A bright idea for my fridge

I recently had to have the control board (aka self-destruct device*) replaced in my refrigerator. While the technician had the ceiling console, which also houses the light fixture, apart, we noticed something startling. The 40 watt incandescent light bulbs that had been in the fridge since new had begun melting the ceiling! Even though the console completely hid the damage, the technician was concerned enough to leave the light bulbs out and advised me to look into something would put off less heat.

Having recently acquired some LED bulbs to try out in lamps and light fixtures, I immediately thought they would be a good solution since they stay quite cool to the touch, even when they've been on for an extended period of time. The ones I had were physically too large so I went shopping and found a 3-pack of LED bulbs the same diameter as the original incandescents for $10 and change, which was a perfect solution since my refrigerator has two bulbs plus one in the freezer below.

I had not realized just how hot the incandescent bulbs got. In the 45 seconds or so it took to change one bulb, the other one got hot enough to blister my finger when I tried to remove it. I had to close the refrigerator and let it cool off for a few minutes before I could safely handle it. I have to wonder if that heat from those bulbs damaged not only the ceiling of the fridge but the control board as well.

These new bulbs not only put out less heat, they consume considerably less power, pulling only pull seven watts of power (the equivalent of an old fashioned Christmas tree bulb) to put out light equivalent to a 60 watt bulb. Also, the light is more of a stark white color, quite appropriate for inside a refrigerator. Being brighter and whiter, the bulbs do a better job of illuminating the formerly dark corners. Given the small amount of time those bulbs are ever on, I'm not expecting to see any savings on my power bill and I have no illusions that they will come anywhere near paying for themselves as they would in some other application where they were on more. They will instead pay for themselves by extending the life of my refrigerator. They'll also earn their keep by giving the inside of the fridge a more up to date look. All in all, it's not a bad return on a minimal investment.

*I refer to the electronic circuit boards in modern appliances, both small and large, as 'self-destruct devices' because they seem to serve as an intentional weak link designed to shorten the life of an otherwise dependable and durable device. By redesigning and discontinuing circuit boards on a regular basis, manufacturers make repairs less feasible--if they're even possible--thus pushing consumers into an endless cycle of replacing their appliances, which have been re-positioned as consumable items instead of the durable goods they once were. Remember when a vacuum cleaner lasted for decades? One thing you wouldn't find in such a machine was a circuit board.