DOMELRE: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|First domestic electrical refrigerator}} |
{{Short description|First domestic electrical refrigerator}} |
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[[File:DOMELRE refrigerator advertisement from 1914.png|thumb|DOMELRE refrigerator advertisement from 1914]] |
[[File:DOMELRE refrigerator advertisement from 1914.png|thumb|DOMELRE refrigerator advertisement from 1914]] |
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Revision as of 14:05, 2 September 2021
 | This article's factual accuracy is disputed. |
DOMELRE (an acronym of Domestic Electric Refrigerator) was the first domestic electrical refrigerator, invented by Frederick William Wolf Jr. (1879–1954) in 1913 and produced starting in 1914 by Wolf's Mechanical Refrigerator Company in Chicago. Several hundred units were made. The unit replaced the block of ice in the icebox with an electrical-powered cooling device,[1] and was completely automatic.[2]
Labelled as the "first electrical refrigerator",[3] It has been described as "revolutionary" in the history of domestic refrigeration.[4]
History
DOLMERE was invented by Frederick William Wolf Jr. (American engineer also known as Fred W. Wolf Jr., 1879-1954), a charter member of the American Society of Refrigerating Engineers, in 1913. An estimated several hundred to thousands of units were produced starting in 1914 by his Mechanical Refrigerator Company in Chicago.[1][2][3][5] Fred Heideman was also involved in the unit's design.[1] In 1916 Wolf sold the rights to the invention to Henry Joy, president of Packard Motor Car Company in Detroit, which released an upgraded version under the name ISKO.[1][2][3] Having sold about a thousand more models, Joy's company nonetheless went bankrupt in 1922.[1]
Commercially, DOMELRE was described as "a quick hit".[5] The unit was considered relatively inexpensive for its time.[3] The original model was sold for $900 ($24,450 in 2021 dollars);[5] the 1916 model was priced at $385 in 1916 ($9,600 in 2021 dollars), later dropping to $275 ($6,850 in 2021 dollars).[1]
Significance
DOMELRE has been described as "revolutionary" in the history of domestic refrigeration.[4] It has been described as the "first domestic refrigerator",[6] the "first household refrigerator",[7] the "first electrical refrigerator",[3] the "first successful, mass marketed package automatic electric refrigeration unit",[3] "the first plug-in refrigeration unit",[2] "the first mass-produced small refrigeration system",[2] or just as "the domestic electric refrigerator".[8]
DOMELRE contained a number of innovations not found in prior domestic refrigerators, such as offering automatic temperature control by thermostat, an air cooled condenser that did not require water, and not the least, it also introduced a freezing tray for ice cubes.[3][4]
A 2005 assessment of the history of the ice delivery business in the New York Times concluded that the technology that DOMELRE pioneered gradually led to the end of that business in New York by 1950.[9]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Nagengast, Bernard (2004). "Electric refrigerators vital contribution to households". ASHRAE Journal. 46 (11): 11–16.
- ^ a b c d e Nagengast, Bernard (2007). "Re-Inventing the Wheel in HVAC&R Technology: History Does Repeat!". ASHRAE Transactions. 113 (1): 186–191.
- ^ a b c d e f g "DOMELRE First Electric Refrigerator | ashrae.org". www.ashrae.org. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
- ^ a b c Nagengast, Bernard (2000-05-01). "It's a Cool Story". Mechanical Engineering. 122 (05): 56–63. doi:10.1115/1.2000-MAY-3. ISSN 0025-6501.
- ^ a b c "Air Conditioning and Refrigeration History - part 3 - Greatest Engineering Achievements of the Twentieth Century". www.greatachievements.org. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
- ^ Lydia Bjornlund (1 August 2015). How the Refrigerator Changed History. ABDO. p. 13. ISBN 978-1-62969-771-0.
- ^ Watkins, Helen (2006-04-01). "Beauty Queen, Bulletin Board and Browser: Rescripting the refrigerator". Gender, Place & Culture. 13 (2): 143–152. doi:10.1080/09663690600573742. ISSN 0966-369X.
- ^ Rodriguez-Martinez, Veronica; Velazquez, Gonzalo; Massa-Barrera, Sofia; Welti-Chanes, Jorge; Fagotti, Fabian; Torres, J. Antonio (2019-09-01). "Estimation of Safety and Quality Losses of Foods Stored in Residential Refrigerators". Food Engineering Reviews. 11 (3): 184–199. doi:10.1007/s12393-019-09192-1. ISSN 1866-7929.
- ^ O'Donnell, Edward T. (July 31, 2005). "The Dawn of New York's Ice Age". New York Times. Retrieved August 1, 2021.