Friday 18 October 2013

Inetresting Facts on the Refrigerator

Inetresting Facts on the Refrigerator


History

The refrigerator was invented by Jacob Perkins in 1834. The original liquid used as a coolant was ammonia, which killed many consumers. Freon was later used. Early refrigerators were made with a wood cabinet and a compressor. As advances were made, steel and porcelain became more common. The basic demand for a refrigerator occurred because humans needed a reliable source of cooling for their food because ice was unreliable.

Mechanics of a Refrigerator

In older fridges, a coolant known as freon or chloro-fluoro-carbon was pumped through tubing. A pump pushes the liquid through the tubing, which evaporates. This evaporation removes the heat from the refrigerator and freezer, thus causing it to become cool. In newer fridges a gas called HFC-134a is used. A compressor pressurizes this gas, and it heats up. The gas is forced through a very small opening called an expansion valve. It loses pressure and returns to a gas. As it cools in the tubing, it pulls the heat out of the refrigerator compartment. The cold gas is then pulled back up by the compressor to start the process over again.

Styles of Refrigerators

Most consumers are familiar with the basic design of a fridge. You are not limited to these designs. A variety of custom designs are available. A transparent fridge exists which is completely clear, and all the contents inside can be seen. It is a big seller in Japan. A fridge has been designed with a built-in beer dispenser. For the college student, a modular fridge is available; several small fridges are stacked on top of each other so each student has his own private fridge.

Energy Savings

Replace your old fridge. If you have an out-of-date fridge purchased in 1980 or earlier, you can save yourself $50 a year, as of January 2011, simply on energy savings. In fact, a fridge made in 1993 or earlier can cost an average of $110 each year in electricity. Buying an Energy Star labeled refrigerator can save on your utility bill. Old inefficient refrigerators and freezers in the U.S. cost the American consumer about $4.9 billion dollars of extra expenses each year.

Life Expectancy

On average, the life expectancy of a refrigerator is 14 years. Homes in the U.S. contain about 44.5 million fridges that are over 10 years old. Many of these units serve as secondary units to a household. If each home replaced its old, inefficient fridge with a new Energy Star certified unit, consumers would save $2 billion a year in utility costs and enough energy to light up 9.2 million homes for a year.


No comments:

Post a Comment