4 ms·
Isn't this a natural outcome of efficiency improvements in refrigeration? I thought the rule of thumb was replacing them every 4 years or so, why would they ove
by gregoryl 7y ago
Isn't this a natural outcome of efficiency improvements in refrigeration? I thought the rule of thumb was replacing them every 4 years or so, why would they over-engineer components with lifespans greater than this?
- userbinator 7y agoI'd say the only real improvement has been better insulation; if anything the newer "more environmentally friendly" refrigerants are less efficient than the CFCs that they replaced, which were specifically chosen for their nearly ideal properties at everything besides ozone depletion and global warming (which was unknown at the time.) I restored a 92-year-old refrigerator, which involved reinsulating it, among other things. The compressor and rest of the hermetic system is original, as is the refrigerant. It actually consumes far less power than most people would guess --- on par with the newest high-efficiency models which I suspect would not last nearly a century.
- gregoryl 7y agoFascinating! I need to find a new fridge (new apartment, the fridge spot in the kitchen is a stupid size); will look into the refurb approach.