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A refrigerator works by moving heat.
Its refrigeration system absorbs heat from inside the cabinet and releases that heat into the surrounding room through components such as the condenser.
That's why the back or sides of a refrigerator can feel warm during operation.
Leaving a normal refrigerator door open won't cool a closed room overall; the appliance ultimately releases at least as much heat into the room as it removes from its interior.
Your refrigerator is essentially a machine for transporting heat from one place to another.
© U.S. Department of Energy