Large heatsinks in refrigerator?

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Using large aluminum heatsinks in a refrigerator to maintain cold temperatures when the door is open is less effective than using water jugs. Water has a heat capacity four times greater than aluminum, making it a better option for stabilizing temperature. The discussion highlights that cold air escapes quickly when the door is open, and having more cold mass inside helps with recovery once the door is closed. Additionally, a full refrigerator is more energy-efficient, as it minimizes the volume of cooled air lost. Overall, water jugs are deemed more practical and useful than aluminum heatsinks for this purpose.
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I'm trying to keep my refrigerator cold when I have the door open and have read about putting water jugs in the back to help stabilize the temperature when the door is left ajar. Instead of water, would large aluminum heatsinks (with fins) work just as well?

Thanks

Don
 
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Compare the heat capacities.
 
Water has a heat capacity 4 times that of aluminum, but If I can position the heat sinks in the front of the refrigerator (closer to the incoming warm air), will that be just as effective as water jugs in the back?
 
Wasn't talking about specific heats. The point was to compare volume of non-useable space in the fridge. Cold air is going to be falling from the fridge quite rapidly and being replaced by warm air. The more cold "mass" present in the space, the quicker the recovery when you close the door. As far as cooling the incoming air on the way in, why worry about it?
 
I don't really understand what you are trying to do. A jug of water sitting behind your fridge doesn't really do anything except maybe block airflow. And a heatsink -- is it connected to anything? And leaving the fridge open -- are you trying to destroy it while providing cumbersome heating to the room it is in?

This really makes no sense.
 
russ_watters said:
I don't really understand what you are trying to do. A jug of water sitting behind your fridge doesn't really do anything except maybe block airflow. And a heatsink -- is it connected to anything? And leaving the fridge open -- are you trying to destroy it while providing cumbersome heating to the room it is in?

This really makes no sense.

Sitting in the back of the fridge, not behind it.
Having a full fridge reduces the power usage. When the fridge is opened the volume of cooled air escaping is much less than if the fridge was empty.
I put water bottles in as they're useful, unlike Al blocks. Although, I bet I'd get more power savings from thinking about what I'd like to eat/drink before staring into the fridge blankly..
 

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