Parts of a Refrigerator and it’s Functions

A refrigerator is a commonly used appliance all over the world. It keeps your food and beverages fresh all day long. There are many different parts in a refrigerator and have different functions. Knowing them in detail will help you pick a good refrigerator with low maintenance and proactive safety measures.

The parts can be divided into two different sections – internal parts and external parts. We will be discussing all the parts and their functions thoroughly in this article.

Compressor

A compressor is the main part of a refrigerator. It is the heart of the refrigerator and does the job of cooling. The compressor consumes most of the electricity. It’s located at the back of the refrigerator and is run by an electric motor. Without this part, your refrigerator is nothing but a wardrobe.

Refrigerant

Refrigerant is a cooling liquid that spreads inside the refrigerator and carries out the cooling part. The compressor runs this refrigerant with the help of an electric motor. The refrigerant keeps on recirculating through all the internal parts of the refrigerator on the loop.

Condenser

The condenser is a copper tubing located at the back of the fridge. The heat produced in the refrigerant needs to be absorbed by something. That is what the condenser does. There are fans placed above the condenser unit to draw air over the condenser coils.

Evaporator

The evaporator is a heat exchanger made of aluminum or copper tubing. The only purpose of the evaporator is to absorb the unwanted heat from the food. The refrigerants absorb the heat from the food to be cooled in the evaporator. Then it is sucked by the compressor, and the cycle keeps on repeating.

Thermostat

To control the temperature inside the refrigerator, there is a thermostat, which is connected to the evaporator directly. There is a round knob inside the refrigerator, using which you can control the thermostat setting.

When the desired temperature is reached, it stops the electricity supply automatically to the compressor. When the temperature falls to a certain level, then it restarts, sending power supply to the compressor.

Defrost System

Defrosting the refrigerator helps to remove all the excess ice that gets build up in the freezer. It can be done both manually by the thermostat button or automatically by the system comprising of the electric heating and timer.

Diffuser

The diffuser in a refrigerator helps to regulate the flow of cold air from the freezer compartment into the refrigerator compartment. It has a temperature sensor, which you can control with the refrigerator thermostat.

When the diffuser senses that the air in the refrigerator has gotten too warm, it opens the vents between the two compartments.

Freezer

The food items that are to be kept at the freezing temperature are stored in the freezer. The temperature of a freezer compartment is below zero degrees. It is ideal if you want to make ice cream, frozen foods, or beverages.

This is the place where you will find ice for your lemonade.

Door Gasket

The door gasket is a flexible seal that attaches to the outer edge of the refrigerator door. It forms an airtight seal around the door when closed. The door gasket prevents warm, moist air from leaking into the refrigerator compartment.

Light Switch

The light switch turns the refrigerator lights on and off. As soon as the refrigerator door opens, it supplies power to the light, and it turns on, and when the door is closed, the power supply gets interrupted, and it turns off. This way, it saves electricity too.

Shelves

Shelves of a refrigerator are mostly made of toughened glass. The shelf is the place where you keep your stuff. They are very sturdy and can hold a lot of weight.

Refrigerator Door

The refrigerator door has several smaller subsections to keep bottles, eggs, butter, and other stuff. It maximizes the space in the fridge. The door covers the front of the refrigerator cabinet.

Drain Pan

The drain pan collects the water from the defrost cycle. It is located next to the compressor, in the machine compartment. The defrosting process melts frozen ice, and the water that drips during the process is collected in a tray and then is routed to the drain pan. The drain pan collects all the condensate.

Water Dispenser

High-end side by side refrigerators, double/triple door refrigerator comes with this water dispenser. It lets you drink water without even opening the refrigerator door. Although it takes up the internal space by a little margin, it’s good to have this feature.

We have undertaken a detailed and complete discussion of the various internal and external parts of a refrigerator. This guide will help you make an informed decision while buying a new refrigerator.