After 27 years our fridge died. ARGHHH

[Gogar]

Come on, get a futuristic monolith!

[WPOZZZ]

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

Working for a few builders, they generally install lowering end appliances like Whirlpool or GE and it’s a rare that something doesn’t go wrong with an appliance. Mostly dishwashers and refrigerators. Appliances are crap now.

New appliances are built like crap. Bought a new fridge for a tenant in May. Thay moved out in July, and a new tenant moves in. She texts me that the fridge is really hot! Fridge and freezer are good, but the divider between fridge and freezer is very hot to the touch. I'm like WTF! Did some research and it says it could be dust build up on the coils or the condenser fan. Prepared for a good cleaning, I brought my tools (last tenants were pigs). Opened up the back and the fan was off the motor. It also had all these yellow marks on the nose cone. Nothing yellow in the area, so I pushed it back in and it was good to go.

[Zeke]

This thread reminded me to vacuum out the condenser grill. Putting those on the bottom is a bad idea but I have a slide in. I wasn't about to pay 4K for a high end built-in fridge with the equipment up high and that was 15 years ago.

I was just checking prices on Sub Zero built-ins. 10 to 13K. What strikes me as the funniest thing of all is that you can double the price (at least) and you don't even get sides on it. How does that work?

Whatever, it's always been like that. I buy appliances from remodels where the appliances are being removed and replaces with something different. Sometimes a house sells, the new owners rip into the kitchen and the stuff is 2-3 years old. About 1/3 the cost of new. You have to move them yourself, that's why they are cheap.

Washers and dryers come out of estate sales. I have never once bought a new vacuum cleaner or appliance. I don't always get my wife's first choice, but good enough.

[GH85Carrera]

Our washer was bought when we first got married 33 yeas ago. The dryer is one my wife had she bought when she was in college 50 years ago.

She has been looking at the Fridges offered from all the manufacturers. To find a freezer on top, white with an ice maker, and a simple light in the freezer is almost impossible. Most of the white ones are tiny. We have a white stove, range, microwave and dishwasher. No way do we want a stainless steel or black, or anything but a textured white, not even smooth shiny white.

I sure hope the startup relay is the cure. We took out frozen foods to a friend's house with room in their deep freezer. I drug the large ice chest down from the attic and have been buying bags of ice for the other food. With luck on Wednesday the startup relay will arrive and we will have a fridge again.

[billybek]

I cannot talk about my elderly appliances for fear that it might make them aware they are eligible for retirement....

[Gogar]

Originally Posted by Zeke

I was just checking prices on Sub Zero built-ins. 10 to 13K. What strikes me as the funniest thing of all is that you can double the price (at least) and you don't even get sides on it. How does that work?

Washers and dryers come out of estate sales. I have never once bought a new vacuum cleaner or appliance. I don't always get my wife's first choice, but good enough.

I searched Craigslist for about 6 months straight and then one morning there was a really simple ad... I think it was titled " ugly refrigerator" or something. Older couple bought a house from a deceased man's estate and this was in the kitchen with the new stickers still on it. Bought it for maybe 25% of retail! Very lucky gogar

[Bill Douglas]

Glen I was pretty upset when my old fridge died. Half a lifetime of ownership you become quite attached But I was brave and got a new one.

I got a Panasonic. It is really good. No icing up, the door seals well. Makes one or two quiet strange noises but it's just the fridge doing it's own maintenance.

A friend got a Samsung. Lots of bad reviews but his has been great and he is pleased with it.

Food for thought. And newer ones (supposedly) use less electricity.

[greglepore]

Originally Posted by Gogar

Come on, get a futuristic monolith!

Party like a rock god...

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by gregpark

Well, if your fix is unsuccessful it could be a blessing
Refrigerators have evolved a lot in 30 years. Unlike the new cars i actually enjoy the features. They're also far more efficient and will save in the long run. I have the LG pictured above and it's pretty awesome

Mine evolved into a steaming pile of crap where a once good fridge rested. 5 years old and the compressor crapped out. Not uncommon sadly for these newer fridges.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by billybek

I cannot talk about my elderly appliances for fear that it might make them aware they are eligible for retirement....

