Fridges can explode but it’s rare unless you live in the UK where there have been five explosions reported in the past three years. The cause is the potentially explosive refrigerant R600a, which is used in an estimated 500 million fridges in Europe. So the risk of an explosion is still extremely low.

R600a is the hydrocarbon isobutane, which is a component of LPG – and in the wrong circumstances, LPG components can be highly explosive. LPG also contains propane and this was the refrigerant used in the Tamahere cool store that exploded with tragic results in 2008.

So why use such apparently dangerous products like R600a as refrigerants? It’s because they make refrigerators much more energy efficient. The Australian Consumer organisation Choice recently tested two Electrolux models, which are not available here yet. They achieved the best ever scores for energy efficiency: a perfect 10/10. R600a also doesn’t lead to ozone depletion.

Not just fridges

But if for safety’s sake you're tempted to put the fridge out in the garden, you should be aware that a can of fly spray can contain two times as much isobutane as any fridge using R600a. Isobutane is widely used as the propellant in products such as hair spray, paint, whipped cream in a can and more.

Fridge manufacturers using R600a must comply with a safety standard, which has been upgraded since the fridges that exploded in the UK were made. Thermostats and door switches must be explosion-proofed or kept out of the storage compartment so they can’t cause a spark that might trigger an explosion inside the fridge.

There’s also a limit on the amount of R600a that can be used in any refrigerator or freezer – so that an explosive mixture can’t be formed in a kitchen.

Most Kiwi households won’t have a fridge using R600a because they haven’t been available here except for niche-market brands like Gram and Liebherr. Electrolux has recently introduced them and told us it has taken great care to make sure its fridges will be safe to use throughout their life. Its models comply with all safety standards.

  Hamish Wilson - Testing Manager

Comments

Post a comment

Be the first to comment!

Post a comment