The evaporator and condensor fans both turn off if running when either the freezer or fresh food door is opened. Turns back on a few seconds after closing. What's the benefit of that behavior?
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The evaporator and condensor fans both turn off if running when either the freezer or fresh food door is opened. Turns back on a few seconds after closing. What's the benefit of that behavior?
My old early 2000's GE SxS refrigerator turned off the evaporator fan when either door was opened. Not sure about the condenser fan. I think the evap fan is turned off so it doesn't blow cold air out of the ref with the door opened. That's my guess. Turning off the condenser fan...unsure about the logic involved there.
Evaporator and condenser fan, shutting off when you open the
That's to reduce the power draw because the interior light has to come on when the door is open.
No, seriously, I think the theory is like Dan was describing by not continuing to pump cold air out when the door is open and pull room temperature air in as fast over the evaporator it probably saves a tiny bit of energy.
Many early frost free refrigerators did just that it's something that engineers have fooled around with one way or the other, the only bad thing about the older refrigerators that did this is the fan switch often went bad then the thing stopped cooling so it was one more thing to fail so I was sort of glad when they stopped doing it, but now with the computer Controlling everything it really doesn't make it more complicated. The computer knows the door is open so it can turn the light on turn anything else on or off as it likes.
John L
That's to reduce the power draw because the interior light has to come on when the door is open.
No, seriously, I think the theory is like Dan was describing by not continuing to pump cold air out when the door is open and pull room temperature air in as fast over the evaporator it probably saves a tiny bit of energy.
Many early frost free refrigerators did just that it's something that engineers have fooled around with one way or the other, the only bad thing about the older refrigerators that did this is the fan switch often went bad then the thing stopped cooling so it was one more thing to fail so I was sort of glad when they stopped doing it, but now with the computer Controlling everything it really doesn't make it more complicated. The computer knows the door is open so it can turn the light on turn anything else on or off as it likes.
John L
The condensor fan presumably doesn't turn off. It's reasonably quiet and the airflow is low during operation. I initially thought the compressor also turns off and back on, and wondered why it didn't trigger a high-pressure shut-off ... but it's also reasonably quiet. The evaporator fan noise is much more prominent. I don't notice the compressor unless I listen closely at the lower grill or at the back on the more exposed right side ... other than the compressor is usually considerably noisier for a few minutes at the beginning of an on-cycle. Takes 68 grams (2.4 oz) of R600a (isobutane).
Seems to me that room air is drawn in with an open door whether the evaporator fan is running or not. Cold air falls down out of the compartment, room air replaces it via convection while the door is open. Turning the fan back on after it's briefly off circulates that replacement air through the evaporator either way. But I'm not an engineer and don't have a testing lab to determine if there's any energy savings in turning the fan off.
Shutting off the evaporator fan when the door is open
Good observations, Glenn, they certainly wouldn't turn off the compressor and probably not the condenser fan motor, but turning off the evaporator fan motor would allow the compressor to keep running and get the evaporator extra cold so that the temperature recovers more quickly after the door has been open, of course the cold air falls out of the open door, whether the fan is on or not.
I suspect it's a very slight energy
Savings But it is something that's been done on frost free refrigerators since the late 50s so they probably does do something and now that everything's computer controlled. It's so easy to do it so it probably makes sense.
John. L
Good observations, Glenn, they certainly wouldn't turn off the compressor and probably not the condenser fan motor, but turning off the evaporator fan motor would allow the compressor to keep running and get the evaporator extra cold so that the temperature recovers more quickly after the door has been open, of course the cold air falls out of the open door, whether the fan is on or not.
I suspect it's a very slight energy
Savings But it is something that's been done on frost free refrigerators since the late 50s so they probably does do something and now that everything's computer controlled. It's so easy to do it so it probably makes sense.
John. L
Seems questionable how effectively extra-chilled the evaporator can get in my typical brief accesses. I never leave the door open for the duration. The fan resumes running within 5 seconds of closing the door.
My 1997 KitchenAid topfreezer doesn't turn the fan off, nor did the GE Arctica which was fully computer-controlled.
A friend's Sub Zero starts sounding a chime if the door is left open too long.
The Arctica had an open-door alarm function that could be enabled or disabled per user preference.
My kenmore elite Also has a door ajar alarm
I believe purchased in 2006
I believe purchased in 2006
Our Frigidaire upright freezer and LG fridge both have open door alarms
It doesn't make a very big difference, but if you check the door status electronically anyway, there's no real reason not to get that bit of efficiency.
The less turbulent airflow present the less mixing occurs. Some air exchange always happens, that's un avoidable. But you don't have to force it.
Many don't do that - my Samsung dosen't, neither does my partners.
Others do - like my mums Liebherr or yours.
I think the same goes with convection ovens.
My Miele does turn off the fan motor, so does my mums Siemens.
My partners dosen't - and they all have door switches.
Very few switch the compressor off or modulate the power in such a scenario. Switching a compressor in any way is a way more delicate and time consuming procedure than just spinning a fan up or down.
Condenser fans usually stay running, thus preventing high pressure situations.
The evaps often have temp sensors, so even if that fan turns off and you'd keep the door open so long that a low pressure situation could occur, they could shut down the compressor then.
Given that even modulating compressor power up takes up to a minute - and restarting is on a delay longer than that - you usually want that performance to get temps back down as soon as possible as the door just has been opened.
The less turbulent airflow present the less mixing occurs. Some air exchange always happens, that's un avoidable. But you don't have to force it.
Many don't do that - my Samsung dosen't, neither does my partners.
Others do - like my mums Liebherr or yours.
I think the same goes with convection ovens.
My Miele does turn off the fan motor, so does my mums Siemens.
My partners dosen't - and they all have door switches.
Very few switch the compressor off or modulate the power in such a scenario. Switching a compressor in any way is a way more delicate and time consuming procedure than just spinning a fan up or down.
Condenser fans usually stay running, thus preventing high pressure situations.
The evaps often have temp sensors, so even if that fan turns off and you'd keep the door open so long that a low pressure situation could occur, they could shut down the compressor then.
Given that even modulating compressor power up takes up to a minute - and restarting is on a delay longer than that - you usually want that performance to get temps back down as soon as possible as the door just has been opened.
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