There are many urban myths circulating in society, but it seems there could be some validity to one popular example – and it’s probably not for the reasons you’d anticipate.
According to appliance manufacturer Whirlpool, having a substantial number of fridge magnets on your fridge could adversely affect your bills.
Whirlpool explained the genuine concern isn’t the magnets’ influence on power consumption, but rather the potential deterioration to your fridge’s door.
As reported by the site CMU, a spokesman from Whirlpool stated that if excessive magnets are clustered together, it could place weight strain on the door hinges, potentially diminishing the appliance’s lifespan.
This is comparable to the issue of people fixing padlocks to bridges. One “lovelock” isn’t a concern, but several thousand can contribute considerable weight to the structure and potentially trigger issues.
A spokesman from Whirlpool said: “If you only use a few magnets, you shouldn’t expect the refrigerator to operate poorly. The only downside might be some scratches on the surface.”
Nevertheless, he added, if the magnets build up, the risks of mechanical damage escalate due to the surplus weight placing pressure on the fridge’s structure.
That said, not all companies share Whirlpool’s assessment and have examined the problem from alternative perspectives. Numerous other bodies saw no problem with fridge magnets impacting a refrigerator’s exterior or running expenses.
Energy provider Endesa rejected the notion entirely as “completely false”, elaborating that magnets are “so insignificant to the refrigerator’s operation that their magnetic fields don’t even penetrate the fridge doors.”
The Organisation of Consumers and Users (OCU) similarly endorsed this position, noting that whilst magnetic fields can interact with electrical currents, the magnets on refrigerators are too feeble to affect energy consumption, irrespective of quantity.
Technology giant LG declared: “Magnets on the outside of a refrigerator have no impact on energy use, lifespan, or food preservation.
Although fridge magnets won’t covertly inflate your energy bills, it remains sensible to assess how many adorn yours and whether the extra weight is placing strain on your hinges.
