Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

RelativisticTowel t1_j1b44mn wrote

In many domestic refrigerators we do recycle a bit of heat. The external areas around the door gaskets are colder, and prone to a buildup of condensation if you don't heat them up somehow to match the rest of the exterior. We can and on occasion do put electric heaters there, but the best solution when possible is to simply route the starting section of the condenser (where the gas temperature is pretty high) through those areas. Bad move from a heat pump efficiency perspective since some of that heat leaks back into the cold side, but good for the efficiency of the appliance as a whole.

2