On Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:39:00 -0500, blueman wrote:

I have always wondered about this one...
Refrigerators are one of the top energy consumers in homes.
In Northern climates, the outside temperature is colder than indoor
temperature at least 6 months of the year.

Why aren't they designed with "heat" exchangers to benefit from cool if
not frigid external air?

Even in warm climates (or summers) why isn't the same principle used to
vent the warm air from the compressor & coils outside rather than
loading the AC?

Presumably this could all be done by putting the evaporator coils
outside which would in turn decrease (or eliminate if cold enough) the
draw on the compressor during winter months.

Of course, installation might be a little more expensive, but with all
the focus on green-this and green-that why isn't this being done?

Because it's impractical and adds to the expense. Besides that it
wouldn't make a huge difference in the economics of operation seeing
you are not cooling more than 30 cubic feet for a home fridge.

When you consider commercial refrigerators/walk in coolers and
freezers and refrigerated displays in grocery stores, 99 percent of
those have a remote condensing unit.