Are you asking yourself, “How a mini-fridge works?” Thankfully, this article is for you. Your mini fridge works the same as other refrigerators in the market; however, the size is smaller and is cuter! A mini-fridge works by the concept of heat exchange of the refrigerant inside the coils of the refrigerator. Specifically, it works by following these five steps:
- Compressor stage
- The refrigerant inside the coils
- Evaporator stage
- The heat absorption stage
- Cycling it back again
I know that you are very curious about how this cute fridge at your home function. The article below will be beneficial for your knowledge. So, without further ado, let’s get started!
How Mini-Fridge Usually Work
If you are curious about “How a mini-fridge works?” Well, this section will be answering that question comprehensively. All fridges work by the exchange of heat with the refrigerant. It absorbs heat from the surroundings, thus cooling it. Before we begin, you need to be oriented all about the different parts of your mini-refrigerator. All refrigerators have these parts in common: compressor, condenser, evaporator, expansion device, and thermostat.
Compressor
The first part of the fridge consists of a pump and motor. Specifically, the compressor is responsible for distributing the refrigerant that absorbs heat in the refrigeration process. Think about this part as the heart of the body.
Condenser
You can find the condenser at the backmost part of the refrigerator. This part helps the heat to get out from the fridge as the cooling process is taken part. You can observe that the back part of your fridge is hot due to the condenser.
Evaporator, expansion device, and thermostat
The evaporator gets the heat from inside the refrigerator. That makes the interior cool for it to be stored with food. On the other hand, the expansion device helps with liquifying the refrigerant from being a gas. Lastly, the thermostat itself is the one that sets the temperature inside the fridge.
Steps How Your Mini Fridge Works
Here are the steps on how your mini-fridge works:
Step #1. Compressor stage
If the fridge’s temperature is not equal to the one set in the thermostat, it signals itself to cool down. Through this, the compressor will operate and pulls the liquid refrigerant. Finally, it will pressurize the liquid and turn it into a gaseous substance.
Step #2. The refrigerant inside the coils
As the compressor starts to operate, it will push the hot gaseous refrigerant to move in the condenser coils on the back part of the refrigerator. It will interact with the colder air in the kitchen and transfers the heat into it. Thus, the hot gaseous refrigerant will then turn back to a liquid.
Step #3. Evaporator stage
The liquid refrigerant that is now cooled will be moving to the evaporator. Next, it will move through the coils of the fridge and the freezer. In this stage, the refrigerant will likely get the heat from the refrigerator to make it cooler.
Step #4. The heat absorption stage
This step is considered the highlight of the refrigeration process. The now cooled liquid refrigerant will flow through the fridge’s coils and absorb the heat that makes it warmer. Through this process, the refrigerator will now cool down and be ready to store the food. After the heat absorption stage, the refrigerant is directly heated and turned into a gas. This refrigerant will flow through the coils to absorb any remaining heat from the fridge and finally arrive at the compressor.
If you want to make things more accessible, imagine the refrigerant being a heat magnet when it is cold. You can also demonstrate this ability when you have an ice cube. The ice cube melts outside the freezer as it absorbs all the heat around it, thus making itself melt.
Likewise, if you boil water, it absorbs the heat from the kettle. Afterwhich, it will boil itself and evaporate. This fantastic property is the essential element in the refrigeration process.
Step #5. Cycling it back again
After all the tedious heat absorption process, the refrigerant now a gas will return to the compressor. As it returns to the compressor, it will be compressed again and ready to absorb the heat inside the fridge.
All refrigerators, mini or large-sized, works the same as it employs the refrigeration process. Other appliances such as heaters, air conditioners, and freezers work by the same elements of refrigeration. Our home can now be cold, heated, and stored food without compromising through this beautiful invention.
Cooling Things Up!
Great! You know the key to the question, “How a mini-fridge works?” In simplifying things, all refrigerators with varying sizes work by the same principles of refrigeration by using refrigerants that absorb heat.
Specifically, mini-fridges work by following the five-step process of refrigeration. All these processes involve the refrigerant moving around the coils and absorbing heat inside. Knowing the essential operation of our appliances is an excellent thing to do, especially our mini-fridges at home.
If you still have time to spare, you can stop by and read how a window air conditioner work. That is all.