The Secret Life of the Refrigerator - remastered 

I remember writing to you when the show originally aired. I was having trouble understanding cam timers and micro switches ( I was a teenager) and you wrote back, rather quickly I might add, and explained their concept and use. You also included some of your awesome artwork in the letter. I still have that letter somewhere in my house. You’ll never know how chuffed I was to receive that letter, and to this day you and Rex are still my heroes. All the very best, from your number one Irish fan, John

I wish documentaries were like this today. No re-enactments, no obnoxious voice overs, and just taking for granted the audience can pay attention for 30 minutes. Great content.

So sorry to hear about Rex passing with Dementia, I can't imagine a worse way for somebody like him to go :(

Last week I took a freezer from the trash it had a seal that wasn't making contact so I bent the door just like Rex did to fix it. At the time I was uncomfortable with the legitimacy of my repair, but now I see it was the industry correct method :)

So sad to learn how Rex passed away. He was an important part of the whole series. R.I.P. Rex!

Tim, we owe you a debit of gratitude for this wonderful and insightful TV series. Thank you.

Did some digging to find out more on the Ice Factory that William Cockrell built. East Anglian Ice cold storage in Lowestoft was started in 1898, and was shut down in 1989, and finally demolished in 2010.

2:50 - The Absolutely fearless, grinning practical demonstrations like this are a big part of what made TSLOM so brilliant.

One thing I noticed in the credits that used to be on nearly every program i watched. It was "Rostrum Camera - Ken Morse"! A rostrum camera does those zooms & pans ect. that make a still image more interesting. But I think Ken Morse had cornered the market. He was on so many programs that he must've been a one man monopoly. Maybe because I was a documentary / factual / scientific / technical / educational TV addict & they were the type of programs I watched that needed a rostrum camera to liven up stills or do those awful mock battle scenes where a still of a damp bit of old castle is suddenly zoomed into with the sound of a cannon going off & some blokes shouting in the background clattering some takes and shovels. Makes me think of school history programs. That would've been classic Ken Morse territory! Many thanks for bringing us these programs Tim. They're still just as fascinating now as they were then. And you're right about Rex. Him heaving on that poor, innocent fridge after sending that little old lady out of her kitchen still makes me laugh! I understood that cut after you told us how Rex had died. Me too Tim. He should be beside you swapping memories. Dementia is a horrible disease and it takes people away from us far too soon. It's a good thing we can still see Rex in his prime. These remastered programmes are a fitting tribute & they hint at his many & varied skills and a technician. Cheers Tim. Keep safe mate ☮️

I was only a little lad when I saw your show - we used to watch it in DT lessons at school from time to time. You and Rex were hardly glamorous celebrities, but I think the show really resonated with a lot of us who were fascinated by engineering and technology. At the time the show was so unique compared to everything else that was being broadcast, particular with the all-action approach the show took with all the exciting demonstrations. I think a lot of folks like me came away with a strange connection to the Tim/Rex double-act. We're thrilled to see new content from you Tim, but it's with a strong sense of melancholy not having Rex with us any more.

2:48 "...and the cooling effect is quite dramatic" PFFFFFTTTTT. Quite dramatic indeed!

Its crazy The Learning Channel in the USA used to air this show back in the day.

I think the 1957 Fridge has got more features than my 2015 version...

Very touching to hear your comments about Rex. Please keep up the new videos, and I hope soon to visit some of your machines in London! :)

I watched this show back when I was in my early teens. Thank you Tim for putting this all out. When you stated in the extra commentary that Rex had passed I felt as if I'd been kicked in the stomach. For a moment I felt, well you know, time and all.

I forgot to mention, some of the best stuff is the animation and dialog. I was cracking up! Lol And the good thing about being a retired 65 year old man living in Florida.... My memory is shot so I can watch these all again like they are brand new!

I think this show was a cornerstone that inspired others in the years to come. The Mythbusters owe a lot to The Secret Life of Machines

I was very sorry to hear about Rex, and I would just like to say thank you for all of the wonderful episodes that you created together. Being an Ex-Sony engineer, I enjoy the mad professor lifestyle repairing vintage technology in my little shop down in Plymouth. I love your automaton sculptures as well. Thanks again for all of the entertainment. :-)

23:00 - I never got to thank Rex for this tip, which I got to use on my own fridge!

