The history of the refrigerator

Sandvik Group ^ | circa 2017 | unattributed

[grey_whiskers]

Now post about the Einstein refrigerator (no joke) which uses no electricity.

I think Electrolux holds the patent.

[jmacusa]

I'm 66. Never saw the iceman but I sure do remember the guy with the fruit truck who would come around and the guy with the sharpening stone.

[jmacusa]

Wow. That's a vanished America, huh? As I was telling another FReeper I never saw the ice man but I sure remember the guy with the fruit truck who'd come by yelling “Strawberries!’’ “Fresh oranges!'' And the guy with the sharpening stone who'd ring a bell as he came through the neighborhood.

[thecodont]

As I was telling another FReeper I never saw the ice man but I sure remember the guy with the fruit truck who'd come by yelling “Strawberries!’’ “Fresh oranges!''

Bet that fruit truck guy was an American citizen.

One phenomenon that's sprung up recently (from what I've seen) in the east SF Bay Area has been the popup fruit stand, with its wholesale-format flats of fresh fruit (generally just one or two kinds, right now it's strawberries and cherries), a big patio umbrella, and a couple of small adults who look to be natives from Central America. They are almost certainly not here legally. I've seen them encamped not far from a nearby college campus (to tug on the heartstrings of those liberal kids) or a public transit parking lot (and a recently-cleared homeless encampment).

It's a sign of the degradation of our culture that these people (again, almost certainly not here legally) hang out with their wares and no one stops them and people (with the best of kind intentions mind you) even keep them in business. They are brethren to the little men I see nearby who arrive every morning with their caps and hooded sweatshirts and backpacks, out looking for day labor opportunities.

[Nifster]

Thank you. Made me smile and tap my toe

[jmacusa]

As a matter of fact the fruit guy was an American. An Italian American. I remember because my mother and some of the other ladies in the neighborhood would often buy stuff from him and I remember they would call him "Tony''. I also remember the coal truck that would come around too.

[21twelve]

The guy sharpening knives - would he do it right there on the spot? (I’m guessing he did if he had the stone with him).

That might even work today still. We have a set of nice knives that they will sharpen for free. Except you have to ship them back, wait weeks, etc. The local store will also sharpen them - two at a time. We’ve never done either!

I’ll sharpen one of them - but my wife doesn’t trust me with the others!

[Openurmind]

Cool you mention it... I have been experimenting with the Seebeck/Piezo effects recently. Aluminum and Iron is the most efficient combination. I am building an underground walk in refrigerator cooled with solar on large metal plates also taking advantage of the power output. No moving parts. :)

[Openurmind]

““how the rapid heating of liquid to a gas can result in cooling.”

Holy cow! That’s not at all how refrigeration works.”

Lol, nope... It sure isn’t.

[Openurmind]

My mistake, too early and not enough coffee... Seebeck/Peltier. :)

[cymbeline]

“unless you ever had access to a propane-powered fridge”

Good point. I didn’t think of that.

[Lazamataz]

It’s not ‘rapid heating of a liquid’, it’s rapid EXPANSION of a gas under pressure. That’s called adiabatic expansion.

[daniel1212]

" Ferdinand Carre introduced ammonia as a coolant in 1859 but it had bad smell and was poisonous when it leaked so it wasn’t used for long."

Although it is. Anhydrous ammonia is widely used as refrigerant in industrial facilities such as:

[Jolla]

Just checked, episodes are on YouTube.

[BlueLancer]

One of my favorite old shows from many years ago ...

The Secret Life of Machines. Here is the "refrigerator" episode ...

The Secret Life of Machines - Refrigerators

[M Kehoe]

“The Scots saved the world”

Wilis Carrier saved Florida.

5.56mm

[enraged]

Upton Sinclair. First part was a good story. Last part was a slog to get through. They were cutting ice blocks to sell in the cities from the settlement ponds outside the factories. Gross.

[1Old Pro]

they did it for cold beer,,,,

Some of the best ideas come from people who say, he, let's drink about it.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks!

[jaydubya2]

Cool!