Forums

Search with Wattson
Forums
Renewable Heating
Air Source Heat Pum...
Do Fridges and Free...
 
Notifications
Clear all

Joining the Renewable Heating Hub forums is completely free and only takes a minute. By registering you’ll be able to ask questions, join discussions, follow topics you’re interested in, bookmark useful threads and receive notifications when someone replies. Non-registered members also do not have access to our AI features. When choosing your username, please note that it cannot be changed later, so we recommend avoiding brand or product names. Before registering, please take a moment to read the Forum Rules & Terms of Use so we can keep the community helpful, respectful and informative for everyone. Thanks for joining!

Do Fridges and Freezers have COP ratings?

 
Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs)
Last Post by Toodles 2 months ago
7 Posts
5 Users
2 Reactions
270 Views
RSS
Toodles
 Toodles
(@toodles)
Famed Member Contributor
Joined: 4 years ago
Posts: 2711
Topic starter 03/03/2026 11:58 am   [#2860]

Err that’s it really, if they do have a COP, how is it specified? Just curious really! Toodles.


Toodles, heats his home with cold draughts and cooks food with magnets.


   
Quote
Majordennisbloodnok
 Majordennisbloodnok
(@majordennisbloodnok)
Famed Member Moderator
Joined: 4 years ago
Posts: 1759
03/03/2026 12:06 pm  

Pure opinion and not backed by any actual data, but I don't believe they do.

They do, of course, have an energy efficiency rating and that is simply based on their power consumption. My guess is that that's power consumed to maintain a standard internal temperature (so as to make direct comparisons valid), so I'm sure you could calculate a CoP or SCoP, but I'm pretty sure neither of those latter two are explicitly mentioned in any appliances documentation.


105 m2 bungalow in South East England
Mitsubishi Ecodan 8.5 kW air source heat pump
18 x 360W solar panels
1 x 6 kW GroWatt battery and SPH5000 inverter
1 x Myenergi Zappi
1 x VW ID3
Raised beds for home-grown veg and chickens for eggs

"Semper in excretia; sumus solum profundum variat"


   
ReplyQuote
JamesPa
 JamesPa
(@jamespa)
Illustrious Member Moderator
Joined: 3 years ago
Posts: 4714
03/03/2026 12:22 pm  

If I recall correctly the efficiency measure for cooling is different to that for heating, because the energy used by the compressor doesn't add to the useful energy moved.


4kW peak of solar PV since 2011; EV and a 1930s house which has been partially renovated to improve its efficiency. 7kW Vaillant heat pump.


   
ReplyQuote



Toodles
 Toodles
(@toodles)
Famed Member Contributor
Joined: 4 years ago
Posts: 2711
Topic starter 03/03/2026 12:23 pm  

@majordennisbloodnok Perhaps such documentation is given a cold shoulder or is too hot to handle? (Sorry) 😉 Toodles.


Toodles, heats his home with cold draughts and cooks food with magnets.


   
🤦‍♀️
1
ReplyQuote
 upnorthandpersonal
(@upnorthandpersonal)
Eminent Member Member
Joined: 2 months ago
Posts: 25
03/03/2026 1:22 pm  

Technically they do, and you could calculate it (and is used for the energy efficiency rating), but it's not something that is generally reported directly for fridges. Air conditioning (cooling heat pump) does have a COP, but are typically expressed with SEER (USA) and ESEER (Europe). UK also uses SEER, but similar to ESEER (with different ratios). 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_seasonal_energy_efficiency_ratio  


This post was modified 2 months ago by upnorthandpersonal

My blog where I write about all the systems in place and decisions made for my off-grid house at 63 degrees north in Finland.


   
ReplyQuote
Mars
 Mars
(@editor)
Illustrious Member Admin
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 4512
03/03/2026 2:38 pm  

I looked into this a few years ago, and yes, fridges and freezers have a COP because it’s the same thermodynamic principle as a heat pump, but they don't use the metric. I guess it might be too confusing for consumers. So in the UK and EU the SCOP is essentially replaced with the Energy Efficiency Index (EEI). 

From what I remember, fridges (maintaining around 4-5C) generally achieve a SCOP in the region of 2-2.5. More expensive units and 'better' brands can approach or exceed 3 largely due to better compressors, better insulation and variable-speed drives.

Freezers (running around -18C) naturally operate at lower COPs because the temperature lift is much greater. You’ll typically see figures between 1-2.

So the COP is very much there... it just sits behind the scenes. 

On a semi-related note, I've checked the refrigerant in our fridges. Our kitchen fridges use R600 (GWP of just 3) and our drinks fridge (which is well over 10 years old) uses 134A (with an awful GWP).


Get a copy of The Ultimate Guide to Heat Pumps

Subscribe and follow our YouTube channel!


   
ReplyQuote



Toodles
 Toodles
(@toodles)
Famed Member Contributor
Joined: 4 years ago
Posts: 2711
Topic starter 03/03/2026 2:46 pm  

@editor Thank you all for your replies and submitted information - I feel my curiosity has been satiated! I wonder if the awful GWP for the refrigerant in that drinks fridge is there to encourage you to drown your sorrows?😳 Toodles.


Toodles, heats his home with cold draughts and cooks food with magnets.


   
👍
1
ReplyQuote
Forum Jump:
  Previous Topic
Next Topic  



Share:

Join Us!

Worth Watching

Latest Posts

Click to access the login or register cheese
x Powerful Protection for WordPress, from Shield Security PRO
This Site Is Protected By
Shield Security PRO →