Are Fridges Waterproof?

The purpose of a fridge is to make our goods or beer chilled to preserve them or relieve our thirstiness. How do we explain the phenomenon of the refrigerator being waterproof and still getting wet or, better, “iced” right on the inside? Now, are fridges waterproof to begin with?

Fridges are waterproof based on the coating. But if they stay for a long time in a wet environment or are exposed to water concomitantly, they’ll loosen the coating forces. Then, water penetration will start to damage the metal and, ultimately, the fridges’ inner parts.

This article clears all doubts about the tricky question of whether refrigerators are waterproof or not and what a fridge is. I’ll also discuss gas exchange theory in and out of the refrigerator, what makes up a fridge, and how a refrigerator keeps its content cold. Keep reading.

Fridges Don’t Stay Waterproof in Prolonged Wet Conditions

Fridges are made of iron or steel. Metals like iron are easily eroded and susceptible to oxidation. Therefore, coatings are used to prevent this from happening. The coating on refrigerators prevents any form of water penetration into the fridge, thereby avoiding rusting and destruction of the metals.

Different types of coating are used, but the most commonly used is epoxy which is tight enough to prevent water infiltration. 

Also, plastics like polystyrene are used as an outer covering for refrigerators at times. Polystyrene is impervious to water, and it is used to waterproof the fridge. 

Because of these coatings, refrigerators may be able to take little drops of water here and there but ensure to wipe it off to keep your fridge dry and prevent rust. However, it is important to check the manufacturer’s manual to know what your fridge can take.

At this stage, the refrigerator is waterproof. 

However, when your fridge stays in a wet environment or the rain for prolonged periods, the water loosens the coating. When the layer is off, the water erodes the metal used in the making of the fridge and, in turn, damages the internal parts. 

Do Water Damage Refrigerators?

Water can damage refrigerators if they’re left in a wet environment for too long. When prolonged exposure to water occurs, the coating loosens, and water penetrates the fridge and damages the internal parts.

The making of refrigerators is either iron or steel. The coating in place prevents rusting or avoids any form of water penetration into the fridge. 

However, the motor engine and fan inside a fridge power and refrigerate it. It converts the water molecules or humidity of the outer environment into gas and cools it to keep your contents cold. 

Therefore, a fridge isn’t waterproof in that sense. So the answer to this question is of a bipartite division. 

A refrigerator is an appliance that can be used for commercial and home use. It keeps your drinks cold majorly by heat exchange or heat transfer to the environment. A refrigerator also prevents your food from spoiling quickly.

The essential components of a refrigerator are of five types, namely:

• Compressor: It’s otherwise known as the heart of the fridge. The primary function is to generate more pressure to the refrigerant (what converts gas to liquid and back to gas but of lower pressure) and heat it to maintain a steady reduced pressure before getting to the condenser.
• Condenser: The condenser cools the refrigerant by turning the gas from the external environment into liquid.
• Evaporator: This component is what truly chills your contents in the fridge. It converts the liquid back to a low-pressure gas. To attain this, it undergoes a process called evaporation.
• Capillary tube: This tube serves as an expansion tool and links the condenser and evaporator.
• Thermostat: Also known as the controller. It controls the temperature and regulates the compressor by switching it off when the inner content is cold enough and back on when it senses a high temperature.

Like the rainfall phenomenon in which evaporation occurs first and later condenses back as rainfall, it also happens in the refrigerator. But in a more confined and faster dynamics. 

It purely shows that the fridge isn’t waterproof since there’s the evaporation of the surrounding air or humidity outside the refrigerator. The air is converted to liquid via the condenser and later converted to gas. The gas is then dissipated inside the fridge as a low-pressure gas through the evaporator. 
However, the humidity is negligible since it can’t be seen but felt. It can’t be categorically called air or water. A calculation has sufficed as to the amount of water present in the air; a volume of air is enough to contain up to 4% of water, i.e., not more than 0.2%.