Refrigerator Facts
Do you want to know some interesting refrigerator facts? Since we use them every day (and often take them for granted), it wouldn’t hurt to know a thing or two about the useful fridge, would it?
Let’s begin during the year 1000 BC. While they didn’t have stainless steel refrigerators back then, the Chinese began to cut and store ice for refrigeration purposes. In 500 BC, the Egyptians and Indians created ice by placing large pots of water outside during cold months. Things weren’t so simple in England during 1700, since wealthy families often sent servants out into the cold in order to create ice for them…many of these servants often died from the cold, snow, and wind. Thankfully, around 1720, a man by the name of Dr. William Cullen began to play around with the idea of a refrigerated machine. There are lots more refrigerator facts to come…
In many ways, the refrigerator was a group effort. Cullen began the idea; Michael Faraday began to liquefy ammonia to cool things; Jacob Perkins created an ether vapor compression cycle; and James Harrison invented the compressed machine. All of these things happened in different countries during different years, but each thing led to the invention of the refrigerator as we know it. All of a sudden, things began to change once a refrigerated unit was invented. By the year 1956, 80% of U.S homes had a refrigerator…though only 8% of British homes had one.
Though those older models may be great to look at, an older fridge will use twice as much electricity than a newer model. These refrigerator facts are fascinating aren’t they? Well, this is due to the fact that prior to the invention of the fridge people relied upon the elements in order to cool their food. If you speak to a member of the elderly population, they may be able to tell you stories about icehouses and large blocks of cooling ice. Today’s refrigerators just keep on getting more complex, but hundreds of years ago all people really cared about was a way to keep food fresh.
You can find refrigerators with televisions inside of them; fridges that include automatic ice machines; and fridges that come with all kinds of interesting gadgets. Today, there is no shortage of these machines, though they were once unheard of.
Take these refrigerator facts with you every time you walk into a dinner party. Many will find it quite amusing that people once relied upon large blocks of ice to keep their food cold.