Old British fridges 'cannot cope with the heat'
Summary
Experts warn that many old fridges in the UK cannot handle recent record-high temperatures above 32°C. Supermarket and home refrigerators are struggling or breaking down because they were designed in cooler times, causing issues like empty shelves and higher energy costs.Key Facts
- Many UK fridges were made to work in air temperatures up to about 32°C.
- Recent heatwaves have pushed temperatures above this limit, causing fridges to fail.
- Supermarket fridges sometimes switch off or reduce the number of cabinets in use to keep others cool.
- Engineers report many fridges breaking down during heatwaves.
- Refrigeration experts test fridges in climate-controlled labs to see how they handle higher temperatures.
- The UK Climate Change Commission found the 2022 heatwave caused many refrigeration failures in stores.
- Some UK supermarkets are now designing fridges that can work in temperatures as high as 35°C to 38°C.
- Higher energy costs and empty shelves have resulted from fridges struggling to keep food cold in the heat.
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