °C. Such a unit can be useful in a poorly heated room where the temperature can drop below +16 °C — for example, on the veranda of a private house, in a garage, etc.

— N (normal). Refrigerators for temperate climates, with an operating temperature range of +16...+32 °C. Such a unit is suitable for most residential apartments and houses in mid-latitudes.

— ST (subtropical). Models for subtropical and humid tropical climates. Normally work at the range of external temperatures +18...+38 °C.

— T (tropical). Refrigerators for dry tropical climates. Designed for temperature range +18 °С to +43 °С.

There are many models on the market with an extended temperature range covering several classes. For example, a unit labelled N-ST will have a temperature range of +16...+38 °C. Such refrigerators are indispensable in complicated...climates, the conditions of which are not covered by one standard class — for example, during cold winters and hot summers.