We Measured EMF Levels Around an LG Refrigerator: Here’s What We Found

Refrigerators run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, making them one of the most continuously operating electrical appliances in most homes.

Inside a modern refrigerator are several electrical components, including a compressor, motors, fans, control boards, lighting, an ice maker, and other electronics. Whenever electrical equipment operates, it can produce measurable electric and magnetic fields.

But what do those fields actually look like around a refrigerator in a real home?

We decided to measure them ourselves.

For this test, we measured electromagnetic fields around an LG Standard-Depth 27.7-cu. ft. 36-inch Wide French Door Refrigerator with Ice Maker, finished in PrintProof stainless steel and ENERGY STAR certified.

Rather than taking a single reading and calling it the refrigerator’s “EMF level,” we wanted to investigate something more useful:

• What EMF levels can we measure around the refrigerator?
• Where are the strongest readings?
• How quickly do the measurements change as we move away from the appliance?
• Are readings different near different parts of the refrigerator?
• What happens while the refrigerator’s electrical systems are operating?
• And how should these measurements actually be interpreted?

As with our other real-world EMF experiments, this is not a controlled laboratory study.

We’re testing one refrigerator, using our EMF meter, under real-world conditions inside a home. Measurements can vary depending on the refrigerator’s operating state, distance, meter position, nearby electrical wiring, other appliances, and the measurement equipment itself.

We’re also going to distinguish between electric fields measured in volts per meter (V/m) and magnetic fields measured in milligauss (mG) rather than treating every measurement as one generic “EMF number.”

Our goal is simple: show you exactly what we measured, where we measured it, and what conclusions the results do and do not support.

Quick Summary

We tested electric and magnetic fields at multiple locations around an LG French door refrigerator and documented the readings with original photographs.

The results demonstrate why distance and measurement location matter when testing EMFs around household appliances.

Below, we’ll walk through each measurement individually, compare the readings, and then put the numbers into context using established electromagnetic-field research and exposure guidelines.

Let’s start with our first measurement.

First Measurement: About 3 Feet From the Refrigerator

We started our LG refrigerator EMF test at a distance of approximately 3 feet from the front of the appliance.

For this measurement, the refrigerator was operating normally and we held the EMF meter in our hand without touching the refrigerator.

At approximately 3 feet away, the meter recorded:

• Electric field: 0 V/m
• Magnetic field: 0.0 mG

In other words, at this particular measurement location, our meter did not detect an electric or magnetic field above its displayed minimum reading.

Why We Started at 3 Feet Away

Distance is one of the most important variables when measuring electromagnetic fields around household appliances.

Someone standing several feet away preparing food may experience a very different field strength than someone standing directly against an appliance or measuring near one of its electrical components.

That’s why we’re using this approximately 3-foot measurement as our distance baseline.

Distance / Position	Electric Field	Magnetic Field
~3 feet from front of refrigerator	0 V/m	0.0 mG

This does not mean the refrigerator produces no electromagnetic fields. It means that at approximately 3 feet from the front of this refrigerator, under the conditions of our test, the meter displayed 0 V/m and 0.0 mG.

Next, we moved closer to the refrigerator to see how much the readings changed as the distance decreased.

Second Measurement: Meter Touching the Refrigerator Door

Next, we moved the EMF meter directly against the front stainless-steel door of the LG refrigerator.

This gave us a very different measurement position from our first test at approximately 3 feet away.

With the meter touching the refrigerator, we recorded:

• Electric field: approximately 2 V/m
• Magnetic field: 0.0 mG

Distance / Position	Electric Field	Magnetic Field
~3 feet from refrigerator	0 V/m	0.0 mG
Touching front refrigerator door	~2 V/m	0.0 mG

Moving Closer Produced a Small Electric-Field Reading

At approximately 3 feet away, both displayed measurements were zero. Once we placed the meter directly against the refrigerator door, the electric-field measurement increased slightly to approximately 2 V/m.

Interestingly, the magnetic-field measurement remained at 0.0 mG at this particular location.

That doesn’t mean there are no magnetic fields anywhere around the refrigerator. A refrigerator contains multiple electrical components, and those components are not distributed evenly throughout the appliance.

The compressor, electrical wiring, fans, power electronics, and other components may produce different measurements depending on exactly where the meter is positioned.

So instead of assuming the front door represented the entire refrigerator, we continued testing other areas of the appliance to find out where the strongest readings actually occurred.

Third Measurement: What Happened When We Opened the Refrigerator Door?

Next, we opened the LG refrigerator and held the EMF meter inside the main refrigerator compartment.

This produced our highest electric-field measurement so far.

With the refrigerator door open, the meter showed:

• Electric field: approximately 98 V/m
• Magnetic field: 0.0 mG

That’s a substantial change compared with our measurements outside the refrigerator.

