From Salting to Freezing: How Refrigeration Technology Has Changed

Refrigeration has a history

Refrigeration technology has a history all its own and The Refrigeration School, Inc. teaches courses in its application. Located in Phoenix, Arizona, RSI offers refrigeration classes in the theory and techniques to maintain and repair HVAC/R units. Perhaps you are a student beginning your HVAC/R training in commercial refrigeration or domestic refrigeration units, or maybe you are just interested in learning about refrigeration technologies. Either way, you can learn about the changes in refrigeration techniques over time.

Salting food was a common preservation method before the invention of refrigerators. Bacteria cannot survive in salt, so rubbing dry salt on food or covering it in a salt solution called brine can help keep meat and other foods from spoiling. Some people had the advantage of an icehouse to cool their food to preserve it, which was the earliest form of a refrigerator.

After General Electric produced the first electric refrigerator in 1911, the wealthiest Americans could afford the luxury of having this new invention in their homes. Other people used an icebox to preserve their food. Even this was a bit expensive since water had to be frozen, then the ice had to be cut, stored, and delivered. It wasn’t until the 1930s that Freon was used in refrigerators. After WWII, refrigerators were produced in mass quantities, making them affordable and widely available in the US. They had new features like automatic defrosting and icemakers. Combination refrigerator and freezer units were immensely popular. Throughout the 1970s, 1980s and into the 1990s, environmental concerns over the use of Freon were debated and studied. Because of its estimated effect on the environment, the government put tight restrictions on the use of Freon in refrigeration equipment.

Today, just about all American households have a refrigerator. It saves time in preserving foods, is more convenient for our demanding lifestyles, and helps keep food safer for longer periods of time. Because of the number of refrigerators used in homes, businesses, and transporting food and supplies, there is a significant need for trained professionals who can repair and maintain this equipment. HVAC/R technicians are well-versed in refrigeration technologies as it cools and dehumidifies. When these systems are in need of repair, they require knowledge in the theory behind the systems and knowledge in how the equipment runs to be able to fix it. Students who are trained at RSI are equipped with both skill sets. By completing refrigeration technologies at RSI as a part of their program, capable technicians can work in the growing and highly demanded field of refrigeration.