This guide will take you through the detailed journey of how freon works in refrigerator, explaining each component and its role in simple terms.
Table of Contents
Understanding the Basics of Refrigeration
Refrigeration is a process that removes heat from an enclosed space and expels it to the environment, thus lowering the temperature inside that space. This process is crucial in preserving food by slowing down the growth of bacteria.
The main actor in this process is a refrigerant, commonly freon in many refrigerators, especially older models. Freon, when used in refrigeration, undergoes a cycle of phase changes (from liquid to gas and back), which allows it to absorb and release heat. The ability to carry and release heat efficiently makes freon an excellent refrigerant.
How Freon Works in Refrigerator
Freon operates in a closed loop within the refrigerator, constantly transitioning between liquid and gaseous states. It starts in the compressor as a low-pressure, low-temperature gas.
Compression increases its temperature and pressure, turning it into a high-pressure, high-temperature gas. This hot gas then flows to the condenser coils, where it releases its heat to the surrounding air and condenses into a liquid.
However, it remains under high pressure until it passes through the expansion device, where its pressure and temperature drop. This low-pressure, cold liquid freon then enters the evaporator coils, where it absorbs heat from the refrigerator’s interior and evaporates back into a gas.
This cycle repeats, continually removing heat from the refrigerator.
Components of a Refrigerator’s Cooling System
The key components that make up the cooling system are the compressor, condenser coils, evaporator coils, and the expansion valve or device. These components work together in a closed loop to remove heat from the inside of your refrigerator.
The Compressor: Initiating the Refrigeration Cycle
The compressor, often located at the bottom rear of the refrigerator, is the first component in the refrigeration cycle. It draws in the low-pressure, low-temperature freon gas from the evaporator coils and compresses it.
This compression raises the freon’s pressure and temperature, preparing it to release heat. The compressor is driven by an electric motor and is crucial in maintaining the continuous flow of freon throughout the system.
Condenser Coils: Releasing Heat
The condenser coils, typically found at the back of the refrigerator, play a vital role in expelling heat. As the high-pressure, high-temperature freon gas from the compressor flows through these coils, it loses heat to the air outside the refrigerator.
This process turns the freon from a hot gas into a warm liquid while still maintaining high pressure. The heat released can often make the back of the refrigerator feel warm to the touch.
Expansion Device: Reducing Pressure
The expansion device, which can be a valve or a capillary tube, is critical in lowering the pressure of the liquid freon. As the high-pressure liquid passes through this device, it experiences a sudden drop in pressure.
This also causes its temperature to fall dramatically. The temperature drop is essential for the next stage of the cooling cycle, where the freon absorbs heat from the refrigerator’s interior.
Evaporator Coils: Absorbing Heat
The evaporator coils are located inside the refrigerator’s main compartment or freezer. Here, the now cold, low-pressure liquid freon absorbs heat from the interior of the refrigerator.
This absorption of heat causes the liquid freon to evaporate, turning back into a low-pressure gas. It is this evaporation process, occurring in the evaporator coils, that actually cools the inside of the refrigerator.
The absorbed heat is what turns the freon back into a gas, which then flows back to the compressor, continuing the cycle.
Returning to the Compressor
After absorbing heat in the evaporator coils, the freon, now a warm, low-pressure gas, returns to the compressor. This completes the cycle, and the process starts over again.
The continuous cycling of freon through these stages—compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation—keeps the refrigerator’s interior consistently cold. This cycle is the fundamental principle behind refrigeration and is essential for the preservation of food and other perishables.