Parts of a Refrigerator

A refrigerator seems like it should be fairly complex, but in reality it is much easier to understand than you would think. Your microwave oven is more complex than your refrigerator. Find out what parts keep your refrigerator cool below.

Refrigerant

The refrigerant is the liquid, sometimes gas, that evaporates and creates the cold temperatures inside your refrigerator. Most refrigerator manufacturers use pure ammonia as the refrigerant.

Compressor

Located outside, and often, under the refrigerator, the compressor compresses the refrigerant gas. Compressing the gas raises the refrigerant's pressure and temperature as it heads to the outside heat-exchanging pipes.

Outside Heat-Exchanging Pipes

The outside heat-exchanging pipes are the coiled or curved pipes on the back of your refrigerator. They release the heat created by pressurization of the refrigerant.

Expansion Valve

While moving through the heat-exchanging pipes, the refrigerant cools and becomes a liquid. This liquid flows through the expansion valve which allows it to go from a high pressure area back to a low pressure area. The change allows the liquid to become a gas again.

Inside Heat-Exchanging Pipes

As the liquid evaporates, it becomes cold and travels through the heat-exchanging pipes inside the refrigerator. The inside heat-exchanging pipes allow the refrigerant to absorb the heat from inside the refrigerator, making the inside of your refrigerator cold.