Test Position	Electric Field	Magnetic Field
~3 feet from refrigerator	0 V/m	0.0 mG
Touching exterior door	~2 V/m	0.0 mG
Inside refrigerator with door open	~98 V/m	0.0 mG

Why Did the Electric-Field Reading Increase Inside?

Our measurement increased from approximately 2 V/m against the exterior door to 98 V/m inside the refrigerator compartment.

There are several electrical systems inside a modern refrigerator, including interior lighting, fans, sensors, wiring, control electronics, and other components. Opening the door can also activate certain systems, particularly the interior lighting.

However, our test does not establish which component produced the 98 V/m reading. Determining the exact source would require more controlled measurements around individual components.

The stainless-steel exterior may also affect electric-field measurements between the refrigerator’s internal components and the surrounding room, but our measurements alone cannot determine how much shielding or field redistribution the enclosure provides.

What we can document is straightforward:

At the location we tested, the electric-field reading increased from 0 V/m at approximately 3 feet away, to about 2 V/m against the exterior door, and then to approximately 98 V/m when the meter was held inside the open refrigerator.

Interestingly, the magnetic-field display remained at 0.0 mG during all three measurements.

Fourth Measurement: Center of the Refrigerator Compartment

We then moved the meter farther into the refrigerator and tested near the center of the main compartment.

The electric-field reading increased again.

At this location, our meter showed approximately:

• Electric field: 175 V/m
• Magnetic field: approximately 0.2 mG

This was the highest electric-field measurement we had recorded inside the refrigerator so far.

Test Position	Electric Field	Magnetic Field
~3 feet from refrigerator	0 V/m	0.0 mG
Touching exterior door	~2 V/m	0.0 mG
Inside refrigerator, first measurement	~98 V/m	0.0 mG
Center of refrigerator compartment	~175 V/m	~0.2 mG

Location Inside the Refrigerator Clearly Mattered

Moving the meter deeper into the refrigerator changed the measurement from approximately 98 V/m to 175 V/m.

We also detected a small magnetic field of approximately 0.2 mG, compared with the 0.0 mG displayed during our previous measurements.

This reinforces something important about testing household appliances: a single measurement from the outside doesn’t necessarily tell you what’s happening closer to the appliance’s internal electrical components.

At approximately 3 feet away, our meter displayed essentially nothing. Against the stainless-steel exterior, we measured only about 2 V/m. But once we moved the meter inside the refrigerator, the electric-field readings became considerably higher.

That doesn’t tell us which individual refrigerator component produced the field, nor does a 175 V/m reading by itself establish a health risk. It simply documents what our meter detected at this specific location and operating condition.

Final Measurement: Touching the Back Wall of the Refrigerator

For our final test, we moved the meter all the way toward the back wall of the refrigerator compartment, placing it directly against the interior surface near the Multi Air Flow system.

This produced another elevated electric-field reading.

The meter showed approximately:

• Electric field: 131 V/m
• Magnetic field: 0.0 mG

Complete LG Refrigerator EMF Test Results

With our final measurement complete, here’s what we documented:

Test Position	Electric Field	Magnetic Field
~3 feet from refrigerator	0 V/m	0.0 mG
Touching exterior door	~2 V/m	0.0 mG
Inside refrigerator, door open	~98 V/m	0.0 mG
Center of refrigerator compartment	~175 V/m	~0.2 mG
Touching interior back wall	~131 V/m	0.0 mG

The Highest Reading Wasn’t Necessarily Closest to the Back Wall

This was particularly interesting.

We might have expected the reading to continue increasing as we moved the meter toward the back of the refrigerator. Instead, our highest electric-field measurement occurred near the center of the refrigerator compartment at approximately 175 V/m.

Against the back interior wall, the reading was lower at approximately 131 V/m.

That demonstrates why it can be misleading to describe an appliance as having a single “EMF level.” The fields we measured were not distributed uniformly throughout the refrigerator.

Our biggest overall observation was actually what happened with distance.

At approximately 3 feet from the refrigerator, our meter displayed 0 V/m and 0.0 mG. Directly against the exterior door, we measured only about 2 V/m. The substantially higher electric-field readings appeared when we placed the meter inside the refrigerator itself.

Of course, people don’t normally spend extended periods with their bodies inside a refrigerator. That distinction matters when interpreting these results.

Our measurements tell us what the meter detected at these specific locations. They do not, by themselves, tell us whether any of these measurements represent a health risk.

So next, let’s put the numbers into context and look at what established EMF exposure guidelines actually say.

What Do These Refrigerator EMF Readings Actually Mean?

Numbers like 175 V/m can sound high when they’re presented without context. But electromagnetic-field measurements need to be interpreted according to the type of field, frequency, distance from the source, duration of exposure, and measurement method.

Our LG refrigerator test measured two separate components:

• Electric fields, measured in volts per meter (V/m)
• Magnetic fields, measured in milligauss (mG)

These measurements are not interchangeable.

Electric fields result from voltage, while magnetic fields are associated with electrical current. Both can exist around household electrical equipment, but they behave differently. 