What a man and what a series! My physics teacher used to show us these episodes on VHS. It left a deep impression on my developing mind, and is probably the reason why I tinker with old appliances and hoard components to this day. Quite unusual for a 28 year old. I have never forgotten these films, and I am overjoyed to see their return on RU-vid, published by the creator himself! Long may he and his ingenious inventions live 👏

So very sorry to hear about Rex, I have been watching your channel and had noticed that you spoke of him in the past tense. I hope that the pain of your grief will eventually fade and that you will be able to remember Rex as the 'soooo cool guy' that he was.

I just discovered this show being that it probably wasn't shown in the U.S much if at all in the 90's, god bless the way things were back in the day. Also Rex seems like he was one smart guy, I bet he would have been a blast to hang out with.

I remember your show when I was a kid here in America. I don't know what the hell ever happened. I'm glad RU-vid has brought us together again. Love your show.... Thank You! Now, I have catching up to do. Lol...

isn't this incredible, that as a french who don't speak and understand english very well, I've had a great pleasure to watch some of your videos Tim ? You've teached me more about the fridges in your video than I've learn in my all life. And I' sixty-two years old ! Technical knowledge, simplicity of explanations, cartoons too ! And your real taste for education ! Bravo ! Hurray !

Rex is a great fun in all these shows, may he rest in peace.

I took a 1950s fridge to the recycling depot recently. I told an attendant that it was still working. He said, "Of course it is, it is an old one." A friend bought a modern fridge. It stopped working after 18 months. When he mentioned this at the store where he bought it, he was told that was normal. Go Figure!

So sad to hear Tim talk about Rex! RIP Rex! Dementia is a cruel disease. My beloved Nan died from it in 2000, aged 82. My mother also recently passed away, aged 81, from a heart attack. My BOSCH fridge freezer uses BUTANE as it's REFRIGERANT, unless I'm much mistaken!

Those old refrigerator ads are so corny: "scientifically-planned illumination"! 11:20

You know when a program is loved ,no thumbs down 😊

My Grandmother bought a new Frigidaire refrigerator soon after the end of WWII, 1946 I think. My parents were still using it as a second "drink" refrigerator on their back porch in 1998. It still had it's original compressor and it worked fine.

"Secret Life of Machines" was absolutely my favorite program. The presentations were not about so much of the social garbage we are inundated with today but about real "things". It really was an inspiring favorite program for me. No exaggeration. I do not remember when I first saw it here in the US but it was astounding ! Watched them all. Such great presentations. The theme music was par excellence as well as the simple graphics. Am also sorry to hear about Rex's passing but alas we all are passing. Did you have any input as to the Dave Brubeck style theme music?

I love the old fridge design with the compressor, much nicer aesthetics in my opinion. Fun fact, when I moved in my new apartment and I opened the fridge for the first time the door literally fell out and this happened literally seconds after the realtor and the previous tenant left after giving me the keys. Fortunately it could be fixed albeit with a bit of a struggle to remount the door (wasn't actually broken per se)

I want to add that I am very sorry about Rex, the same thing happened to my wife. With me discovering RU-vid a number of years ago I looked around desperately for these programs because I remember watching everyone of these that you and Rex made. I thank you for your comments at the end and I thank you for making the original videos I certainly learned a lot. I want to see the one about a fax machine again. Actually I want to see the all. Thank you again.

I like How he gets sprayed with carbon dioxide and he's desperately pointing it away

Very instructive as usual. The Ice factory was AWESOME! Thanks!

These programs were rebroadcast on my local Public Broadcast System (PBS) on VHF when I was a kid in the mid 1980s. They were my absolute favorite programs to watch! So cool to see this remaster! It looks great! I'm going to search out the other remastered episodes.

Good television. Thanks for uploading. Our hearts got out to those who knew and loved Rex.

Holes in ozone layers was so 80/90s but we still don't have a real photo or video of our Earth!

Sorry to hear of Rex's passing, but he's contributing to my smile as I binge watch Tim's videos!

Great to watch this in not-VHS quality! Thanks a lot! 👍

Lol now we use Co2 for refrigerant at 1000s of Walmarts and Aldis across the world. I love the series. I love the new series. Everyone go watch the Secret Life of Components. Cheers from Florida!

