Coolers and Houses

Today, I realized that ice coolers and houses have a lot in common. They are both designed to achieve a high level of airtightness and insulation to minimize heat transfer. Let's rewind a little to explain how I reached that comparison.

Our family has been using a cheap cooler from Canadian Tire for the past decade. We've used it on camping trips to store raw meat, milk, and eggs for a few days. Although we haven't had any issues, after researching the subject, I realized that cheaper coolers may not keep raw food at a safe temperature: 4°C or below.

So, as I typically do, I started researching everything about coolers. Did you know that the good ones cost hundreds of dollars? What I found interesting is that smaller coolers have a harder time maintaining a low temperature because they have more surface area relative to their volume. For example, a 14L cooler has a 0.35m² surface area, which is 248 cm² per litre. A 47L cooler, on the other hand, has a surface area of 0.79m², which is 166 cm² per litre. The 47L cooler holds 3.3 times the volume but has only 2.2 times more surface area. It works the same way with houses. The smaller the house, the more difficult it is to keep it cool or warm.

Airtightness is another important factor in a cooler's performance. Coolers with a gasket around the rim of the opening keep cool air in and hot air out. Even a tiny gap can compromise the cooler's insulating performance.

Again, the same applies to houses. Airtightness is just as important as the amount and continuity of insulation. In houses, air leakage not only leads to poor performance but can also cause moisture issues within walls, since air carries a lot of moisture with it.

And the cooler? Well, we still haven’t pulled the trigger on a Yeti yet.