It’s minus 5 degrees outside but inside the house it’s warm and comfortable.  If your like most people, as the furnace is running to warm your house the hydro metre is running extra fast powering compressors to keep the inside of the fridge and freezer cold.  In climates that are often below the freezing mark 4-5 months out of the year why not use the outside elements for cooling?

By installing a temperature exchange unit similar to a car radiator outside (photo above)  and a smaller one inside the fridge it should be possible on cold days to use a very low energy water pump to circulate plumbing antifreeze through insulated pipes between the two.  The circulating water pump would use a small fraction of the energy of the fridges compressor and if used 4 months out of the year should not only save money on energy but also extend the life of the appliance by 33%.

When the outside thermostat registers -5 degrees or colder a signal is sent to the control module inside the fridge and a relay disconnects the fridges compressor.  Instead of the fridges thermostat activating the compressor when it becomes too warm the pump is activated instead and cold plumbing antifreeze from the “outside temperature exchange unit” is brought through insulated pipes to the “fridge temperature exchange unit” and cools the fridge.  When the fridge is cold again the control module shuts off the pump.

On a commercial level such as in a supermarket with rows of freezers, using the outside cold from the winter has a much bigger benefit.  Cooling tubes mounted in the freezer during manufacturing could be used in winter to circulate cold plumbing antifreeze from outside storage reservoirs.   Conventional cooling compressors would still be used for summer time or warm winter days.

Another possibility is on cold winter days would be to use cold air instead of cold liquid.

A thermostat in the food cooler from a grocery store would activate a roof vent fan.  Cold outside air would be blown down through insulated ducts to the inside walls of the food cooler.

In winter, the insulation from the inside walls of the food cooler would be automatically retracted creating a channel for cold outside air to be blown through.

In summer time the insulation is automatically moved up against the inside walls of the food cooler. A traditional compressor is used with evaporator coils.

Its hard to believe that in todays day and age we still waste so much energy and money creating a cold area for food when in the winter time our house is surrounded by it.

Dave Lister

listerlogic.com

Note: This is an original idea by me but there may be similar products or patents already.  I am not an expert, if you attempt to build or use always consult with an expert and check with all local code and laws.  Build and use at your own risk.  I take no responsibility for injury, death or damage to property.