Measurement of vertical freezers: air-cooled frost-free vs direct cooling

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In the sweltering summer heat, the vertical freezer in the kitchen can be a lifesaver. However, entering the home appliance market, the two professional terms of“Cold and frost-free” and“Direct cold” are like two clouds of fog, making many consumers confused when shopping. Today, we will have a super practical trip to popularize science, demystify these two technologies and use solid information to help you choose the right freezer.

1.Frost control

Direct-cooling freezers work by using an evaporator to absorb heat directly from the inside of the freezer. This is similar to placing a block of ice in a room to absorb heat. But when water vapor in the air meets a cold evaporator, it condenses into frost. Over time, the frost layer thickens, affecting cooling, making freezers more power-hungry, and potentially breeding bacteria. Plus, every once in a while, you'll have to spend hours defrosting, cutting off power, shoveling frost, and getting aches and pains.

Air-cooled, frost-free freezers are much smarter, with a built-in fan that allows the air to circulate quickly through the freezer, like an“Air stirrer.”. Thus, the water vapor has no chance to condense on the evaporator to form frost, and the frosting problem is solved at the root.

2. Temperature uniformity

Direct-cooling freezers rely on natural convection to deliver cooling air, which results in an uneven temperature distribution in the freezer. Near the evaporator, the temperature is especially low, can make food frozen hard, and far away from the evaporator, the temperature is relatively high, food easily go bad. It is like putting the fruit in different corners, some are frozen, some began to rot, preservation effect is greatly reduced.

An air-cooled frost-free freezer uses a fan to force air circulation, keeping the temperature in every corner of the freezer the same. Whether you put the ingredients on the upper, lower, or corner, can enjoy a uniform low temperature environment, greatly extending the shelf life of the ingredients, reducing the loss of nutrients.

3.Comparison of energy consumption

In the short term, direct-cooling freezers have a simple structure, no extra parts such as fans, relatively low energy consumption, and feel very energy efficient. But as the frost builds up, its cooling efficiency decreases, and it takes longer to reach the set temperature, which can increase power consumption.

Although air-cooled frost-free freezers have fans, the initial energy consumption will be higher than that of direct-cooled freezers. But it is equipped with intelligent temperature control system, according to the cabinet temperature automatically adjust the intensity of refrigeration. When the temperature in the cabinet reaches the set value, it will reduce the cooling power and avoid energy waste. In the long run, the combined energy consumption may be lower than that of a direct-cooling refrigerator, which can save you a lot of money on your electricity bill.

4.Noise level

A direct-cooling refrigerator operates with no fan and produces little noise. Even if you put the freezer next to your bedroom, it won't affect your rest.

Because of the built-in fan, the air-cooled frost-free freezer makes a slight wind sound when it is running. However, now many air-cooled frost-free freezers are using advanced mute technology, the noise control at a very low level, generally not more than 40 decibels.

5.Price and maintenance cost

Direct-cooled freezer technology is relatively mature, low manufacturing costs, so the price is more people, for families with limited budgets. And its structure is simple, maintenance is also more convenient, if a small problem, maintenance costs will not be too high.

Air-cooled frost-free freezers will initially cost more than direct-cooled freezers because of more advanced technology and more components. But it does not need defrosting, reducing maintenance trouble and costs. It also has better refrigeration and can extend the shelf life of ingredients, saving you a lot of money in the long run.

Conclusion

Through this practical science tour, I believe you have a clearer understanding of air-cooled frost-free and direct-cooled vertical freezer. They have their own advantages and disadvantages, there is no absolute good or bad. In the purchase, you have to according to their actual needs, budget and use habits to consider. I hope you can choose a suitable for their own refrigerator, let it in the summer for you to guard the fresh ingredients, add a cool and convenient for your life.