Refrigerators and Freezers Repair Services

How a Refrigerator Works

A refrigerator doesn't actually cool things, it removes the heat from them. But then you probably don't want a physics lesson. But you may wonder where the "cold" comes from. So here is a little bit more physics. When a gas goes from a state of high pressure to a state of low pressure, the temperature of the gas drops.

Your refrigerator has a compressor and a closed system of tubing that contains a gas (the refrigerant). The compressor pumps the refrigerant and compresses it. The refrigerant flows through the coils on the back or under the refrigerator and through an expansion valve to the inside of the freezer. As the refrigerant passes through the expansion valve the pressure drops and so does the temperature. Inside the freezer a fan circulates air over the cool tubing and the refrigerant absorbs the heat from the freezer's relatively warmer air. If you prefer to just think of the fan blowing cold air into the appliance, that's fine, it all works out to pretty much the same results. But technically, the heat is being pumped out rather than the cold being pumped in.

The cold air in most refrigerators, but not all, comes from the freezer. The cold air in the freezer passes through vents to the refrigerator. A thermostat in the refrigerator activates the compressor whenever the temperature rises above the set point on the temperature control. In some newer models there is a separate cooling coil for the freezer and the refrigerator and thus two temperature controls.

As the air in the refrigerator cools, the water in the air (humidity) condenses. Water that condenses in the freezer will freeze into frost. Most modern refrigerators have an automatic defroster in the freezer which prevents the build up of frost. The defroster is simply a heating element that is controlled by a defrost timer and a thermostat. The water from the melted frost drains out of the refrigerator into a pan beneath the refrigerator and evaporates.

A door switch closes a circuit when the door is opened and turns on the interior light. When the door is open some refrigerators will disable some components such as the fan, defrost heater or "through the door" ice and water dispensing.

A common question we hear pertains to operating a refrigerator in the garage or other unheated space during cold weather. Bottom line, refrigerators and freezers don't cool efficeintly when operated at temperatures below, roughly, 45 degrees (F). The first reason is that the outside temperature may get low enough that the thermostat inside the refrigerator never gets warm enough to activate the compressor and so the freezer warms up to the outside temperature. Another problem is that if it gets too cold, the refrigerant pressure becomes too low to generate the necessary cold and so the freezer only chills down to the outside temperature.

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Creda Dacor Danby Electrolux
Fisher & Paykel Frigidaire Gaggenau GE Appliances
Monogram Profile Haier Appliance Hotpoint
Jenn-Air Kenmore KitchenAid LG Appliances
Magic Chef Maytag Miele Speed Queen
Sub Zero Appliances Tappan Thermador Appliances Traulsen
U-Line Viking Appliances Whirlpool Wolf
       

 

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Feders Air Conditioning, Heating, Appliances, Plumbing & Electrical Service & Repair Center

To be without a refrigerator in Agoura Hills, Alhambra, Altadena, Arcadia, Artesia, Azusa, Baldwin Park, Bell Gardens, Bell, Bellflower, Beverly Hills, Buena Park, Burbank, Calabasas, Canoga Park, Canyon Country, Carson, Cerritos, Chatsworth, Compton, Covina, Culver City, Downey, Duarte, El Monte, El Segundo, Encino, Gardena, Glendale, Glendora, Granada Hills, Harbor City, Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Huntington Park, Inglewood, La Canada Flintridge, La Crescenta, La Habra, La Palma, La Puente, La Verne, Lakewood, Lawndale, Lomita, Long Beach, Los Alamitos, Los Angeles, Lynwood, Manhattan Beach, Marina Del Rey, Maywood, Mission Hills, Monrovia, Montebello, Monterey Park, Montrose, Newhall, North Hills, North Hollywood, Northridge, Norwalk, Pacific Palisades, Pacoima, Palos Verdes Peninsula, Panorama City, Paramount, Pasadena, Pico Rivera, Playa Del Rey, Redondo Beach, Reseda, Rosemead, San Fernando, San Gabriel, San Marino, San Pedro, Santa Clarita, Santa Fe Springs, Santa Monica, Sherman Oaks, Sierra Madre, Simi Valley, South El Monte, South Gate, South Pasadena, Stevenson Ranch, Studio City, Sun Valley, Sunland, Sylmar, Tarzana, Temple City, Thousand Oaks, Topanga, Torrance, Tujunga, Universal City, Valencia, Valley Village, Van Nuys, Venice, Walnut, West Covina, West Hills, West Hollywood, Westlake Village, Whittier, Wilmington, Winnetka or Woodland Hills is to put you and your family under potential duress, as any family needs a refrigerator for the proper managing of their household produce.

Feder’s Refrigerator Repair technicians are capable and available to service your current refrigerator or recommend an alternative refrigerator if that is your need. Our refrigerator repair technicians know the most appropriate diagnostic techniques and methods to determine the best approach to the refrigerator in your home and the most cost effective parts and equipment to meet your needs.

Feder’s Refrigerator Repair technicians will work with you to increase the energy efficiency of your home refrigerator and to keep the cost of running the refrigerator at its minimum. To speak with one of our refrigerator consultants or schedule a service call with a technician, call us at 888-353-8444

Refrigerator Repair System Operation

The experts at Feder’s Air Conditioning, Heating, Appliances, Plumbing & Electrical Service & Repair Center are pleased to share the following information that explains the major components of a refrigerator and how a refrigerator works.

A vapor compression cycle is used in most household refrigerators, refrigerator–freezers and freezers. In this cycle, a circulating refrigerant such as R134a enters a compressor as low-pressure vapor at or slightly above the temperature of the refrigerator interior. The vapor is compressed and exits the compressor as high-pressure superheated vapor. The superheated vapor travels under pressure through coils or tubes comprising "the condenser", which are passively cooled by exposure to air in the room. The condenser cools the vapor, which liquefies. As the refrigerant leaves the condenser, it is still under pressure but is now only slightly above room temperature. This liquid refrigerant is forced through a metering or throttling device, also known as an expansion valve (essentially a pin-hole sized constriction in the tubing) to an area of much lower pressure. The sudden decrease in pressure results in explosive-like flash evaporation of a portion (typically about half) of the liquid. The latent heat absorbed by this flash evaporation is drawn mostly from adjacent still-liquid refrigerant, a phenomenon known as "auto-refrigeration". This cold and partially vaporized refrigerant continues through the coils or tubes of the evaporator unit. A fan blows air from the refrigerator or freezer compartment ("box air") across these coils or tubes and the refrigerant completely vaporizes, drawing further latent heat from the box air. This cooled air is returned to the refrigerator or freezer compartment, and so keeps the box air cold. Note that the cool air in the refrigerator or freezer is still warmer than the refrigerant in the evaporator. Refrigerant leaves the evaporator, now fully vaporized and slightly heated, and returns to the compressor inlet to continue the cycle.