Pros and Cons of Top Mount Refrigerators
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GE Top Mount Refrigerator Service Repair Manual
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Whirlpool 9.6 Cu. Ft. Top-Mount Refrigerator - White
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I am sure the answer is yes. Since heat rises, the absense of heat, cold, falls. That's why you put ice on top of drinks in an ice chest. So, in the early refrigerators, the source of cooling was put at the top of the refrigerator (still, in spite of the "cold falls," the lowest part of these refrigerators was the part farthest away from the source of cold and, therefore, the warmest. By the way, these refrigerators did not have fans forcing the air throughout the interior of the refrigerator as do most of the refrigerators manufactured today (which allows for frost-free refrigerators). Since today's refrigerator technology involves fan forced air, I don't see why it would make much difference where the freezer is placed.
By the way, Sarahd, thanks for asking.
The Standard Refrigerator
There must be a reason that the top mount freezer refrigerator is the most common configuration for this appliance. Also, the less expensive models have the across the top freezer. The early refrigerators usually had a freezing compartment for ice cubes and a half gallon of ice cream at the top -- if not across the full width, then part of it, as was the case with our 1950's vintage Kelvinator. Perhaps there is an economic advantage. . . because convenience-wise, this design misses the boat.
So what is the problem? Reallly, refrigerators are miracle appliances because they add so much to life. People live without clothes washers, dishwashers, but who does not have at least a small refrigerator? And even in a college dormitory those tiny refrigerator units are more used than the microwave oven. Since it is so wonderful, people don't complain about them too much. But, they should complain about the top mount design unless they are extremely short.
As I wrote in the Side by Side Refrigerator hub, the refrigerator section is far more used than the freezer section. It make design sense to have the refrigerator area at the most convenient level. The top mount design devotes the most convenient height to the partition between the freezer and refrigerator sections. The top refrigerator shelf is usually the one that allows for the tallest items (yes, I know that most units have adjustable shelves, and this is the way most people arrange them). The lower shelves are for shorter items. To see them well, the consumer must bend over or actually sit on the floor to move things around on the lower shelves of the appliance.
The freezer, since it is at the top of the unit, may have a shelf, but it will not have a pull out shelf. In the smaller units, because there is little room, this is not a problem. But some across the top freezer refrigerators are the same volume as the larger side by sides and bottom mounts. A good size top freezer with one shelf will usually mean some scrambling and rearranging when you are looking for that frozen pork roast to thaw for tomorrow's dinner.
The freezer should be at the bottom, and the refrigerator should be at the top. This design was common in the late 1950's for higher end refrigerators, and it has made a comback.
sarahd says:
3 years ago
is there a mechanical reason that top freezer has been the norm for so long?