HOW REFRIGERATORS WORK.docx
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HOWREFRIGERATORSWORK
HOWREFRIGERATORSWORK
Refrigeratorshaveseparatesystemsthatareresponsiblefordifferentfeatures.However,notallrefrigeratorshaveallsystems.Tolookforinformationabouttheoperationofyourrefrigerator,clickoneofthesetopics:
Automaticdefrost
Yearsago,allrefrigeratorshadtobedefrostedmanually.Youwouldturntherefrigeratoroff,openthedoor(s),andallowanyfrostbuild-uptomelt.Whenthefrosthadcompletelymeltedaway,youwouldturntherefrigeratorbackon.
Today,allbutthesmaller,apartment-sizedrefrigeratorsareself-defrosting.Self-defrostingmeanswhatitimplies--thoughfrostcontinuestoaccumulateinsidetherefrigerator,itmeltsautomatically.Theself-defrostingsystemhasthreefunctionalcomponents:
Defrosttimer
Defrostheater
Defrostthermostat.DefrosttimerThetimerislikeaclock.Itcontinuallyadvances,24hoursaday.Every6to8hours,thetimerturnsoffthecoolingsystemoftherefrigeratorandturnsonthedefrostheater.DefrostheaterThedefrostheaterissimilartotheburnersonanelectricstove.It'slocatedjustbeneaththecoolingcoils,whichareconcealedbehindapanelinthefreezercompartment.Theheatergetshot.And,becauseit'sclosetothecoolingcoils,anyiceorfrostbuild-upmelts.
Asthefrostandicemelt,theresultingwaterdripsintoatrough.Thetroughisconnectedtoatubethatdrainsthewaterintoashallowpanatthebottomoftherefrigerator.Thewateristhenevaporatedbyafanthatblowswarmairfromthecompressormotoroverthepanandoutthefrontoftherefrigerator.DefrostthermostatTheprocessendsaftereithertheamountoftimespecifiedonthetimerorwhenthedefrostthermostatnearthecoolingcoilssensesthattheheatnearthecoilshasreachedaspecifictemperature.CoolingYou'llmorequicklyunderstandrefrigeratorcoolingsystemsifyouthinkoftheiractionas"removingheatfromtheairintherefrigerator"ratherthan"coolingtheairintherefrigerator."Allresidentialrefrigeratorsworkonthesameprincipalforcooling.Theyallhave:
ACompressor
ACondenser
AMeteringDevice(CapillaryTube)
AnEvaporatorCompressorThecompressoristhemotor(orengine)ofthecoolingsystem.Inbuilt-inrefrigeratorsthecompressorislocatedontopoftherefrigeratorbehindagrillorgrate.Inallotherunitsit'snormallyatthebottomoftherefrigeratorintheback.It'salmostalwaysblackandaboutthesizeofafootball.Iftherefrigeratorisself-defrosting,thecompressormaybebehindathinpanel.
Thecompressorrunswhenevertherefrigeratorthermostatcallsforcooling(andthedefrosttimerisnotinadefrostcycle,forself-defrostingunits).Itisnormallyveryquiet.Whenrunning,itiscompressingarefrigerantthatisinalow-pressuregaseousstatetoahigh-pressuregas.CondenserThecondenserisaseriesoftubeswithfinsattachedtothem,similartoaradiator.It'salwayssomewhereontheoutsideoftherefrigerator.Itmaybe:
*Alargeblackgridmountedtothebackoftherefrigerator
*Foldedandplacedundertherefrigerator
*Coiledupandplacednearthecompressor
*Integratedinthelineroftherefrigerator
Ifthecondenserisn'tabiggridonthebackoftherefrigerator,itwillalwayshaveacoolingfannearbytodrawroomairoverthetubesandfins--todissipatetheheatfromthetubesandfins.
Thehigh-pressurerefrigerantgas,comingfromthecompressor,flowsthroughthecondenserandbecomesaliquid.Asthisoccurs,therefrigerantgivesoffheat.Theheatisconductedawayfromthetubesbythefins.MeteringDevice(CapillaryTube)Themeteringdeviceinmosthouseholdrefrigeratorsisacapillarytube,atinycoppertube.Thecapillarytubeisattachedfromtheendofthecondensertothebeginningoftheevaporator.Thecapillarytubecontrolsthepressureandflowoftherefrigerantasitenterstheevaporator.
Oncetheliquidrefrigeranthastraveledthelengthofthecondenser,itisforcedthroughthecapillarytube.EvaporatorTheevaporatorisalwayslocatedontheinsideoftherefrigerator,usuallyinsidethefreezercompartment.Italsoresemblesaradiator.
Whentheliquidrefrigerantcomesoutofthesmallcapillarytube,it¡¯sinjectedintothelargertubesoftheevaporatorcausingapressuredrop.Thispressuredropallowstherefrigeranttoexpandbackintoagaseousstate.Thischangeofstatefromliquidtogasabsorbsheat.Thegaseousrefrigeranttravelsthroughtheevaporatortubes,backoutoftherefrigeratoranddowntothecompressortobeginthecirculationprocessagain.
