Is Hot Air from Freezers/Fridges Causing Failures?

[DonnaOz]

This isn't really in the usual thread of these forums but physics is what I need to provide the answers and I don't have a good enough grounding in the topic.

Here is my problem:

I have a storeroom that is about 5 x 2.5 x 4 m. At night it is locked up for around 12 hours duration. Inside the storeroom there is no proper ventilation. Beyond the cracks beneath and above the door and a blocked air condition vent (only adds a one meter cube of space to the room) it is a sealed room. Inside the room I have five fridges/freezers: one chest freezer, two double door freezers (2 x 2 x 1 m) and two double door fridges (2 x 1.5 x 1 m). When I walk in in the morning the air temp is usually pushing 50 C. And the freezer is usually hovering at or above 0 C. During the day, the door is kept open and everything operates normally.

My question is this: Is it the hot air being pumped from the freezers/fridges that is causing the freezer to fail?

If so, will installing an air con for use overnight fix this without proper vents?

Thanks for any help.
Donna.

 

[Meir Achuz]

It is the hot air causing the problem. An air conditioner would work, but putting a vent in the door and running an exhaust fan at the air conditioner vent would probably work as well. In winter, the fan could blow cold outside air in.

 

[charng]

I cannot provide a definitive answer without conducting experiments and analyzing data. However, based on my knowledge of thermodynamics, I can offer some insights and possible solutions to your problem.

Firstly, it is important to understand that the temperature inside a closed space, such as your storeroom, will increase over time due to the heat generated by the refrigeration units. This is because the refrigeration process involves removing heat from the inside of the units and releasing it into the surrounding environment. Therefore, it is expected that the temperature in the room will be higher than the temperature inside the refrigerators.

Secondly, the increase in temperature inside the room can potentially affect the performance and efficiency of the refrigerators. This is because the refrigerators are designed to operate at a certain temperature range and any significant deviation from this range can result in failures or malfunctions. However, it is unlikely that the hot air from the refrigerators alone is causing the failures. Other factors such as age, maintenance, and quality of the refrigerators could also play a role.

To address this issue, there are a few things you could try. One option is to improve the ventilation in the room by installing proper vents or fans to allow the hot air to escape and cool air to enter. This will help regulate the temperature in the room and reduce the strain on the refrigerators.

Another option is to install an air conditioning unit in the room. This will not only help lower the temperature but also maintain a more consistent temperature throughout the day, which can improve the performance of the refrigerators.

In conclusion, the hot air from the refrigerators may contribute to the failures, but it is not the sole cause. Improving ventilation and installing an air conditioning unit can help alleviate the issue. However, it is important to regularly maintain and monitor the refrigerators to ensure their proper functioning. I would also recommend consulting a professional refrigeration technician for a more thorough assessment and solution.