Double door Refrigerator

Our fridges work hard to ensure our food is kept fresh for longer. Yet, despite the vital importance of fridges in our day-to-day life, most people are unaware of how their fridge works. In this useful guide, we will explain how a refrigerator works, explaining the appliances’ key components and the processes it uses to keep our food cold.

1. What are a refrigerator’s main components?

   Thermostat

   The answer to ‘how does a fridge thermostat work’ is relatively straight forward. Every fridge will feature a thermostat that controls the temperature of the refrigerator.

   • The Thermostat has a thin tube called a Phial that contains an inert gas. The Phial is connected inside the refrigerator cabinets and monitors the internal surface or air temperature.
   • The gas in the Phial will expand or contract with temperature change. This movement operated a bellows inside the Thermostat that is connected to a switch mechanism.
   • This powers the Compressor until the desired internal temperature is achieved.

   Compressor

   To understand how a fridge works, it is important to first answer the question ‘how does a fridge compressor work?’ The compressor is the heart of a refrigerator, it compresses and pumps the refrigerant around the system, increasing pressure to give off heat externally in the condenser and reducing pressure to absorb heat inside the cabinet in the evaporator.

   • Inside the Compressor is an electric motor that drives a single chamber compressor. There is also oil inside the Compressor to cool and lubricate the mechanics as it operates.
   • The electric motor is mounted on springs, this can sometimes produce a rattle when the motor starts or stops.
   • The Compressor body will run very hot under normal operation.