When it comes to refrigerators, there are many variants available in the market based on functions. From the invention of the first electric refrigeration unit to modern-day double door refrigerators, a lot has changed as people’s need has evolved.
Mainly there are two categories of refrigerators if we divide based on the style of operation, which are direct cool refrigerators and frost-free refrigerators. Most of the refrigerators these days operate with Frost Free technology. But is it better than the direct cool technology? This article covers the concept of both technologies and their advantages & disadvantages.
What is a Frost Free Refrigerator?
As the name suggests, this technology keeps the refrigerator frost-free. The key behind this technology is the circulation of cool air throughout the refrigerator by the convection process. Ideally, frost is nothing but the moisture that enters the refrigerator while you use it.
The moisture gets super cold and settles within the freezer section. To prevent that, frost-free technology uses electrical fans to spread evenly cool air. It would not require manual defrosting like older models of refrigerators. Usually, modern frost-free refrigerators have a considerable capacity to store things. It’s better to use for bigger families.
What is a Direct Cool Refrigerator?
Direct Cool refrigerators are the older versions on the verge of obsolescence. Direct Cool refrigerators produce the cold by a natural convection method. There’s a separate compartment that is thermally insulated.
There using freon gas, the compartment gets very cold and through the cold surface, the inside temperature decreases. But the main issue with this type of cooling is the uneven temperature. It causes frosting inside & the whole unit needs manual defrosting from time to time. However, this technology is easy and cheaper to produce and consumes less amount of energy.
A Comparison between Direct Cool and Frost-Free Technology
Cost
The technology used in Direct Cool models is older and cheaper to produce. Frost-free refrigerators require electrical fans to distribute cool air, which is relatively costly. So the production cost of these models goes higher.
Cooling Technology
Direct Cool refrigerator uses convection method of cooling. As a result, you will have to defrost manually to melt the ice. However, as the name suggests, frost-free technology keeps away any kind of frosting, so manual defrosting is not required.
Energy Consumption
Because of the old and cheap technology used in direct cool refrigerators, the energy consumption rate is less. Since the frost-free technology uses electric fans for cooling, it requires a comparatively higher amount of energy.
Capacity
Depending on the use, a direct cool refrigerator has a capacity of 50 to 250 liters. Frost-free refrigerators have a capacity of up to 650 liters.
Model
Direct Cool models are going on the verge of obsolescence whereas frost-free technology is an emerging technology.
Food Storage
Direct Cool refrigerator has convection cooling technology which is good for preserving frozen foods. However, fresh foods could be preserved better using the frost-free technique. Also, there is less chance of freezer burn in the latter.
Durability
Current models of refrigerators with frost-free technology are more durable than the old models with direct cool technology.
Apart from the above, there are other comparisons as well between both technologies. For example, frost-free units have more heating issues than the older direct cool ones.
Conclusion
Frost-free technology is the way forward. The market is moving towards frost-free models except for industrial usage where direct cool models are still more beneficial. Even R&D departments are looking for ways to make frost-free an energy-efficient technology. Based on the above comparison, you can easily decide now which would be more beneficial for you.