I was hoping there'd be a story in the extras about how you were nearly lacerated by the CO2 hose at 2:50. It was certainly dramatic.

So touching to see Tim get choked up when talking about his friend. RIP Rex, you were awesome.

RIP Dear Rex 😔😪 So pleased to see Tim again, I love tinkering with engineering things but not as goo as him and Rex used to do! The original series should be shown on TV again👍🏻

Very sad to hear of Rex's demise, and a very touching tribute to him on your website.

Nice to see the extra bits on the end. I think this is my favourite of the series from Channel 4.

I spent a career designing air conditioning and refrigeration devices and training those who serviced these things in commercial environments. I wish I had seen this much earlier because I would have stolen the footage of the visible system with a glass jar evaporator. I have never seen a more clear and concise demonstration of the refrigeration process.

I wondered why Rex wasn't around in the new videos. I'm very sorry to hear of his passing. Where ever he's off to, I hope he's having fun building all those practical models that he seemed to enjoy making.

Loved your program from the first time it aired on US television; thank you for the video upgrade. Sad to learn of Rex's passing.

Perfect for insomnia, and thats not a slight on the production of this, its just very soothing!

My deep empathy for the loss of obviously such a close friend and work comrade. Your sadness was poignant, I hope tempered by the number of comments letting you know how much your series meant in a time before the internet and the large maker- based community that now exists. May I add my voice of appreciation to them.

I had no idea that he was the guy behind the Brum car, I loved that show as a kid. :D

I'm so sorry about your loss of your beloved friend, Tim. I always enjoyed the two of you in this series, and I'm enjoying seeing them again here.

Спасибо! Весьма любопытные и полезные передачи. Ведущий очень хорошо всё показывает :)

I am in Australia, and had all these "Secret Life" programs recorded on VHS tape. I threw them out only a year or so ago, because I no longer had a machine to play them on. It's great to find them on the Internet. Apart from the science, the fun of these program was watching a couple of scruffy blokes tinkering and building Heath Robinson models of the real machines. Vale Rex.

So happy to have these with your commentary, Tim. Best moment for me was when Rex was wrangling the fridge door to reform frame. Loved you both when I was younger, and it will never change.

Rex was a brilliant man. Loved his invention. Your TV programmes are excellent as well Tim

Tim Hunkin. I remember when the "Secret Life of Machines first came on TV, an amazing show all should watch. I bought this house in 2004, and I have gone through three refrigerators now. However my 1940's vintage General Motors refrigerator still works just fine. Sits in my basement as second refrigerator. Never an issue and neat silent running.

Thank you for the chance to see this episode once more . I remembered it so clearly from the first time back in the late 80's . it was the high point of the "educational" programs that were shown at that time . What a pity the programming was changed so dramatically to the type of drivel that is still shown on that network . My children grew up watching programs like this and I like to think it that shaped their development and thirst for knowledge . They are now an engineer and a Microbiologist. Thank you

I'm watching all videos from Tim starting at the oldest. All bring back memories and the newer ones are very informative.. Especially enjoyed the chain one.

That fridge feom 1957 is impressive, my parents didn't get a fridge like that till 1974, and I tought they were a new thing then.

I remember this episode. Ive never forgotten the fridge repair. Thanks.

I loved this series! Thank you!

Fantastic and clear in explanation!

thanks for the remasters - one of my fav TV series. I remember the drawing series in The Observer. Rex Garrod was a master for all of us.

@13:56 There's quite an artistic hand you have there!

Tim, as I have said in comments to other videos, it is such a delight to see the SLOM remastered series. So, sorry sorry to learn about Rex, dementia is such a cruel end to someone’s life. I am sure Rex would be delighted to know that the SLOM has been reborn.

Mr. Hunkin, your visionary presentation methods were spot on: the scene of the woman snuggling up like a cat to the fridge was hilarious and perfectly captured the spirit of innovation. Your comments on that scene made it even more entertaining and informative. Also--your Components series is a gold mine of rock-solid practical information for 'makers' today. Thank you sir.

So many childhood memories from this tv show! Thank you Tim!

Thank you for making these programs, and it is great to watch them again.

Thanks for sharing, your channel very interesting.

