In order for food to be stored as long as possible, it must be properly placed in the refrigerator. After all, the temperature in the refrigeration unit is distributed unevenly - there are warmer and colder areas. Knowing where it is colder in the refrigerator - at the top or bottom, you will not only preserve the quality of the food, but also reduce the additional load on the device itself, which will extend its service life!
That's why it's so important to figure out where the coldest place in the refrigerator is. Read the article for a detailed answer to this question.
Where are the coldest and warmest places in the refrigerator?
It seems logical that warm air rises, which means the top shelves should be warmer. However, when it comes to the refrigerator, not everything is so simple. Here, a lot depends on the model and design of the device: how many chambers it has, where the freezer is located, etc.
Therefore, it is impossible to immediately answer the question of which shelf in the refrigerator (except the freezer) is the coldest.
The warmest place in the refrigerator is definitely the door. This is where sauces, butter, milk, drinks are stored - products that are either used daily and do not need long-term storage, or do not require strong cooling even when kept in a refrigeration device for a long time.
Advice. Look in the instructions for your refrigerator. Most likely, it describes the temperature regime of your specific device and describes how to store food in it. Alternatively, use a thermometer (just keep it on one shelf for 10 minutes, taking it out and letting it warm up in between) to find out for sure.
What does temperature distribution depend on?
So, what does the temperature distribution in the refrigerator depend on? We answer: from the freezing system that is installed in a specific device.
They differ as follows:
- In single-chamber devices, cold air comes from the freezer. Therefore, the coldest place in such a device will be near the freezer.
- In two-chamber models, the cold comes from fans located on the rear wall. Therefore, here the location of the coldest area will not depend on where the freezer is located. It will be coldest against the wall of the device on any shelf.
Interesting. Is your refrigerator more than 5-10 years old? In this case, it is likely that the temperature regime in it has changed somewhat. Over time, freon evaporates, which cools the air in the device, and the temperature rises by 1-2 degrees. Take this into account and set the temperature lower if necessary.
How the No Frost system works
The No Frost Dual Cooling operating mode (no frost, cooling frost) allows defrosting 1-2 times a year. The refrigerator mechanism consists of 2 parts, independent operating circuits:
- the first is for the freezer;
- the second is for an ordinary camera.
It should be cool on the shelf
The design of a two-door refrigerator for food storage has 2 fans and 2 evaporators. Each circuit operates independently of the other. Thanks to the operation of the circuits, ice should not appear on the back wall of the common chamber.
Thanks to sensors, a constant temperature is maintained in the chambers.
The user can change the temperature regime for different compartments. Refrigerators with the no-frost function are more expensive, but they are considered the best and most reliable.
Which shelves are the coldest in single-chamber refrigerators?
A single-compartment refrigerator is a conventional classic refrigeration appliance with a freezer on top. It works like this: the freezer has built-in tubes filled with freon, which cools all the air inside. It is from here that the cold comes down - to the very bottom shelf.
Keep this in mind when filling your refrigerator with food. After all, if the middle compartments are overfilled, it will be difficult for the cold to reach the lower compartments, and the products on them may quickly become unusable.
Interesting. If the shelves in the refrigerator are lattice, then it is easier for the cold to get down than if the shelves are plastic or glass.
So, as we already understood, the coldest place in a single-chamber unit will be the top shelf under the freezer - perishable foods are stored here. And at the bottom the place is the “warmest” - that’s why there are usually boxes for vegetables and fruits that are afraid of extreme cold.
If the device is small, then the temperature difference between the top and bottom shelves will be small, about 1-3 degrees. In high models, the temperature can vary by up to 7 degrees. By the way, modern single-compartment refrigerators are equipped with a valve located in the freezer tray. Use to supply additional cold to the shelves.
Double chamber refrigeration units
The unique design of a refrigerator with two chambers
Double-chamber refrigeration units have a different design, so the location of the freezer does not significantly affect the temperature inside them. By the way, it can be located both at the bottom of the device and at the top. Moreover, there is an impressive dividing partition between the compartments. Another feature of two-chamber refrigeration equipment is the fact that each compartment is equipped with its own evaporator.
Plus, the equipment in question has a forced convection system, for which special fans are installed on the rear wall. The task of the latter comes down to the uniform distribution of cold air inside the chambers.
Which shelves are the coldest in two-chamber refrigerators?
The lowest temperatures will, of course, be in the freezer. In baskets installed on the door of this compartment, the temperature will be several degrees higher. In the refrigerator compartment, the coolest place will be the lower part (the “zero” zone) and the space near the evaporator openings.
