How Much Does A Refrigerator Weigh?

How much does a refrigerator weigh? Short answer is a lot!

What You Will Learn in This Guide:

• The average weight of a fridge, by type
• How to move a heavy refrigerator
• How to pick a refrigerator based on size

And much more!

Moving your refrigerator from one point to another, no matter how short the distance, is no easy task, not even for small refrigerators.

Choosing a method of transportation is highly reliant on the weight of your refrigerator.

How Much Does A Refrigerator Weigh?

For moving and replacement purposes, you need to know the average refrigerator weight. The weight of a fridge can be affected by its age, features, and compressor.

Newer models with extra features can weigh more than their predecessors. Size is also a significant determinant of weight. Let’s take a look at the main types of refrigerators.

Side-By-Side Refrigerator

This model is characterized by a fridge on one half and a freezer on the other. In most side-by-side refrigerators, the freezer and ice dispenser are on the left while the refrigeration section is on the right-hand side.

The average weight for this type of fridge is 300 pounds, with some of them weighing as much as 400 pounds.

Side by side refrigerator examples include the GE’s 25.3 cu. ft. which weighs 320 pounds and the Whirlpool’s 25 cu. ft. which weighs 293 pounds.

Bottom Freezer Refrigerators

These refrigerators offer enough space to store larger items. They’re designed to make proper use of the underutilized space at the bottom.

The weight for most bottom freezer refrigerators is between 200 and 500 pounds. For example, the KitchenAid 18.7 cu. Ft. Bottom Freezer Refrigerator weighs 293 pounds while LG’s LDCS24223S 24 cu. ft. Bottom Freezer Refrigerator weighs 234 pounds.

Top Freezer Refrigerator

Compared to the other refrigerators on this list, top freezer refrigerators are relatively small, light, and more suitable for homes with three dwellers or less.

On average, this type of fridge weighs between 200 and 300 pounds. Top freezer refrigerators include the Magic Chef’s 10.1 cu. ft. and GE’s 15.5 cu. ft. that weigh 118 pounds and 175 pounds respectively. 

Counter-Depth Refrigerator

This refrigerator offers you a built-in look, minus the installation costs and hassle of a built-in model. It is built a bit shallower than the conventional free-standing fridge, giving you an impressively-integrated look.

The weight of this type of fridge ranges from 200 to 350 pounds. Common brands include LG, WHirlpool and Hisense, with the lightest one being Whirlpool’s 20 cu. ft. 36-inch weighing 278 pounds.

French Door Refrigerator

This fridge is the most popular model out there. It is marked by double-doors enclosing the refrigeration section and one or two drawers at the bottom, where the freezer is.

French door fridges weigh around 350 pounds, on average. A popular one is Samsung’s 28 cu. ft. 4-Door French Door Refrigerator that weighs 374 pounds. Other brands like LG and Whirlpool are also available.

Freezerless Refrigerator

If you need tons of space to store frozen foods and perishables, this is the type of fridge for you.

A freezerless fridge is an all-refrigerator (has no freezer) that provides you with all the refrigeration space you could ever ask for. It weighs 200 to 300 pounds. A good example is Frigidaire’s 18.6 cu. ft.

Freezerless Refrigerator weighing 230 pounds and the Kenmore’s 16.7 cu. ft. Freezerless Refrigerator weighing 191 pounds.

Mini Fridge

Most mini refrigerators weigh between 40 and 100 pounds.

They’re ideal for small spaces and households with one or two people. If you’re on a strict budget and would like to get a lightweight refrigerator, you should consider getting a mini fridge.

An example of a good mini fridge is KitchenAid’s 4.9 cu. Ft. Mini Fridge which weighs about 121.5 pounds. If you’d like a lighter one, then a good choice is Insignia’s 3.0 cu. Ft. Mini Fridge weighing 54 pounds

How to Move a Heavy Fridge (6 Steps)

Refrigerators are not only heavy but also unwieldy and bulky. They’re not designed for lifting or movement. Therefore, they can be a pain in the neck when it comes to moving them. Nonetheless, there are ways to move your fridge without too much hassle.

Step 1 – Remove the contents

Move your food and drinks to a cooler. This step allows you to make your refrigerator lighter and easier to move, regardless of the moving technique you decide to use.

Step 2 – Disconnect the fridge

Switch off your fridge‘s power source to allow for defrosting. Be sure to remove all the ice cubes before they melt and create a mess. If your fridge has a water dispenser, disconnect the water source. Once the defrosting process is done, collect the water produced in containers, then dispose of the water in your kitchen sink.

Step 3 – Secure doors, tubes, and wires

Shut the doors and secure them with moving tape. Carefully wind the power cord and tape it together to prevent it from dragging on the floor as you move the refrigerator.

Step 4 – Plan ahead

The father of time management – BENJAMIN FRANKLIN – once asserted that failing to plan is planning to fail. Therefore, you need a moving plan. Measure the dimensions of your fridge, the doorways, and the hallways in your house.

You can temporarily remove the doors on the fridge and in your home if necessary. Figure out your navigation path. Remove any furniture in your path before you start moving your refrigerator.

Step 5 – Get an appliance dolly

If you want to move your fridge and clean behind it, you can tilt it slightly backwards to lift the front legs off the floor. Push one corner and pull on the opposite corner.

This movement will swivel your refrigerator in the direction of the pulled corner. Since this isn’t the best way to move a fridge over large distances, you might want to get an appliance dolly.

Appliance dollies come with wrap-around straps and u-shaped handles that will make your work easier. They’re also labeled with weight limits; hence, you should know the weight of your fridge before renting or buying these heavy-duty haulers.

Step 6 – Move the refrigerator

Slide out your fridge from its current position and place the dolly on its sides. Wrap the straps around the refrigerator to secure it into position.

Tilt the dolly back at a 60-degree angle, or thereabouts, and walk backward. Don’t walk forward because you will not see what is in front of you.

Never put an appliance dolly on the back or sides of a fridge. At the back, you could risk damaging the cooling tubes and compressors. At the front, you have handles, doors, and ice/water dispensers that you don’t want to break.

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Ask for Assistance

You might have to get a friend to help you out or do the heavy lifting for you. An assistant can help you avoid banging into walls and damaging your fridge or house.

Selecting the Right Refrigerator to Minimize Cost and Weight

Picking the right refrigerator size can help reduce food storage and lower your grocery bills.

Before buying a fridge, you need to measure moving paths, the width of doors, and the refrigerator niche in your kitchen. This step will enable you to purchase an appropriately-sized fridge.

Don’t buy a fridge that is bigger than you need simply because the space is big. There are better ways of filling or camouflaging your kitchen’s refrigerator cutout.

For example, you can add wine storage, a simple panel, or more cabinets. But, be sure to leave at least two inches between the wall or cabinets and the hinge side of your fridge.

In Conclusion

Fridges come in different styles and sizes. Some weigh less than 200 pounds while others are as heavy as 400 pounds. The mini fridges are the lightest due to their compact design, and the bottom freezer refrigerators are on the heaviest end of the spectrum.

If you need to move your refrigerator around your house or to a different home, you might want to follow the guide in this article.

Also, it is advisable to buy a fridge that is only as big as your food storage needs. A refrigerator that is bigger than you need it to be might pose massive mobility issues.

When moving your fridge, remember to measure your doorways, use a dolly to make work easier, and get help if you can. Still have questions or need help? Contact us!

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