On Sat, 28 May 2011 13:06:21 -0500, "Bob-tx" No Spam no contact
wrote:

In an ordinary refrigerator / top freezer, where is it the coldest; top
shelf or bottom?

Since warm air rises, it would seem that the bottom would be coldest, but I
have
heard that the top shelf is colder, but I don't know why that would be.

Does anyone know for sure, and why?

I know why, The top is closer to the cooling coils. Isn't that why
for decades freezers were on the top? Then the cold air sinks so it
all sort of even outs. I presume there are extra costs in putting
the freezer on the bottom, like maybe a big set of coils for the
freezer and a second smaller set for the top of the fridge. ??

The fact that so many people will buy the more expensive one, not just
rich people, is another sign that our standard of living is creeping
up, even as many, including some of the same people, complain about
the cost of gas, the cost of food, etc. OTOH, it might be a one-time
cost. I don't know if freezer-at-the-bottom use more electricity or
not.

OT3H, I don't know how long new fridges last. Mine is 32 years old
and I've abused it, by letting it run with the vents in front of the
fridge obstructed, and by letting it run when the little fan in the
bottom wasn't spinning, for a couple months. I don't really know how
much abuse this represents. I've treated the inside as gently as a
baby.

Thanks, Bob-tx