Your fridge and your freezer are two major sources of EMF radiation. So what do you do about it and how can you know when you are safe?
Here’s everything you need to know in order to stay safe around your fridge in your freezer.
Table of Contents
How Much EMF Is Emitted From Fridges & Freezers?
Your refrigerator and your freezer will emit high levels of magnetic fields. This is the main source of the EMF radiation being emitted from your refrigerator.
The problem is that refrigerators have a generator that runs whenever the fridge is actively cooling. This generator generates a huge electromagnetic field around it. Using an EMF meter is the only way to know exactly how much radiation is being emitted and where the source of the radiation is (the generator inside the fridge).
Here are some numbers from my refrigerator:
First, let’s see how much magnetic field radiation we have right next to the fridge. This measurement is taken 1 inch from the fridge:
The reason here is 23 mG. This is a very high reading. Building biologists are advising people to always stay below 1 mG.
Here’s another reading I did at around 1 foot away from the refrigerator:
As you can see, now the radiation is down to 1 mG which is exactly where we want it to be. This is great because a 1-foot distance is easy to obtain. You just need to make sure to never place the fridge directly up against the wall if you want to be able to use a chair at the other side of the table.
It’s always a good idea to leave your fridge or your freezer at least a couple of inches away from the wall. This will make the heating and cooling mechanism work much better because the system can circulate the air. So, this tip is not only in order to reduce the EMF radiation it is also to make sure the fridge is working properly.
I should mention here that the freezer I have used for the example above is not a very strong one. You might find that your refrigerator or freezer he has a much stronger cooling system and a stronger generator built-in.
This will cause it to email it more EMF radiation.
It’s always important to do your own readings in your own environment because other factors might come into play. You should only use my example above as what it is: an example.
The good news here is that the meter I’m using above is relatively cheap. Even though this meter is being used by scientists and building biologist it actually cost less than $200.
Here’s more info about it
If you get this meter you will be able to make sure all sorts of EMF radiation. There are basically five different types of EMF radiation we care about:
- ELF (extremely low frequency)
- RF (radio frequencies)
- Magnetic fields (like fridges and freezers)
- Electric fields
- Dirty electricity
Here’s an easy introduction to the five types of EMF.
You will be able to measure all these five different types of radiation with the meter idling to above. The ELF radiation is basically magnetic and electric fields and dirty electricity is also measured as V/m which the meter can do.
Do I Need EMF Shielding For My Refridgerator?
Unless you have some very good reasons to stand or sit right next to your refrigerator during the daytime there’s no need to put up shielding around it. As we will see in the next section, it’s pretty easy to get rid of the radiation by removing yourself one or 2 feet away from the source.
But if you had to use the space right next to the refrigerator here’s how you would do it.
You would need to use EMF protective paint. I have created a very thorough guide here on how to use and apply EMF protective paint. It works by blocking the wall and grounding it so the radiation disappears down into the ground with the grounding rod.
It’s actually not that hard to figure out and apply.
With the guide above you will be done in no time. You might have an electrician take a look at it in order to get it connected to your grounding rod properly.
It’s a very important step of the process because otherwise, it might not do much good. The paint itself is actually conductive but according to the manufacturer you need to ground it.
Can I Sleep Near My Refrigerator?
You can sleep pretty close to your refrigerator as long as you are at least a couple of feet away. If you cannot do any readings on your specific models I would advise you to stay at least 4 to 5 feet away.
It’s important to mention here that the recommended EMF levels for electronic fields are much lower for night time than daytime. This is because our bodies need to rest more during the night than during the day. In order to enter into a deep sleep you need values like these:
Advised limits for night time:
- Magnetic fields: 1 mG (0.1 for hypersensitive people)
- Electric fields: 1.5 V/m (0.3 for hypersensitive people)
Advises limits for day time:
- Magnetic fields: 1 mG (0.1 for hypersensitive people)
- Electric fields: 10 V/m (0.3 for hypersensitive people)
But the best way to go about it is to get an EMF meter and do some readings on your fridge as well as the other kitchen appliances that will typically be close to it. You might find that your micro oven, your induction stove burner, and other appliances are causing problems too.
It’s important to know what you have on the other side of the wall from your bedroom. If you’re living in the middle of a big apartment building you might not be able to find out without asking your neighbor.
If you are sensitive to EMF you will need to be sure they haven’t placed a kitchen right up against the wall.
If that’s the case, you will need to do some readings around your wall in order to locate the magnetic fields as well as problems with electric fields or even dirty electricity.
You can also start by moving your bed to the other side of the room if you know what’s at the other side of the wall here. You might find that you get much better sleep there and in that case, you should leave the bed over at that wall.
It’s never advised to sleep anywhere close to appliances such as:
- Refrigerators
- Freezers
- Washers
- Dryers
They tend to have electric motors and/or generators with do emit very strong electronic and magnetic fields around them. It’s impossible to say exactly what a safe distance is without doing any readings. But just remember that these fields are reduced quickly so you don’t need to go to the next room.
As soon as you move away a couple of feet you are typically in a safe zone where you find less than 1 mG (magnetic fields) and less than 10 V/m (electronic fields).
How To Block EMF From A Fridge
The good news here is that the electronic field (and the magnetic field) decreases quickly as you move away from the refrigerator. Even though we are talking about harmful and bad types of radiation it’s pretty easy to eliminate the radiation around you when you know how.
You just need to add distance.
Every time you double the distance to the fridge you lower the amount of radiation by four times. This is known as the inverse-square law.
So, what is a safe distance to the fridge?
Typically, whenever you step 2-3 feet away from the refrigerator the EMF radiation will be less than the 1 mG (milliGauss). This is the safe level that is advised by building biologists. It’s pretty easy to do and when you are aware of this you can avoid sitting right next to it.
The problem typically arises when you place the fridge (or the freezer) right up against the wall inside the house.
When that happens, you might also be placing furniture or even a bit up against the wall at the opposite side of the kitchen. This is a big mistake because the wall will not shield the magnetic field very much.
It’s really important to know exactly what’s at the other side of the wall. You should also check this if you are living in an apartment right next to another apartment. You might find that your neighbor has placed his/her bed on the other side of the wall which can be dangerous in the long run.