Only know of Rex from watching this show so many years ago on US cable. But the absolute joy on his face and the biggest grin after man-handling the fridge door just had me in stiches. I am devastated to hear he was ill before passing. Dementia can be such a cruel and horrible disease. His passing surely broke many hearts for those who knew him, but I am sure it also brought Rex some mercy and an end to that suffering. He seemed like the sort who would rather go out doing some sort of movie stunt rather than how it must have been. Thank you, Rex. You and Tim changed the world for the better. Well done. Well done.

Such a great series. Nice to see these episodes again. Fantastic job Tim. Inspiring

Your conclusion at the end isn't wrong - the fridge that my parents own is the same one they purchased before I was born! Technically it works absolutely fine, but the plastics are shot - that hasn't stopped my dad from hanging the doors from the opposite side, and then, when that also failed, supergluing the thing. It's still holding up... Just!

This video was too awesome.Learnt something new today ❤

This brings back so many wonderful memories. I loved this show as a child and it holds up equally well today. thank you!

Stay with us for a while Tim, love your videos!

Fantastic episode. Very interesting! I learnt a lot from it. Thanks for sharing it.

I love these animations so much, im going back through to watch all of these vids again

I can't tell you how happy I am that you have posted these episodes. I love every episode, both old and new.

Thank you Tim. RIP Rex.

Nerdy, dorky, informative, and thoroughly entertaining. Subbed!

these remasters are great, i had them playing side by side with the originals, and its amazing the difference --- fingers crossed for series 2 and 3

This was nicely done. Well Illustrated with lot of knowledge that's still relative today. Thanks for this mini doc mate. Good Job.

Lots of love and respect for both you and Rex from México. May he rest in peace.

This was amazing!

Ought to be required viewing for anyone that works with heat pumps! People see them as complex new technology and they really aren't. The reliability of a plain ordinary refrigerant circuit is only ever compromised by external factors. Thank you for keeping things easy to understand :)

When I saw this originally in the 80s, rex explaining how he fixed the door after getting the owner out of the way made me laugh so much. However I have remembered it ever since. And used the same repair trick myself on fridge and freezer doors many times! It was touching watching Tim talk about Rex. You guys produced a fantastic series (3) of programs. I still have the original cartoon filled Secret Life Of fact-sheets I sent off for from each series

I'm glad your still here ,but I would've sworn it would've been you that went first.

My 12 year old needs some cerebral-time each night, as his school has gone all new-age and stopped homework..... your videos will be served up for him to learn from. I'm learning a lot too - thanks very much!

Thank you for sharing these again, I loved watching them as a child and still enjoy taking things apart, repairing and tinkering in my shed. I look forward to seeing more from you. Thank you once again. Sorry to hear that Rex has left us.

Every pore of this video just oozes quality. amazing knowledge and effort.

I was a lad when my father videod this on channel 4 for his apprentice to see. I later became the next apprentice and have told many people about this film. Doing shit like this is exactly how I learned to do my job. I'm sorry to learn about the untimely Demise of Rex. I'm sure I remember a car roll over stunt with CO2. Now CO2 is commonly used in supermarkets that I work in but obviously we try to keep the vans on their wheels 🙃 Thank you for making this and the follow up at the end.

Thank you for your amazing enjoyable content, I'm a huge fan since the low quality uploads ;) Greetings from Italy, David

Thank you Mr. Hunkin for your extra addition to the original video. I used to watch this on bbc when I was young, and I am really pleased to see all the original episodes are now available on your channel! My senceer condolences to you and Rex his family, I was really sad when I heard the news of his passing. Thank you and Rex you both inspired me to proceed a career in technologie and mechanic's! 😊 Thank you! ♥️

Enjoyed the video, it really helps to make sense of the process after decades of being baffled by it all, thank you for creating, posting an releasing.

This was such a unique and wonderful series. There was really nothing comparable then, or even now. Very sad to learn Rex isn't with us anymore. Thank you Tim for keeping this series alive and adding new material. You have influenced an entire generation and probably many more now, thanks to the Internet.

Another great episode, and even more so with your comments at the end about making it. Thanks Tim!

Thank you so much, Tim, for making these videos available. They always seemed as if they were made just for me!

I loved watching these programs back in the 1980s, and seeing them again makes me very happy. Thanks for sharing them. Very sorry to hear about Rex.