Last Updated:
The thermostat plays a specific and critical role in a refrigerator. Generating cold air continuously is the job of the refrigeration cycle (compressor evaporator condenser). The thermostat does not generate cold air. The thermostat senses the temperature inside the refrigerator using a temperature sensor (often a bimetallic strip or thermistor). When the temperature rises above the set point it switches ON the compressor to start cooling. When temperature drops to the desired level it switches OFF the compressor. This ON-OFF cycling maintains a fairly uniform temperature inside the refrigerator. Without a thermostat the compressor would run continuously causing the refrigerator to become too cold and waste electricity. Compressing the refrigerant gas is the job of the COMPRESSOR not the thermostat. Automatic defrosting in frost-free refrigerators is done by a separate defrost heater timer and thermostat system called the defrost system not the main thermostat that controls temperature.
FAQ
Common questions and clear answers for this topic.
Heat is a form of energy that transfers between objects or systems due to a temperature difference, moving from a hotter body to a cooler one until thermal equilibrium is reached.
