Do Wine Fridges Have CFC?

CFCs in Fridges

• CFCs can actually be found in two forms in wine fridges. The first is as a coolant/refrigerant, usually located in the cooling circuits at the back of the fridge. In addition, CFCs may also be present in fridges in the insulating foam that surrounds the cold case. The insulating foam is sometimes created using a blowing agent to expand the foam, and it is this blowing agent that contains CFCs. According to the Renewable Energy Database, researchers in the 1980s estimated that in the United Kingdom alone, there were as many as 75,000 tons of CFCs trapped in existing fridge insulation foam.

Government Regulations

• In 1987, the United States (along with certain European countries) signed the Montreal Protocol, an agreement to phase out CFCs. The original 1987 agreement only covered CFCs present in aerosol cans, but later revisions to the treaty addressed CFC in fridges and wine fridges. The Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) Phase-out Management Plan developed for the Montreal Protocol set forth expectations that CFCs would be completely phased out by 2030, though countries could comply sooner if they wanted.

CFC Replacement in Wine Fridges

• A number of popular wine fridge brands have already phased out CFCs in their wine coolers and other refrigerated products. Instead of using ozone-depleting substances such as CFCs or HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons), these companies often use pentane or isobutane instead.

Odds of Purchasing a New Wine Fridge Containing CFCs

• If you purchase a new wine fridge in the United States or Europe today, it is very unlikely that you will buy a unit that contains CFCs. Most wine fridge makers have already made the switch to different types of coolants, either for environmental reasons or to entice increasingly eco-conscious consumers to their brand.