Patricia - Inventions

The refrigerator: a useful and interesting invention of the modern world. One of the most notable inventions we use daily at our homes is the refrigerator, also called fridge. Its history is very interesting but a little bit confusing, because there are a lot of people involved in the creation of this household appliance. The first known artificial refrigeration system was demonstrated by William Cullen at the University of Glasgow in 1748.However, he didn´t use his discovery for anything. In 1805, an American inventor called Oliver Evans, designed the first vapor-compression refrigeration machine, but only in 1834, Jacob Perkins modified Evans' original design, building the world's first refrigerator and filing the first legal patent for refrigeration using vapor-compression. In 1918, William C. Durant started the Frigidaire Company in order to begin the first mass production of refrigerators. Until then, the refrigerating system needed to use some flammable and toxic gases and only on 1980s more efficient refrigerators were developed providing a safer and low-toxic device. The great advantage of having a fridge at home is the reduction of spoilage of foodstuff. It permits people to eat more fruits, vegetables and meat that can be stored for longer periods. Keeping the food and drinks in the fridge is healthy and hygienic because it decreases the reproduction rate of bacteria. Another advantage we can mention is the duration of the product. Some fridges can last for more than 10 years with a good performance. A disadvantage of fridges, nowadays, is the great energy expenditure because it needs to be plugged 24hs a day. Despite some modern models being equipped with a thermostat that can control the temperature and turn off the freezing system, it is still very expensive to maintain a refrigerator. Finally, the refrigerator is such a miracle of the modern world that we sometimes don´t give it the deserved recognition. In my opinion, every the little thing that can make our life easier and healthier must be valued. The fridge can be a common and silly thing for many people, but try to live without one to see how difficult it is.