On Jan 28, 9:39*am, 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?

It would be real complex and an expensive instal, it would almost have
to be a frige and exterior wall section sold as a unit, so when its a
certain point above inside room temp outside it wont be as efficent as
the cooler inside air cooling the coil and it would have to know if AC
is on to decide for it self what to do.It would have to computinside,
outside temps, AC on or off, heat on or of, so how does it switch back
and forth to use inside or outside air, and insulate and seal the
opening to withstand winters cold and wind to high R values. It could
be done but a frige would cost thousands and would you ever get a
payback. I could see some custom room frige using outside air in
winter with vents that operate by thermostat, that would cost little.
In alaska the have real efficent friges, the outdoors.