With LED lights being the rage these days due to their low running costs and better safety features, there are a lot of questions being asked regarding them. They come in a wide variety of types ranging from strips and strings to more traditional forms like lamps and bulbs.
There is an overwhelming amount of information regarding all facets of LED lights and this can raise a lot of questions amongst potential customers.
Will LED lights work in a fridge or a freezer is one of the frequently asked questions. The answer is yes, they do. They run about 10 to 14 times cooler than traditional bulbs which make them ideal for walk-in freezers and refrigerators. The difference in heat generated between an LED bulb and a traditional one is about a staggering 100 BTUs per door.
When it comes to LED lights, they offer unparalleled versatility and affordability making them ideal for most lighting scenarios. However, like every other product, they are also not without any weaknesses.
To know how LEDs work so well in lower temperatures, there are a few things you need to know about how they work. Let’s take a look below.
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Why are LED Lights a Good Choice for a Fridge or Freezer?
LED lights are the preferred form of lighting when it comes to cold environments. However, it is important to note that beyond a point LED lights do become inefficient. Generally, most LED bulbs work perfectly up to 20 degrees when it comes to normal outdoor lighting.
As far as refrigerators and freezers are concerned, you need to get an appliance rated LED bulb for it to work efficiently without giving you any hassles in the long run.
LED lights are perfect for refrigerators and freezers because they don’t generate a lot of heat. Given that the purpose of both of them is to preserve food in colder temperatures, it is only obvious that a low heat generating light must be used inside them.
But, is that all there is to it? Well, not exactly. LED lights are also highly efficient when it comes to the intensity of light and they consume very little power. This ensures that you can not only see inside the fridge or refrigerator more clearly but also you don’t have to worry about getting a large power bill.
Since LED lights don’t get heated up much, they last for a long time, which allows you to have a hassle-free experience once you install them.
This, however, does not mean that you can just replace the incandescent or fluorescent light in your fridge or freezer with just any LED bulb. You must always buy an appliance rated LED bulb with the correct wattage for it to work efficiently without giving you any hassle in the long run.
This information will be provided either inside the fridge in the form of a sticker or it will be in the product guide. If you don’t have either, you can either contact the manufacturer or do some research online to find out.
Why Are Fluorescent Lights Used in Refrigerators and Freezers?
Fluorescent lights are currently the standard go-to lights people use in commercial refrigerators, which come with a glass display. They generate less heat than their incandescent counterparts. However, they are not ideal for this type of usage.
Fluorescent lights are used in refrigerators and freezers a lot these days only because they were a better option than incandescent when LED bulbs weren’t so popular. With technology, LED bulbs have pretty much surpassed all other forms of lights and will soon become the norm all over the world.
As per a study, fluorescent bulbs can result in reduced light output (up to 25 percent) and provide uneven lighting on the various products inside commercial refrigerators.
LEDs, on the other hand, don’t suffer the same drop when it comes to light output at the same temperature. Thanks to technology today, they can also be customized to change the distribution of light as per your requirement.
In the same study mentioned above, LED-lit freezers and refrigerators were also found to be visually more attractive for customers than their fluorescent counterparts.
Why is there a Light in the Home Refrigerator but Not the Freezer?
This question is one that a lot of people ponder about. Most refrigerators come with a light inside but never in their freezers. The answer is quite simple and might be a bit underwhelming as the reason is the cost of the light.
When it comes to any product, the manufacturer always has to look at the cost/benefit ratio. To have a light in the freezer, they need to spend the same amount of money that they spend on installing the light inside the fridge.
However, having a light in the freezer doesn’t bring about a considerable amount of utility when compared to a freezer without a light. You might be able to see the food items more clearly but even without a light, the visibility is good enough anyway.
Can you install one? Yes, you can but again it won’t be worth the money you spend unless you need it for a specific reason.
Another reason why lights are not preinstalled in the freezer is because of the type of refrigerators that were used earlier. All of them have the issue of ice buildup in the freezer due to humid air entering it whenever you open the freezer door. This makes it almost useless to have lights as they will be covered in ice most of the time.
All this changed of course in the ’50s as self-defrosting models were introduced. However, the tradition of not having lights in the freezer carried forward as it’s not a serious problem that needs to be solved.
The user experience doesn’t change much whether there is a light or not and we don’t have to hand out extra cash for this not so convenient feature.
Conclusion
LED lights will absolutely work in both a fridge and a freezer due to their ability to generate very little heat. A lot of fridges still use fluorescent lights in them but many have switched over to LED lights due to their higher efficiency.
If you want to change your current light to an LED one, then all you need to do is buy an appliance rated one, like this one on Amazon, with the correct wattage and you will be good to go.