How Our Results Compare With Published Refrigerator Measurements

Interestingly, the World Health Organization publishes reference information for electromagnetic fields around common household appliances.

The WHO reports a typical refrigerator electric-field measurement of approximately 120 V/m at a distance of 30 centimeters, although actual measurements vary considerably between appliance models and testing conditions. 

Our measurements ranged from:

Our Test Location	Electric Field	Magnetic Field
~3 feet away	0 V/m	0.0 mG
Touching exterior door	~2 V/m	0.0 mG
Inside, door open	~98 V/m	0.0 mG
Center of refrigerator	~175 V/m	~0.2 mG
Against interior back wall	~131 V/m	0.0 mG

That comparison is interesting because our 98 to 175 V/m measurements inside the appliance are within the same general order of magnitude as the 120 V/m refrigerator value reported by WHO at 30 cm, although these are not equivalent measurement conditions and should not be treated as a direct comparison. 

How Do These Numbers Compare With Exposure Guidelines?

This requires an important qualification.

Exposure guidelines for electric and magnetic fields are frequency-dependent. Our handheld meter recorded field strength, but our test did not perform frequency-spectrum analysis. Therefore, we cannot definitively assign every measurement to a particular guideline frequency.

For context, household electrical systems commonly operate at 50 or 60 Hz, depending on the country. ICNIRP’s current low-frequency guidelines establish a general-public reference level of 5,000 V/m at 50 Hz and approximately 4,167 V/m at 60 Hz for electric fields. For magnetic flux density between 50 and 400 Hz, the reference level is 200 µT, equivalent to 2,000 mG. 

Our highest measured values were:

Electric field: ~175 V/m
Magnetic field: ~0.2 mG

Those numbers are far below the corresponding ICNIRP reference levels if the fields we measured fall within those applicable frequency ranges.

That last qualification matters. Our experiment was not a laboratory compliance test, so we should not use these measurements to officially certify that this refrigerator meets any particular exposure standard.

Distance Was Probably Our Most Useful Finding

Perhaps the most practical observation from our experiment wasn’t the 175 V/m measurement.

It was what happened several feet away.

At approximately 3 feet from the refrigerator, our meter displayed:

0 V/m electric field and 0.0 mG magnetic field.

WHO explains that both electric and magnetic fields around household appliances generally decrease with distance. Its published refrigerator data show magnetic fields of approximately 0.5 to 1.7 µT at 3 cm, 0.01 to 0.25 µT at 30 cm, and below 0.01 µT at 1 meter for the refrigerators included in that dataset. 

Our own test demonstrated the same broader principle, although with different equipment and conditions: the measurements taken inside the refrigerator were substantially different from what our meter displayed several feet away.

Does Our Test Show That This LG Refrigerator Is Dangerous?

No.

Nothing we measured provides evidence that this refrigerator presents a health hazard under normal use.

Our highest electric-field measurement occurred inside the refrigerator compartment, which is obviously not where someone’s body normally remains while using the appliance.

At a more realistic distance of approximately 3 feet, our meter displayed no measurable electric or magnetic field at its displayed resolution.

WHO states that household-appliance fields generally decrease rapidly with distance and that fields surrounding household appliances are usually well below established exposure guidelines. 

WHO has also concluded that there are no substantive health issues associated with extremely low-frequency electric fields at the levels generally encountered by the public. Established adverse biological effects occur with sufficiently high exposures, which is why international exposure limits exist. 

What Our Test Does and Does Not Prove

Our experiment documents one LG refrigerator, measured with one consumer EMF meter, at several locations under real-world household conditions.

We did not perform spectral analysis, map the entire refrigerator, isolate individual electrical components, repeat each measurement over long periods, or use laboratory-calibrated instrumentation.

So our measurements should be viewed as real-world observational data, not a controlled scientific study or product safety certification.

What our photographs do document is quite clear:

The EMF measurements around this refrigerator varied dramatically depending on where we placed the meter.

We measured essentially nothing approximately 3 feet away, a very small electric field against the exterior door, and considerably stronger electric fields once the meter was placed inside the refrigerator itself.

That makes our biggest takeaway surprisingly simple:

When discussing EMF exposure from household appliances, distance and measurement location can matter just as much as the highest number displayed on the meter.

And in our LG refrigerator test, the areas where a person would normally stand produced dramatically lower measurements than the readings we captured inside the appliance itself.

Want to Reduce EMF Exposure Around the Home?

Our refrigerator test showed how much electromagnetic-field measurements can change depending on distance, location, and how close you are to electrical components.

If you’re looking for practical ways to reduce everyday exposure, you can explore our EMF protection products designed for personal use, electronics, and everyday environments.

For broader coverage, we also offer EMF protection for home solutions designed for people who want to take a more whole-home approach.

At Safe Connect Plus, our goal is not to create fear around normal household electronics. It’s to help people measure, understand, and make informed decisions about the environments they spend the most time in.