By the 19th century, ice men delivered ice to households in towns and cities. A large block of ice was put in the icebox, where it gradually melted until a new block was delivered. It was a messy and inefficient approach to refrigeration before electrification brought significant changes to kitchens. Show The first practical approach, vapor-compression refrigeration, was invented in 1834 and it’s still the most widely used domestic refrigeration system today. In the back of your fridge, there’s a compressor at the bottom interior. The compressor adds pressure to the circulating gas, called refrigerant, causing the gas to warm up and turn into liquid while traveling through the coils (in red). Then before entering the fridge, the refrigerant passes by the expansion device, reducing the pressure and drastically cooling down the refrigerant which then starts to evaporate. The refrigerant in the form of gas then absorbs the heat in the fridge, going through the evaporator coils (in blue), and releasing the heat from the coils in the back of the fridge. The cycle repeats itself continuously. Debuted in 1927, “The Monitor-Top” refrigerator by General Electric was the first fridge to become widely used, replacing the icebox. It consisted of a small, steel cabinet with a single door and a big compressor on top that used sulfur dioxide as refrigerant. Other refrigerants such as ammonia and ether were common until the 1930s, but they were highly flammable and toxic if they leaked out of the refrigerator. After people died in Europe because of gas leaks from fridges, Einstein patented a safer refrigerator that had no moving parts and required only a heat source and ammonia, but it was never commercially produced. Just a couple of years after the launch by General Electric, scientists invented what is commonly known as Freon, a non-flammable, low toxicity replacement for the dangerous refrigerants. Freon was mass-produced and used in millions of refrigerators as well as the first home air conditioning units starting in the late 1930s. In 1987, scientists discovered that Freon caused ozone depletion and it was banned in the US. Freon is now labeled as a “super-greenhouse effect” gas and other refrigerants have taken its place. Refrigeration experienced its biggest leap forward in efficiency with the debut of the ENERGY STAR designation. Today ENERGY STAR certified refrigerators use 70% less energy than those of the 1970s. In the last few years, new features have been added to refrigerators that turned them into luxurious but more energy consuming home appliances. A new fridge consumes about 390 kWh, but the exact same fridge with the addition of an ice maker uses approximately 471 kWh annually. The ice maker uses 81 kWh which translates into an additional $11 on your annual electricity bill. You can use a classic plastic ice tray instead to save. New fridges often include smart home features that prepare your morning coffee, let you talk with virtual assistants like Alexa, or include a touch screen that tells you about the weather. Most energy usage in a refrigerator comes from the compressor turning on and off as it cycles the coolant. When Sense identifies your refrigerator, it’s typically detecting the compressor cycling. For many fridges, Sense may also detect the defroster (a heat element) or the light inside the fridge, especially if it’s a small incandescent bulb. How to keep your refrigerator running efficientlyDon’t install your fridge next to hot appliances — Keeping your fridge away from the heat generated by your oven, stove, and dishwasher will minimize the cooling cycles your refrigerator needs to run (and reduce your utility bill). The future of refrigeratorsManufacturers are constantly looking for ways to improve the efficiency of refrigeration systems. One recent innovation uses linear compressors as the cooling system in refrigerators, making them quieter and more energy efficient. Another practical innovation is LG’s InstaView, which has a window panel on one of the doors so you can view what’s inside your fridge before opening the door. If you need to purchase a new fridge, look around in the fall, when manufacturers introduce new models and retailers offer discounts on the current year’s models. As you shop, check out the ENERGY STAR site for the most efficient models. Refrigerators can last 10 to 18 years, and those energy costs can add up over time. This blog was researched and written by Sense summer intern Selin Aker. Thank you, Selin, and best of luck back at college. Do refrigerators use a lot of electricity?Unfortunately, refrigerators eat up a lot of electricity. In most homes, they're the biggest energy users after heating, cooling, and hot water systems.
How much does a fridge cost to run per day UK?UK refrigerator running costs?. How much energy does a refrigerator use per month?Appliance Energy Use Chart. |