In an ordinary refrigerator / top freezer, where is it the coldest; top shelf or bottom?
Since warm air rises, it would seem that the bottom would be coldest, but I have heard that the top shelf is colder, but I don't know why that would be.
Does anyone know for sure, and why?
Thanks, Bob-tx
When compressor is running, top is usually coldest. Bottom warmest. Just the opposite during times compressor is not running and warm air rises to the top.
Simple enough to check- buy a pair of accurate thermometers, and put one on the top shelf and one on the bottom. Get a notepad, and every time you wander by, log the temps, and if you can hear it running.
I know why, The top is closer to the cooling coils. Isn't that why for decades freezers were on the top? Then the cold air sinks so it all sort of even outs. I presume there are extra costs in putting the freezer on the bottom, like maybe a big set of coils for the freezer and a second smaller set for the top of the fridge. ??
The fact that so many people will buy the more expensive one, not just rich people, is another sign that our standard of living is creeping up, even as many, including some of the same people, complain about the cost of gas, the cost of food, etc. OTOH, it might be a one-time cost. I don't know if freezer-at-the-bottom use more electricity or not.
OT3H, I don't know how long new fridges last. Mine is 32 years old and I've abused it, by letting it run with the vents in front of the fridge obstructed, and by letting it run when the little fan in the bottom wasn't spinning, for a couple months. I don't really know how much abuse this represents. I've treated the inside as gently as a baby.
The meat tray is coldest, every time it defrosts it warms for 45 minutes. I measured both compartments with logger. The freezer changes the most. If the vents are blowing at the food directly, they will be the coldest.
Greg
They've invented this thing called a thermometer. It can actually answer the question for YOUR particlar case without ambiguity.
Where is this meat tray?
mm wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:
Read it on the front of the tray.
Okay. When should I come over?
perhaps a thermometer could tell a story.
Everybody should have a thermometer in their refrigerator, and check occasionally that the fridge is maintaining a safe temperature.
Given that, just move the thermometer around to find the Coldspot.
Cindy Hamilton
There isn't supposed to be a cold spot, the whole idea is for the temp to be uniform throughout the closed off sections. I've seen fridges with drawers that had separate little adjustable vents to vary the temp a little in that drawer. You can make a cold spot by playing with the airflow in a refrigerator. Find out where the air outlet from the freezer compartment is and place pieces of cardboard of different sizes on that shelf to manipulate the flow of cold air. Besides, I work on refrigeration units and I have all sorts of infrared and thermocouple thermometers I use to try make sure I get uniform temps. ^_^
If you're interested in finding a cold spot:
We do. It's on the door in pretty blue LEDs, both the fridge and freezer temp.
The fridge is too heavy to move around. ;-)
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.