A cooler is a gadget used to keep food and drinks cold to preserve them for a long time. It makes drinks more refreshing, especially in hot temperatures. There are a variety of coolers in the market that use different technologies. This article looks at the main categories of cooling boxes and their properties.
Introduction
One requires a cooler whenever you require storing food, especially when the temperatures are high. A cooler is a very useful gadget at home for food storage. Most coolers are portable and can be used to preserve food and refreshments when one is traveling. They are also used in other places like hospitals and food stores to preserve perishables. The main types of coolers include;
The absorption cooling box
This variety uses both gas and electricity to cool. The devices contain a fluid that is heated and released into its cooling chamber to produce a cooling effect. It cools to temperatures between 20 degrees Celsius and 25 degrees Celsius below the temperature of the environment. It is completely silent, but it is not suitable for places where temperatures are very high. It is a relatively cheap and simple variety.
The compression cooling box
It uses electricity to compress its refrigerant and cools to very low temperatures where it can freeze food. It uses relatively lower energy since it is more efficient than the absorption cooler box. It can be powered by a solar panel or even a car. However, it is rather noisy, heavy, and expensive than the absorption cooler.
Thermoelectric cooling box
This is another variety of a cooler box that uses electricity to cool. It cools to temperatures of 18 degrees Celsius to the maximum below the environmental temperature. It is rather noisy and requires constant electric supply but has a lower purchase price and is light in weight. There are portable varieties of thermoelectric coolers that can be connected to a car battery for an electric supply.
The passive (simple insulated) cooling box
It is a manual cooling box filled with ice packs and cooling elements to produce a cooling effect. It can use dry ice, block ice, or ice cubes to cool. Block ice lasts the longest, while dry ice lasts the least. No electric power is required in this cold box. It is light in weight, quite portable, and cheaper. However, its capacity is slightly lower than the electricity at the absorption cooling boxesand unsuitable in very hot areas.
Conclusion
One can choose from the varieties above depending on the preferences and pocket size when one requires a cooling box. One also must consider the type of environment they will be using the coolers in and in the activities in which they will participate. For example, when one is required to go to a picnic, they require a portable box; therefore, the passive cooler box is most suitable.
The coolers are in various sizes, shapes, and designs. The market for these boxes is quite vibrant and big enough. Therefore the consumer is spoilt for choice when purchasing a cooling box and requires to do due diligence to get the best.
