Food Kitchen Tools & Products Kitchen Appliances How Does a Refrigerator Work? In the refrigeration cycle, there are five basic components: fluid refrigerant; a compressor, which controls the flow of refrigerant; the condenser coils (on the outside of the fridge); the evaporator coils (on the inside of the fridge); and something called an expansion device. Here's how they interact to cool your food. By Nicole Sforza Nicole Sforza Nicole Sforza is a former senior editor at Real Simple and Home Magazine with more than 15 years of experience. Today, she is is the executive editor of Yahoo Lifestyle, Commerce. Highlights: * Former vice president of marketing at Underbuilt.com * Author of three books: "Mrs. Meyer's Clean Home," "You're So Invited: Panic Less, Play More, and Get Your Party On," and "Domino: Your Guide to a Stylish Home" Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on February 6, 2023 Fact checked by Isaac Winter Fact checked by Isaac Winter Isaac Winter is a fact-checker and writer for Real Simple, ensuring the accuracy of content published by rigorously researching content before publication and periodically when content needs to be updated. Highlights: Helped establish a food pantry in West Garfield Park as an AmeriCorps employee at Above and Beyond Family Recovery Center. Interviewed Heartland Alliance employees for oral history project conducted by the Lake Forest College History Department. Editorial Head of Lake Forest College's literary magazine, Tusitala, for two years. Our Fact-Checking Process Share Tweet Pin Email 1. The compressor constricts the refrigerant vapor, raising its pressure, and pushes it into the coils on the outside of the refrigerator.2. When the hot gas in the coils meets the cooler air temperature of the kitchen, it becomes a liquid.3. Now in liquid form at high pressure, the refrigerant cools down as it flows into the coils inside the freezer and the fridge.4. The refrigerant absorbs the heat inside the fridge, cooling down the air.5. Last, the refrigerant evaporates to a gas, then flows back to the compressor, where the cycle starts all over. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit