Refrigeration

A few hundred years ago, the only way to preserve meat for long periods of time was to pack it in pure salt. Doesn't sound too appealing, does it? Thankfully, refrigeration was developed in the late 19th century but although it is commonplace now, refrigeration is a process that still baffles many people. Most of us are content only to know that our pastrami sandwich is still going to be edible tomorrow if we stick it in the refrigerator. Here's how it works:

The refrigerator uses a compressor and coils filled with refrigerant. The unique thing about refrigerants is that they boil at a very low temperature. Take, for example, pure liquid ammonia, which boils at
-27°F (a whopping 239 degrees colder than the boiling point of water!). The compressor causes the ammonia to condense into its liquid form, where its temperature is higher. At that point, it is forced through the expansion valve, which is a low-pressure area. The liquid immediately drops to its boiling point (a chilly -27°F) and vaporizes- this is why it is cold inside the fridge and warm on the bottom. This process is continuous.

While the process itself is simple, the individual components that work to make it happen are not. When these things break (and they will), it will require an expert to diagnose and fix. Rainforest Plumbing & Air technicians are refrigeration experts and will have your refrigeration unit up and running in no time. Give us a call today at (480) 615-7766 to schedule service!

And to think that it all started with some geniuses got sick of really salty meat.