There is usually a large box intended for storing meat and fish. Above is a compartment for storing vegetables and fruits, where the temperature is kept around 4 °C. The topmost shelves will have the highest temperature, this also applies to the door - about 8 °C.
Which shelves are the coldest in two-chamber refrigerators?
Double-chamber ones have a completely different design, and the location of the freezer has absolutely no effect on the temperature distribution in them. The technology they use is called no-frost (literally translated “without frost”, i.e. without freezing with ice) and it functions as follows.
Cooling tubes are located behind the rear wall, the cold from which is evenly distributed by fans across all shelves. On the wall of such a refrigerator there is a grille with holes for air distribution. That is, we can conclude that the coldest places in such devices are near the wall, where the fans are located.
In addition, the air in such a device circulates in a circle, and if it does not encounter any obstacles in the form of shelves densely filled with products on its way, then the coldest shelf will invariably be the bottom one.
The disadvantage of such refrigerators is that you cannot put or place anything in it open. Due to the blowing system, moisture quickly disappears from vegetables, fruits, unpacked products, and an uncovered salad plate. In this case, the products lose their appearance and taste. Therefore, in appliances with a no-frost system, be sure to use tightly closed containers or bags, which will limit the contact of food with the external environment of the refrigerator.
Interesting. If you are still wondering which shelf in the refrigerator is colder when the freezer is below, then we answer again: in two-chamber devices it is colder on the bottom shelf and near the back wall.
How to regulate the temperature in different brands of refrigerators
Both in old models of refrigerators and in modern ones, the temperature regime is controlled manually. The manufacturer initially sets the average range, this is from +2 to +8 in the refrigerator compartment and from -16 to -24 in the freezer. You can set up a mode that suits you.
Regulators in different models and brands are mechanical or electronic.
Mechanical ones look like a wheel or a rotary disk. Clockwise rotation increases the cold, counterclockwise decreases it. They are usually located inside in the area of the top shelf on the right. But there are models with a regulator on the top panel of the device or on the freezer tray.
The numbers on the regulator (most often from 1 to 7) are not degrees, but modes - the higher the number, the colder the mode in the refrigerator. The recommended mode in the position of the regulator at number 3 is the most optimal for normal operation of the device. Values 5-7 increase the load on the device, thereby reducing its service life and increasing energy consumption.
Electronic regulators are presented in the form of a digital display with buttons or a sensor. They are located on the front of the refrigerator door.
Advice. In the summer, you should not reduce the temperature in the refrigerator due to the heat. This will lead to increased electricity consumption and additional load on the refrigerator. It is better to open the refrigerator as little as possible and close the door as quickly as possible.
You can understand that the temperature control in the refrigerator is set incorrectly by the following signs:
- a small crust of snow or ice on the walls of the refrigerator;
- water flowing into the pan or a puddle on the floor;
- rapid spoilage of products;
- unpleasant odor inside the refrigerator.
All this suggests that you have set the thermostat too high or too low. Adjust the mode, and all the above troubles will go away by themselves.
Expert advice
Does your refrigerator have the MultiFlow function?
Not really
Experts always give several recommendations to extend the life of the refrigerator temperature sensor.
Here's what to remember:
- Do not place warm or hot foods in the refrigerator. They must cool down first. If you need to speed up the process, you can put them in cold water.
- Try to use packaging. The best option would be bags or containers.
- To achieve uniform cooling, you do not need to fill the chamber more than 75%.
- If you need to load a lot of products, and therefore the door will remain open for a long time, the regulator should be set to the minimum value. This will reduce the load on the compressor. But after loading is complete, you need to return to the optimal value and close the door.
- If there is no indicator that the door is closed, then it is worth checking that it has been slammed tightly enough. Otherwise, the cold will escape, which will make the engine work harder. Extreme loads can cause it to break.
- With the onset of the new season, the indicators should be reset (available only for models with an electronic panel).
- Several times a year it is worth checking the indicators using a thermometer. If there is a significant deviation from the given norm, you need to contact a specialist to prevent more serious consequences.
- It is necessary to periodically restore order in the freshness zone. It becomes most contaminated, and from there pathogenic microorganisms spread to other products.
- You should not set maximum values in both chambers of the refrigerator. This will force the compressor to work as hard as possible, which will quickly lead to its failure.
- Be sure to defrost the refrigerator, despite the No Frost system. But if it is available, this can be done 1 – 2 times a year.
That is, you need to consider what exactly is stored in the refrigerator and freezer to determine the optimal temperature. The absence of the MultiFlow function allows you to correctly distribute products and take into account their storage requirements, since the amplitude is several degrees.
