Refrigerators, freezers, and wine coolers are among any household’s major energy consumers. In fact, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Residential Energy Consumption Survey, the refrigerator is the second-largest user of electricity (13.7%), right behind the air conditioner (14.1%).

BLDC motors use electronic instead of mechanical commutation to control the power distribution to the motor. Latching Hall-effect sensors, mounted in the motor, are used to measure the motor’s position, which is communicated to the electronic controller to spin the motor at the right time and right orientation.

Design engineers have used reed switches in low-power, battery-operated applications for four key reasons.