1

I can't decide between

Liebherr CN 4015 and Panasonic NR-BN34FW1

Both are good candidates for me but not sure about the brands, and my major concern is the noise. I was led to believe that inverter compressor is quieter but my findings based on forum threads and reviews are inconclusive. I'd imagine it almost never runs at full speed or at least most of the time it's on minimum (like my Panasonic AC). I have no problem with low hum even if it's constant, but I can't stand high pitched cricket noise. Could it be that Liebherr's solution is actually quieter? If I want to believe the decibel rating then it's the case.

BTW: Panasonic lists "Compressor - no" which is ridiculous on the spec sheet, I've also seen they write "induction" there, not sure if that's a real thing or just another name for inverter compressor...

Improve this question
3
  • I haven't worked with an inverted compressor it sounds like a sales pitch to me. No matter how the compressor is mounted it still has to pump low pressure to high pressure. Newer smaller energy efficient compressors tend to be smaller and run longer than the old R12 systems that only ran when needed, they did take more start up power but only ran for a few minutes then did not turn on for a long time. Today's energy efficient compressors with the newer gasses tend to run more of the time and in my opinion don't last as long, I would not go with a sales gimmick, that's what it sounds like to me
    – Ed Beal
    Oct 21, 2016 at 0:34
  • 3
    @EdBeal - It's inverter, not inverted. The advantage of an inverter refrigerator is that the compressor can run at variable speeds, so instead of cycling on and off at full cooling, it can run at a slower speed when less cooling is needed. This is usually touted as an efficiency benefit, and while I could see how running the compressor slower when maximum cooling is not needed could be quieter, I'd think that the overall noise level is more dependent on construction, so it's certainly conceivable that a well built conventional refrigerator could be quieter than an inverter refrigerator.
    – Johnny
    Oct 21, 2016 at 2:28
  • My bad I work on VFD drives all the time sometimes called inverters. They can run at reduced speeds when less cooling is needed based on thermal inputs. the only negative I could see is the Variable Frequency Drive or inverter has more electronics and they do fail more often than a relay controlled motor and are more expensive to repair because of that.
    – Ed Beal
    Oct 21, 2016 at 13:00

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
4

I have not worked on Panasonic inverter refrigerators in the US but I do repair GE and Whirlpool and Electrolux inverter controlled refrigerators, and they are quieter than the standard style of compressor due to the gradual increase in speed. However, that does add one more control board that may have an issue in the future if you are concerned with durability. I wish I had more experience with those brands... hope that helps some!

Improve this answer

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.