Appliance manufacturer Whirlpool has said that placing a substantial number of fridge magnets on your refrigerator could have an adverse impact on your bills — not because of energy consumption, but due to potential damage to the fridge's door.
Weight on hinges
According to the site CMU, a spokesman from Whirlpool said that if too many magnets are attached, the additional weight could strain the door hinges, potentially reducing the appliance's lifespan. The company compared the issue to people attaching padlocks to bridges.
One "lovelock" poses no problem, but several thousand can add tonnes of weight to the structure and potentially cause difficulties.
Manufacturer's view
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."
However, it was noted, if the magnets accumulate, the risks of mechanical damage rise due to the excess weight placing pressure on the fridge's structure.
Differing opinions
Not all companies share Whirlpool's view. Energy firm Endesa dismissed the notion 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) backed this position, clarifying that while magnetic fields can interact with electrical currents, the magnets found on refrigerators are far too weak to influence energy consumption, regardless of how many are attached.
Tech giant LG stated: "Magnets on the outside of a refrigerator have no impact on energy use, lifespan, or food preservation. This is simply a myth."
While fridge magnets won't stealthily inflate your electricity bills, it remains worthwhile checking how many adorn your fridge and whether the additional weight is placing undue strain on the hinges.
