Which Household Appliances Contain Magnets?

Whether conventional magnet or electromagnet, both types of magnets are now found in countless household appliances, where they perform a variety of functions.

However, some doctors and naturopaths view the abundance of magnets in our homes and throughout our surroundings with skepticism. Although conventional medicine has not yet been able to prove that magnets have a disruptive effect on the human body, it doesn't hurt to know which household appliances and everyday objects contain magnets. Here is an overview:

For cooling appliances such as refrigerators and freezers to work, a special coolant has to circulate inside them. This coolant flows in a circuit controlled by various valves and thermostats. This is exactly where magnets are used as switching elements. In addition, every refrigerator has an electric motor as its drive, which also works with a built-in electromagnet. Incidentally, most refrigerator and freezer failures are caused by a small magnetic switch that no longer opens and/or closes. So it is a part costing just a few cents that leads to entire appliances being thrown away. Very few repair technicians still fix such small components today.

Whether microwave, food processor, blender, coffee maker or stove, all these appliances also work with electric motors or with the help of electrical energy and therefore contain magnets. Just as in a refrigerator or freezer, they serve on the one hand as a basic element of the drive motor; on the other hand, magnets are also used in switches and relays to control the corresponding circuits.

Today the doorbell also almost always works with an electric motor and therefore contains a magnet. Often an additional magnet is used in the built-in speaker that produces the signal when the bell is pressed. The same applies to the door opener. This is an electromagnetic switch that is larger compared with the circuit. When the door opener is activated, the switch interrupts the magnetic force, allowing the door to be opened. When the switch is not activated, the door is held closed.

Many people would not believe it, but even children's toys often have built-in magnets. This starts with toys for the very youngest. Wind-up mobiles, musical toys and the like almost always have a speaker and therefore built-in magnets too. Later come all kinds of electronic games, including those with a built-in electric motor, which also means magnets are installed. Not to forget: the well-known baby monitor, a device for keeping an eye on our baby when we are not nearby. It contains both a microphone and a speaker, so we find at least two magnets inside.

Whether gas, oil or electric heating, magnets are used for a variety of functions in almost every type of heating system. They are found in particularly large numbers in electric heaters. This may also be why some experts prefer a conventional oil or gas heating system to electric heating. Even systems such as heat pumps for using geothermal energy need magnets to switch the corresponding control circuits.

We don't usually get to see them, but magnets accompany us everywhere in everyday life. We find them all over household and electrical appliances, for example in the washing machine, the TV or the ceiling light. Should we be worried about this? Most experts say no. After all, on Earth we are already surrounded by a huge magnetic field, so why should the small magnets in our homes have any harmful effect on our health? In addition, more and more devices are being switched to digital technology, so the use of magnets in household appliances will decline in the long term.