We all have seen or used refrigerators with the freezer component and have wondered how different the two are. Conventionally, their usage is slightly different and one may wonder if they operate on the same principles.
A refrigerator and freezer are not too far apart. Simply put, the temperature is the only distinction between a refrigerator and a freezer.
To maintain the core temperature of 0 degrees Fahrenheit, the refrigerant travels through the freezer quicker. Because a fridge only has to be set at around 32 degrees Fahrenheit, the vapor travels a little slower.
That said, let us take a look at some of the freezers types and the vapor compression process that makes the freezing process possible.
Types of Freezers
The differences between a side-by-side fridge/freezer equipment, one with the freezer on top, and one with the freezer on the bottom are minor. Because each freezer is a single unit, they all employ the identical vapor compression technology.
The only significant difference is in energy efficiency. The bottom mount consumes the least electricity. Because the compressor is at the bottom, the vapor does not have to go very far. To reach the freezer chamber in side-by-side or top-freezer models, the compressor must drive refrigerant via a tube.
The freestanding freezer, sometimes known as a “deep freeze” or “sub-zero,” is another type of freezer.
The walk-in commercial freezer also uses vapor compression. The advantage of this type of unit is that many of them have reinforced aluminum flooring that can support up to 600 pounds (approximately 270 kilograms) of weight per square foot.
Whatever type of freezer you choose, be sure the temperature is kept low and consistent. Otherwise, frost, a freezer’s deadliest enemy, will accumulate.
How Freezers Work
Refrigerants
HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons) are among the most extensively utilized refrigerants today. Other refrigerants, such as CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) and HCFCs (hydrochlorofluorocarbons), are heavily regulated and restricted from use due to their contribution to ozone depletion.
The refrigerant begins the cooling process as a low-pressure vapor. The compressor is the first freezer component it encounters. The compressor compresses the vapor particles, heating them and converting them to a high-pressure condition.
The Compressor
The compressor pumps heated, pressurized refrigerant through a tube into the next component, a condenser.
If you’ve ever touched the exterior of your freezer and felt warm, that’s the heat from the condenser coils. These coils are normally located beneath or at the bottom of the freezer, where they can be exposed to room temperature air and cooled.
The Condensor
The vapor loses heat while maintaining high pressure as it passes through the condenser coils. It is also heated to a comfortable temperature.
The Measuring Tube
The inherent pressure of the now-liquid refrigerant forces it through the next component, the measuring tube. This little structure regulates the pressure of the vapor so that it may enter the following component.
The Evaporator
As the liquid refrigerant flows from the tiny metering tube into the more oversized evaporator, its pressure abruptly lowers, forcing it to revert to a low-pressure vapor.
The evaporator also absorbs heat, resulting in a cold vapor that keeps the temperature of the machine low enough to freeze your food. The vapor is then returned to the compressor to restart the operation.
The Bottom Line
The freezer works on the idea of vapor compression. In this process, a fast-moving stream of vaporized refrigerant runs through a cycle inside the freezer. The refrigerant flows and converts from liquid to gas and back.