LOL, good call!

[gregpark]

Originally Posted by cabmandone

Mine evolved into a steaming pile of crap where a once good fridge rested. 5 years old and the compressor crapped out. Not uncommon sadly for these newer fridges.

One of those undeniable, perpetual rules of our existence. "If it's made by man it will fail"

[GH85Carrera]

My parents bought a chest style deep freezer from the 60s from Sears. Dad was in the Air Force so we moved a lot.

It was moved to Hawaii twice, and over a dozens moves overall. During an ice storm a tree limb fell on the power line into the house. It caused the neutral line to be energized so all 120 volt things plugged in to fry. The TV started smoking. Everything in the house the was plugged in was destroyed and had to be repaired or replaced. EXCEPT that 1960s deep freezer.

They kept it in the garage, and the sides were getting rusty. Mom died, and dad kept a few things mainly ice cream in the freezer. When he turned 80 he decided to give the freezer to a friend. And he bought a new stand up freezer to avoid bending over. Last I heard, the antique freezer was still working fine.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

They kept it in the garage, and the sides were getting rusty. Last I heard, the antique freezer was still working fine.

I can attest to the older fridges holding up well over many many years.

When Mom passed away last September, the decision was made to list her house.

I was the brother who stepped up to empty out her home.

She had a garage fridge like Glen's parents - some rust and grime on it - but still worked fine. Had to be 20-30 years old at least!

Sold it for $50 to a lady in Port Orange who's fridge in a storage shed had just died and she was in a panic to get another before she lost everything in it.



Then later on the people buying Mom's house told the RE broker they wanted the fridge removed from the kitchen. It was still working fine but alas was an older style and showing some age and could have used some new paint, for sure.

I took that one to MY storage unit where it is still working like a champ!

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Maybe, maybe not, worth posting again, from a month or two ago.

One reason I got an old Sub Zero is they are easy to work on and worth working on vs replacing. The one I got, the freezer compressor was replaced a year ago. Owner didn't know if or when the fridge compressor had been replaced but we both thought a 25 year old fridge would have had a new compressor by now.

Fridge stopped cooling well a few days ago. Lot of research, with Youtube degree in hand, $28 later from Amazon and Autozone, it's back to work. The compressor was original made in September 2000. When the compressor finally quits, an original entire kit goes for $500. Just need to braze in the lines and the dryer, and it will last another 25+ years. Cant beat the access, can't imagine being a regular fridge tech crawling around on dusty floors.

I think the only thing that makes my fridge look old is the interior lighting. If I put LED lights in it, it would look new.

[A930Rocket]

I had to fix our four-year-old Whirlpool washing machine because it stopped working. Something to do with the motor on the bottom. Parts were about $100 and it took me 30 minutes.

[thingmon]

My old GE is still doing the job. 29yrs. Has an occasional clunk when the compressor shuts off. One of my better purchases.

[Bill Douglas]

Good skills 930!

[A930Rocket]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

Good skills 930!

The good news is the washing machine is able to give a code as to what’s wrong. So that’s a plus.

[GH85Carrera]

I have the numbers for three different refrigerator repair guys. If the start up relay does not fix it, I will call them and find out who can get it fixed.

Every fridge we looked at either is huge, and will never fit in the space without extensive cabinet work that ain't gonna happen, or they are tiny, and have crappy features. Our fridge has slid out shelves, a light bulb in the freezer and of course the fridge. The ice maker does not need the expensive water filters, and is fits perfectly.

7 weeks ago my wife have shoulder surgery. She was using a bachine she bought that circulates ice water through a shoulder shaped "saddle" and I would fill a ice chest that is part of the package. We used frozen bottles of water, and those would last for 6 to 8 hours. Swap bottles, and do it again. The freezer was working constantly, and did a stellar job.

Fixing it makes the most sense, even if it costs a grand to fx.

[1990C4S]

My father had a fridge from the late 40's. No compressor, it had a heating element to compress the gas. I assume it was an offshoot of their propane fridge line.

I'm sure it was inefficient, but when we gave it away it was close to 80 years old and still worked fine. I'm sure it's still in someone's garage as a beer fridge.