Becausetheevaporatorisabsorbingheat,itisverycoldtothetouch.Thecoldnesscausesanyhumidityintheairtofreezeontheevaporatorasiceorfrost.(SeetheAutomaticdefrostsection).Thefaninsidethefreezercompartmentcirculatestheairofboththerefrigeratorand/orfreezertokeepthetemperatureconstant.TemperaturecontrolAllrefrigeratorshaveathermostattomaintainthepropertemperature.Theseareusuallyverysimpledevices.Whentherefrigeratorreachesthesettemperature,thethermostatinterruptstheelectricityflowtothecompressor,whichstopscooling.LightingRefrigeratorswithinternallightingnormallyhaveonlyonefunctionalcomponent--theswitch--whichisusuallyawhitepush-buttonmountedinsidetherefrigeratornearthedoor.Whentherefrigeratordoorcloses,thedoorpushestheswitchtoturnthelightoff.Whenthedooropens,thebuttonautomaticallypopsbackouttoturnonthelight.Thelightbulbitselfisusuallyastandardappliancebulb.IcemakerTheicemakerisasmallappliancewithinafreezer.It'susuallyindependentoftheothersystemsoftherefrigerator.Icemakersystemshavetwobasicfunctionalcomponents:
theicemakeritself,andthewaterfillvalve.
Thisisthemostcommonicemakeroperationcycle:
*Theicemakersendsasignaltothewaterfillvalve(normallylocatedontheoutsidebackoftherefrigerator,nearthebottom)toopenandletwaterintotheicemakertray.Theamountofwaterisdeterminedbyacamandswitchwithintheicemakercontrolpanel.Theicemakersendsthesignaltoopenthewatervalveforacertainlengthoftime(7-10seconds)thenstopsthesignal.
*Theicemakerwaitsuntilthewaterisfrozen--whichitsenseswithasmallthermostatlocatednearthewatertray.Whenthetrayreachesapproximately10-15degreesFahrenheit,theicemakerbeginstoharvest(eject)thecubes.
*Toharvestthecubes,theicemakerfirstturnsonasmallheaterbeneaththetray.Theheaterwarmsthetrayslightly,whichallowstheicecubestomovefreely.
*Thenasweepforkrotatesandpushesthecubesupandoutofthetray.
*Whiletheicemakerisdumpingthecubesintoaholdingbin,ametalwiresimilartoacoathangerswingsuptoletthecubesdropbelowit.Whenthecubeshavedropped,thewirecomesbackdown.Iftheholdingbinisfullofice,thewirecannotcomeallthewaybackdown,whichstopsfurtherproductionofice.
*Whenthewireisallowedtocomebackdownalltheway,theicemakerrefillswithwaterandrepeatstheprocess.IceandwaterdispenserThereareseveraldifferentsystemsfordeliveringiceandwaterthroughtherefrigeratordoor.Whatfollowsisanexplanationofthecommonattributesofallofthesystems.IcedispenserForarefrigeratortoprovideicethroughthedoor,theicemakerfirstdumpstheiceitproducesintoalargebin.Torequesticeatthedoor,apersonpressesaleverthatactivatesaswitch.Theswitchturnsonamotorthatrotatestheauger.Whentheaugerrotates,itpushesiceoutofthebin,throughachutetotheuser.WaterdispenserThewaterdispenserworksmuchliketheicedispenser.Torequestwateratthedoor,apersonpressesaleveronthefrontoftherefrigeratorthatactivatesaswitch.Theswitchturnsonanelectricwatervalveatthebackoftherefrigerator.Waterflowsthroughthevalveintoatube,thenflowsintoacontainerintherefrigeratortobechilled.Asnewwaterentersthecontainer,thewaterthatisdisplacedflowsthroughaseparatetubetotheuser.DoorsealsandhingesAllrefrigerator/freezerdoorshaveaseal--arubber-likegasketattachedtothedoor.Usuallywhite,almond,black,orbrown,theseal'sjobistokeepthecoolairinsidetherefrigeratorandtheroomairout.
Thesealislinedwithamagnetthatrunsitslengthandwidth.Themagnethelpstoholdthedoorclosedandcreateatightseal.Thescrewsthatholdthesealtothedooralsoholdthedoorlinerinandhelpto"square"thedoor.
Thehingesallowthedoortoswingopen.Somehingesalsoassistthedoorinclosing.Forthedoortocloseproperly,thehingesmustbecorrectlyadjusted.InstallationProperinstallationofarefrigeratorisbotheasyandimportant.Theprimaryconcernsarethattheunithassufficientclearancefromthewallsforproperventilation,thatitisnotpinchinganyelectricalcordsorwaterlines,andthatitislevel.Manyrefrigeratorsmustbetiltedbackslightlysothatthedoorsself-close.Consultyourowner'smanualforfurtherinstallationinstructions.到这里
WHATISWRONGWITHYOURREFRIGERATOR?
Warning!
Toavoidpersonalinjuryorevendeath,alwaysdisconnectyourappliancefromitspowersource--thatis,unplugitorbreaktheconnectionatthecircuitbreakerorfusebox--beforeyoudoanytroubleshootingorrepairworkonyourappliance.Also,becausesomecomponentsmayhavesharpedges,usecautionwhileworkingonyourappliance.
Note:
Ifyourrepairproblemisn'tlisted,clickheretoemailtheRepairGuru.Hewillgiveyouthehelpyouneed.
It'sstoppedcompletelyFirst,checktoseeifthelightcomesonorifthereisanyfan,motor,orothersoundcomingfromtheappliance