Does an Open Door Freezer Heat the Room?

Most recent answer: 09/07/2012

Q:
WHAT IS THE REASON THAT WHEN WE OPEN THE FREEZER ,THE ROOM TEMPERATURE WILL INCREASES.
- KAPIL NAITHANI (age 21)
SRINAGAR GARHWAL UTTARAKHAND INDIA
A:
The room will heat up.   Just consider the room plus freezer as an enclosed thermally isolated system.  The only connection with the outside world is an electrical outlet.   The first law of thermodynamics says that energy is conserved.  Energy is flowing into this system by means of the of the electric current.  This energy has to go somewhere.  The only way is to heat up the local environment which raises the average temperature.

   Since the freezer has a thermostat, if the freezer door is closed the freezer compressor will only go on occasionally, so it won't draw much power and won't heat up the room very fast. If the freezer door is open, the compressor will stay on, always drawing power and heating up the room faster. In any case the room temperature will increase.

LeeH

(published on 09/07/2012)