Refrigerators are among the most widely used life-saving appliances both at home and in the food industry. They are an efficient and dependable method of food preservation.
These magical devices work by slowing or stopping bacteria action, allowing food to last longer. While nearly every home has a refrigerator, only a small percentage of users understand the appliance’s cooling function.
How Long Does The Fridge Take To Get Cold?
Typically, your refrigerator can maintain its target temperature for three hours to a full day and about 12 hours to cool down properly. However, different types of refrigerator capacities can shorten the cooling time for your food.
Depending on its cooling capacity, your refrigerator can cool itself. Some refrigerators have the same designs, with a cooling unit that transfers heat from one location to another. When assembling the fridge, the coldest parts are at the bottom and the hottest at the top.
The principle of gases when influenced by temperature causes this temperature gradient. Cold air will sink the fridge, while warmer air will rise. To cool down, the refrigerator must absorb all of the heat from the interior.
While other refrigerators are larger, heavier, and bulkier, cooling capabilities vary by the refrigerator, so don’t be concerned if your fridge takes too long to cool down.
What Are Some Tricks For Quickly Cooling Fridge?
After learning the best time to cool down your fridge, it’s useful to know how to speed up the cooling process.
Some suggestions for cooling the food in your refrigerator are as follows:
Cleanliness
A clean fridge will cool down faster. There will be no dust, spills, or debris to obstruct the refrigerator’s cooling vents and slow down the cooling process. It would also help if you cleaned the exterior of the fridge by removing the dust from the backmost part of the fridge.
Maintain Social Distance From The Wall
The placement of your refrigerator is an important part of the installation process. As a result, it is preferable to place your refrigerator away from the wall. Just make sure to leave a few inches between the fridge and the wall to allow heat to escape during the cooling process.
Stock Up
It is appropriate for your refrigerator to cool itself faster when all of the food is inside. As a result, you will notice that fridges cool faster after your grocery shopping trip. You should not, however, block the cooling vents where the air cools the food.
Allow The Area To Cool Down
When your home is sufficiently cold, the fridge will cool the food more quickly. Furthermore, with cold air surrounding the refrigerator, the refrigeration process will be simpler because heat is absorbed from both the fridge and the outside air.
Similarly, avoid placing your refrigerator near heating appliances such as your oven, heater, and stove, which can warm up the parts of the refrigerator and cause overheating.
Factors Influencing Your Refrigerator’s Cooling Time
1. The Temperature Of The Room
The room temperature at which your refrigerator is located significantly impacts the time it takes to cool.
If the room is warm, your refrigerator will take longer to cool and may even burn out. If you keep your fridge in a hot room, such as an outdoor kitchen or the garage, you should purchase fans, insulation, or vents to keep it cool and prevent burnout.
2. Refrigerator Size
While this is not an absolute rule, the size of your refrigerator will affect its cooling time. Most small fridges cool down in two to four hours, while larger ones can take up to 24 hours.
3. Stocked or Unstocked
Because there is more room for warm air in an empty fridge, it takes longer to cool, whereas a stocked fridge cools faster. Unfortunately, it is not recommended to place anything in the refrigerator until it has completely cooled.
4. Unlocking the Door
The number of times you open your refrigerator door will also affect how long it takes for your fridge to get cold. Experts advise keeping the door closed throughout the cooling process.
Keeping the door closed prevents cool air from escaping and warm air from entering, both of which would slow down the cooling process.
5. Age and Physical Condition
Because older refrigerators are less efficient than newer ones, they may take longer to cool down. Furthermore, dusty or clogged refrigerator parts will slow down the cooling process.
If all of your refrigerator’s components are working properly, it will cool down in the allotted time.
How Do You Determine the Cooling Time of Your Refrigerator?
The best way to find out how long it takes your refrigerator to get cold is to read the user manual or installation guide. If you don’t have the manual, Google the brand and model to access the manufacturer’s website.
When new or after a power outage, refrigerators can take some time to cool down. The cooling time will vary depending on a variety of factors such as room temperature, size, age and condition, and so on.
Refrigerators typically take 12 hours to cool, but cooling times can range from 2 to 24 hours. You can speed up the cooling process by following the suggestions above.
However, you should not put any food in the refrigerator until it has reached 40 degrees F or lower.
Related Questions
Is it true that a fridge gets cold right away?
A frost-free refrigerator typically takes 4-6 hours to reach the desired temperature because it must remove heat from the plastic, insulation, and metals contained within. The freezers are the first to cool, followed by the other sections. Most refrigerators require at least 24 hours to reach normal temperature.
What happens if you turn on a refrigerator too quickly?
It’s because compressor lubrication oil can get into the compressor cylinder and, if not allowed to drain back into the oil sump at the bottom of the compressor, cause major compressor valve damage on startup. A good rule of thumb is to sleep for at least two hours.
Conclusion
Refrigerators typically take 12 hours to cool down. However, depending on the brand, the cooling time can range from 2 to 24 hours. Check the installation guide for the specific number for your refrigerator.
Whatever you do, don’t put food in the fridge until it reaches 40°F.
Turn on the AC and keep the fridge a few inches away from the wall to speed up the cooling process. Above all, be patient and keep the door closed.
