How long does it take for a refrigerator to get cold?

Have you ever imagined two days of your life without a refrigerator?  Even the thought of it horrifies us. A refrigerator is not just an appliance; it is a mystery box for everyone irrespective of age. We tend to use the refrigerator more than any other kitchen device. The door in itself is a cover of a chest box that opens up to enthrall us with the stuffed delicacies in them.

The primary feature of a refrigerator is to cool and preserve the foods, mostly perishable items. So have you ever tried to know the period required to cool down a refrigerator? If yes, then you have come to the right place. Without any further delay, let’s get started.

How long does it take for a refrigerator to get cold?

Every specific brand’s refrigerator has its features and thus, own cooling time. Naturally, it takes 3 to 24 hours for the refrigerator to get cold and store the foods. The period is subject to vary by a few minutes based on the size, capacity, and even the refrigerator model.

The ideal temperature range for the main refrigerator component is 40 degrees, and the freezer temperature is 5 degrees for storing and preserving the food.

There are manual and digital displays on the body of the refrigerator that ease the usage of the devices. It would be best if you referred to the label that comes along with the refrigerator.

Read also: What appliances need a dedicated circuit (NEC?)

The stabilization period of a refrigerator

After purchasing the machine during the refrigerator’s initial setup, the freezer and the refrigerator’s primary department must be set to default settings and at a mid-point setting as per the owner’s manual.

Carefully handle your device. Close the door entirely and do cross-check. The cooling time increases when the door is handled and opened frequently. Also, when the fridge is 75% full, it slows down in cooling.

How long does a refrigerator run each day?

For how many hours does your refrigerator runs every day? Generally, they run for eight hours. But what is more significant in the entire process is how many wastages of energy it consumes in the process. Keep the coils clean, rust-free, set the right temperature, and incorporate the proper maintenance steps to decrease the wattage consumption.

To know how many watts your machine consumes, here are some steps to follow.

Step 1: The manufacturer’s sticker attached to the refrigerator’s front door or on the back gives you information on energy consumption.

Step 2: You must also check the voltage and amp stickers. You don’t need to learn physics for that. All you need to do is multiply the voltage number with the amp number to get you net wattage energy consumption.

Step 3: To know the exact usage of watt energy per day, multiply eight that is the number of hours the refrigerator runs per day with the total number of watt obtained in step 2. The answer you will obtain will be in watt-hour. Convert it into kilowatt-hour.

How often should a fridge cycle on and off?

Every refrigerator follows a cyclic process of running throughout the day.  It is during this time when the compressor pushes cold air into the fridge.

The cyclic process’s timing depends on the size, model, and capacity of the compressor in case of a particular refrigerator. For new models, the time can be 50% of the total time, and it can be 90% for those machines whose compressor is more than 15 years old.

Read also: How does a refrigerator work?

There is no standardized refrigeration cyclic process, but on average, the cycle is of 30 minutes when you keep your refrigerator switched off.

Certain factors affect the cyclic process. They are; the air’s external temperature; the content and space occupied inside the fridge, and even how often you open the door of the fridge, affect the period between on and off the refrigeration cycle.

Factors that can cause a delay in the cooling process

  1. Leaking cold air through the fridge is one of the most common reasons for delaying the cooling process. The rubber insulation around the door’s inner lining wears out with usage, and soon a time comes when trapped cold air escapes from the opening. In such a case, colossal pressure is imposed on the motor and the compressor to generate cold air. Ultimately, they also breakdown and cause complete failure of the fridge.
  2. Excessive packing of food inside the fridge can block the air pockets through which the cold air circulates throughout the fridge. There will be an unwanted sudden rise in temperature, imposing excessive pressure on the thermostat that might break down the thermostat’s inner components.
  3. Furthermore, over time dirt and dust gets accumulated into the coils of the fridge. These coils prevent the conversion of gases into liquids that eventually slows down the cyclic process. Therefore, timely maintenance of the internal parts of the machines is indispensable.    


Now you might have gained ample knowledge about the cyclic process of cooling. It is essential to abide by the guidelines mentioned in the owner’s manual. Interval maintenance with conscious usage of the device can extend the shelf life of your device.

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