Refrigerators
are the most used appliances in our kitchens; sometimes being opened
and closed dozens of times a day. Whether we reach our hand in for a
can of our favorite soda or last night’s leftovers, we always find
it cold and refreshing. The science of refrigeration truly is a
modern luxury, one that didn’t exist a couple of centuries ago. Most
of us don’t think twice about it, but the refrigerator is something
that is taken for granted in our every day lives. For those of you
who are interested in the process of refrigeration or perhaps would
like to learn a little more about an appliance that makes your life
better, 24/7 Refrigerator Repair has put together a simple
explanation of how your refrigerator operates.

1. The
   temperature of a gas lowers when the gas expands.
2. When
   two surfaces of a different temperature make contact, the cooler
   surface becomes warmer and the warmer surface cools down. This is
   the second law of thermodynamics, according to academic textbook
   publisher Pearson.
3. If
   you have ever looked behind your refrigerator, you may have noticed
   a long pipe that winds back and forth. This pipe is hooked up to a
   motorized pump and contains a chemical coolant in it.

1. The
   refrigerant starts in a gaseous state and is passed through the
   compressor, which raises its temperature.
2. As
   the gas continues to move through the pipes, it loses its heat
   through fins in the back of the refrigerator, causing it to cool
   down.
3. The
   refrigerant, still in gas form, then moves to the condenser
   (different than the compressor)
   where its temperature is reduced and it is converted into its liquid
   form.
4. The
   liquid refrigerant flows through a part of the refrigerator known as
   the expansion valve, where it is exposed to lower pressure.
5. The
   lower pressure causes some of the refrigerant to evaporate and
   expand, thus lowering the temperature of the refrigerant.
6. Due
   to the second law of thermodynamics, the cold refrigerant cools the
   inside of the refrigerator and absorbs the heat of the food inside
   as it passes through. This causes the liquid to transform back into
   a gas.
7. This
   gas is sucked back into the compressor, and the cycle repeats
   itself.