What with the Earth warming up and everything, air conditioners are a good idea for keeping cold, but add to your total energy bill...(and bad for environment blah blah)

If the heat-exchanger at the back of an existing fridge-freezer was altered so that it provided an exhaust-pipe- which could then be piped outdoors rather than back into the house, the fridge could then (very slightly) act as a cooling device for your house...
-- monojohnny, Jul 31 2006

The annual energy usage of a fridge is about 10% that of a five ton AC. If the COP of the AC is 3, then venting the fridge heat (from the motor/compressor) will make the AC unit about 3% more efficient. Adding in the cooling effect may give you another percent or so, depending on how often the door is opened. In the winter you'd want to close the exhaust, as the fridge then helps you heat the house.
-- ldischler, Jul 31 2006


[Idischler] - so it would work, trouble is nobody's gonna buy one now; they'll be wanting that Infrared beamed into space....

Oh - wait that could be an option surely.... :-)
-- monojohnny, Jul 31 2006


A better use for the heat generated at the back of a fridge is to use it in a heat exchanger to heat your hot water supply. With some clever piping and plenty of thermal insulation, it would be quite effective. (I'm seriously considering doing this when I get around to building myself a house.)
-- neutrinos_shadow, Aug 01 2006


[neutrinos_shadow] - good thinking - I guess you'd need a valve here (for your idea I mean) - so that when the hot water tank is too hot for the fridge to dump its heat.

This could be 'passive' type of valve - wax expansion that kind of thing....
-- monojohnny, Aug 05 2006


//'passive' type of valve - wax expansion that kind of thing//

Add some pretty lights, color the water in the exchanger system and you could have a nice lava lamp connection on top of the fridge.
-- NotTheSharpestSpoon, Aug 05 2006



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