How much heat the refrigerator produces?

[rnln]

Has anyone paid attention on how much heat the refrigerator produces? I haven't until tonight. Walking by my new Samsung refrigerator I felt so warm at my foot, right at the edge on the side of the fridge where air blows out from underneath. I got curious and stuck my foot behind it, it is even warmer, I would say hot. Got my laser thermometer out and shot around the floor
- 70-71 degrees on the floor around my house.
- 73-75 degrees on the floor right at the edge of the fridge. It is warmer toward the back.
- There is a vent on the back of the fridge, the wall right at that vent is 90 degrees.
- Pulling the fridge away form the wall, I pointed the laser right at the metal vent, it's 96 degrees, if I remember right.
- Pointing through the vent, to the inside, right at some internal parts: the compressor (black round metal part the size of the basket ball), and some copper piping in there, it's 107 degrees.

I wonder if that is normal? Anyone ever get curious and measure the temperatures on your refrigerator?

Thanks.

[rwest]

To make something cold, you need to remove the heat. Totally normal to have such warmth coming off of your fridge.

The fridge is sitting in your 70 degree house, but is less than 40 degrees inside, so ninety degrees blowing off the coil would not be surprising.

[Steve Carlton]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_pump_and_refrigeration_cycle

[GH85Carrera]

All cooling units work that way. Feel the temperature of the coils on a central AC unit. Lots of HOT air blowing. That is why it is outside.

Same thing for your car AC.

[island911]

Originally Posted by rwest

To make something cold, you need to remove the heat. ...

Spot on, and the work of removing heat creates even more heat. (entropy work)

[Steve Carlton]

Entropy. The ultimate end of the universe- heat death.

[island911]

Yeah, but the universe is more complicated than that.

We have black holes consolidating everything where clearly nothing escapes. ...until someone notices that gamma pumps out of those things.

[GH85Carrera]

Actually the fridge just moves the heat around from the inside to the outside of the unit. The energy consumption of the electric motor is converting the electricity into heat, but most of the heat is just from the inside of your fridge and freezer.

[Steve Carlton]

The spy cam, microphone, and WiFi uses a little juice, too. But not much heat is generated.

[john70t]

Attach a brake line to a blow nozzle air compressor fitting.
(you now have an extra 4 more feet.)

Run it slowly through underneath the fridge, gently, where all that dust and crap collects.
(use a vacuum on the opposite side)

There. Future entropy abated.

[Bill Verburg]

Originally Posted by rnln

Has anyone paid attention on how much heat the refrigerator produces? I haven't until tonight. Walking by my new Samsung refrigerator I felt so warm at my foot, right at the edge on the side of the fridge where air blows out from underneath. I got curious and stuck my foot behind it, it is even warmer, I would say hot. Got my laser thermometer out and shot around the floor
- 70-71 degrees on the floor around my house.
- 73-75 degrees on the floor right at the edge of the fridge. It is warmer toward the back.
- There is a vent on the back of the fridge, the wall right at that vent is 90 degrees.
- Pulling the fridge away form the wall, I pointed the laser right at the metal vent, it's 96 degrees, if I remember right.
- Pointing through the vent, to the inside, right at some internal parts: the compressor (black round metal part the size of the basket ball), and some copper piping in there, it's 107 degrees.

I wonder if that is normal? Anyone ever get curious and measure the temperatures on your refrigerator?

Thanks.

Look at the units EER spec, 'The Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) of a piece of heating or cooling equipment is the ratio of the heat output (measured in BTU) to the power input (measured in watt-hour) whilst the system is in operation. The higher the ratio the more efficient it is.'

[aigel]

Your large kitchen fridge probably uses an average of >80Wh (700kWh/year) and definitely turns most of it into heat. So, you imagine having an >80W heat source in that confined space. Imagine a 100W light bulb. Would it also raise the temperature by 30F? I bet it would.

That said, You want to be smart to leave plenty of space for proper heat exchange behind and above your fridge and make sure none of it is being blocked by dust or things that may have fallen behind or slipped under the fridge.

G

[Steve Carlton]

I heat up my Pop Tarts under the fridge.

[billybek]

Heat from the interior of the fridge + motor winding cooling + Heat of Compression + Inefficiencies of the system. Typically about the heat rejected is about 1.25 times the heat removed from the refrigerator. +/-
Your temperatures are not unusual.

[Norm K]

Never actually measured the temperature, but if you want an ideal spot to dry your wet shoes it's tough to beat the base of the fridge.

_

[RKDinOKC]

Put in a vent that takes the heat outside of your house. When your AC runs vent the fridge heat outside. In the winter, close the vent to add to your heating. Or you could just run a return to your HVAC from back of the fridge.

[rnln]

Originally Posted by RKDinOKC

Put in a vent that takes the heat outside of your house. When your AC runs vent the fridge heat outside. In the winter, close the vent to add to your heating. Or you could just run a return to your HVAC from back of the fridge.

This is what I was thinking. Maybe "when I have time"

[mattdavis11]

I was a scrawny kid so I figured that one out really early in life. My dad was a bigger fella and set the thermostat down pretty low, so often times I was found camped out on the kitchen floor in front of the fridge. Another favorite spot was sitting on the outside air conditioner.

If my feet are cold, I'm cold, now I use a hair dryer to keep my feet warm, like right now.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by Steve Carlton

The spy cam, microphone, and WiFi uses a little juice, too. But not much heat is generated.

depending on what gets recorded...

[GH85Carrera]

One of our friends have two dogs. Actually lots of our friends have dogs, but the two dogs in particular both discovered the warm spot in front of the fridge. They would just plop down there all winter. The older dog found it first, but the younger dog figured it was the best spot. Often the younger dog would get there first. The older dog figured out all she had to do was go to the window and bark, and the younger one came running to bark and chase off the lions and tigers and bears, oh my, or the errant leaf blowing in the wind.

The old dog would peel off, and go lay down in the good spot, and the younger one fell for it every time.