# Dumb question that stumped me!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 22, 2002, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-that-stumped-me/120145 "2002-07-22T00:38:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Craneop2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Craneop2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Craneop2)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-that-stumped-me/120145/1 "2002-07-22T00:38:19Z")
Scenario… Wife comes back from making a sandwich in the kitchen… Snuggles up and asks “Honey why is there a light in the refrigerator but not in the freezer??”… Blank stare…I dunno but I bet I can find out!! Any answers folks?? ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-that-stumped-me/120145/2 "2002-07-22T01:00:45Z")
Hmm. Can a regular light work in sub-zero (Celcius) temperatures? ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-that-stumped-me/120145/3 "2002-07-22T01:01:57Z")
Well, that’s a dumb answer. Of course they can. BUT: can really small ones pull it off? Is there a moisture problem with all the possible ice? ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-that-stumped-me/120145/4 "2002-07-22T01:05:06Z")
My guesses: 1. Hard to find a bulb that would handle that much temp change. 2. It saves the manufacturer 6 dollars. 3. Frozen shrimps prefer the darkness. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-that-stumped-me/120145/5 "2002-07-22T01:17:52Z")
My freezer has one. It’s covered by a translucent piece of plastic. ---
**Author:** ![jmizzou](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/edb3f5/32.png) [@jmizzou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmizzou)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-that-stumped-me/120145/6 "2002-07-22T01:35:32Z")
I would guess because: a) The freezer is usually opened less frequently than the refrigerator, so why bother? b) The freezer is so little, you don’t need a light to see everything. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-that-stumped-me/120145/7 "2002-07-22T02:17:11Z")
Since this is MPSIMS anyway - I think the question is “Why is there a light in the fridge?” The fridge is likely to have snacks and drinks that you might want late at night or when you’ve got a movie going and you don’t want to turn lights on. Said items don’t need any preparation, so all you need is enough light to find them. Items in the freezer, however, will always need some kind of preparation, so you will (probably) always have a room light on when you are getting stuff out of the freezer. This wouldn’t hold true for ice, but almost all fridges have an ice dispenser - which is lighted (at least mine is). ---
**Author:** ![cmosdes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cmosdes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmosdes)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-that-stumped-me/120145/8 "2002-07-22T03:00:43Z")
**Zyada** - You obviously are not an officianodo of such things as frozen snickers, frozen kisses, frozen chocolate chip cookies, etc… they need no prep. As for the OP, I can only speculate: The heat from the light is of more concern in the freezer than the fridge. Freezers were at one time just a part of the fridge, and when moved to a different compartment the light just wasn’t moved with it. Freezer space is cramped already, so why take up extra room with a light? The reason I really think: The bulb will heat up quickly if the freezer door is left ajar for any length of time. This will cause moisture to form on the bulb. When the freezer is closed again and the bulb is frozen once more, the bulb will likely break due to the stresses. It was easier to just not to put a bulb in there than to 1) find a bulb that could withstand the stresses or 2) design a system with the added expense. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-that-stumped-me/120145/9 "2002-07-22T03:01:11Z")
> [@](#): > > Items in the freezer, however, will always need some kind of preparation ::opens freezer door:: ::stares at ice cream and other ice cream and yet more ice cream:: 😉 well, OK, so there are a couple frozen chickens and pork chops in the back… ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-that-stumped-me/120145/10 "2002-07-22T03:13:09Z")
Ok, I’ll buy the frozen snickers. But wouldn’t you need a bowl and a scoop for the ice cream? No? ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-that-stumped-me/120145/11 "2002-07-22T04:30:12Z")
Today’s side-by-side refrigerator/freezers almost always have a light in the freezer half. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-that-stumped-me/120145/12 "2002-07-22T09:42:41Z")
Hehe, **Walloon**. I was just about to ask what the hell people were talking about. We’ve had side-by-sides my entire life and I don’t think I’ve ever even seen a freezer that didn’t have a light. jayjay ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-that-stumped-me/120145/13 "2002-07-22T10:51:22Z")
Mine is an ancient “upside down fridge” – the freezer compartment sits below the fridge part. Both sections have a light. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-that-stumped-me/120145/14 "2002-07-22T12:36:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zyada \* > \*\*Ok, I’ll buy the frozen snickers. But wouldn’t you need a bowl and a scoop for the ice cream? > > No? \*\* Nah, just a spoon! ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-that-stumped-me/120145/15 "2002-07-22T12:40:46Z")
Well, the side-by-side freezers generally have more room than the ones above the fridge, right? So they’d need a light. But the smaller areas - as said above - wouldn’t need one, since you can pretty much see everything rather easily. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-that-stumped-me/120145/16 "2002-07-22T14:05:01Z")
The bulb in the freezer burnt out and has to be replaced? Haj ---
**Author:** ![cmosdes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cmosdes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmosdes)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-that-stumped-me/120145/17 "2002-07-22T23:57:46Z")
**Zyada** So if you think ice cream requires prep, what in a fridge doesn’t? Surely most things in your fridge will usually require just as much (or little) prep as ice cream, no? ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-that-stumped-me/120145/18 "2002-07-23T01:17:51Z")
Years ago, the light in our ancient refrigerator burned out and we couldn’t find a replacement. We lived without a refrigerator light for over 5 years, and it was incredibly difficult to maneuver in there. We ended up storing most of the food to the fronts of the shelves, since you just couldn’t see what was farther back. The freezer, on the other hand, was fairly visible, because it was smaller. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-that-stumped-me/120145/19 "2002-07-23T01:32:35Z")
I’m with **hajaro**. Are you the first owners of this fridge? Is it possible that you just never realized that there is a light bulb behind that pale plastic strip at the back near the controls?