refrigerator
 

Hi looking for advice my whirlpool frig just died 12 yrs old..any suggestions what i should replace it with, double door

Thanks Scott

I've got one of those. Does the compressor just buzz? When you take the starter/overload off does it rattle?

The Positive temperature coefficient disc in them gets hot and cracks. They are know for that.

I'd get it fixed and keep it, the new ones are mostly junk...

sub-0

Come on Webb.

a neighbor found a used one for cheap - it is a great fridge

Oh, I know they are, but he's asking for advice on a regular ref. not a 7-9k monster.

Actually they cost more than that- we recently paid 9K for a 42" discontinued model. They are great fridges though. The old one is at 18 years and still going strong. But if the OP is on a budget I'd check out the Korean models (Haier makes a French door) or just fix the old one.

Have had an Amana fridge side by side doors for about 15 years plus. Ice maker would quit if it was not used regularly. Then the fitting for the water supply line to the ice maker would leak. Eventually I just shut off the water to the ice maker and made my own ice.One to avoid?

fwiw, Whirpool was bought by Maytag recently (or visa versa).
Corporate policy has changed.
Quality, perhaps as well.

My $750 Whirlpool died after 3 1/2 years.
Simple fix but expensive parts and labor, covered under two warranties. They advertised a 5-year guarantee on the internet, gave me the run around for a month, and then denied their own advertised warranty.

Against all logic, older refers are more likely to be built solid, and worth fixing.
There may be aftermarket parts available which are better than the crap the company sells.

I have a fridge that I bought in 1990, still runs like a champ (knock on wood).

My wife wants a bigger, more modern fridge, but I'm afraid I'll end up replacing it every 5 years.

The guy (kid) at a local appliance store told me that a fridge can last as long as 8 years now.

Still using my 11 year old Amana and love it. Ice-maker died a while ago then replaced a water control valve and its back up again. The new model ice valves are modified so you might look into updating yours. Cost was $55 or so...

My parents remodeled the kitchen about 7 years ago...the kitchen aid fridge is still going strong.

for a real budget, I'd buy an old one and fix it up - one that is old enuff to be made BEFORE they got the bright idea to load them all up with electronics, and make them break right after the warrenty ended...

My parents had one from the late 1960's that lasted into the 1990s. They had very little to go wrong. The newer ones have computer control units which can go bad with bad electricity.

The motherboard on our GE Profile refrigerator went south after 3.5 years.

I've repaired my 9 yr old Kitchen Aid at least 4 times. Not a lot of money as I do the work myself and get contractor pricing on parts through a friend but a big pain in the ass nonetheless.

I have a 15 yr old Whirlpool in the garage that has never been touched.

My in-laws are shopping for a new fridge. Even the salespeople at multiple stores have told them that there really isn't a reliable one on the market.

I have a lot of fridges. Oldest are two GE's that I use for homebrew fermentation and dispensing - they have the freezer compartment behind the single door. Probably 30-40 years old. I bought them from an apartment manager in 1994 and they were old then.

Next oldest is a Kenmore 22 CUFt side by side we bought in 1992 - it is backup fridge in the garage (very hot in the summer) Works well - I have the icemaker and water dispenser hooked up.

Next is a side by side that was in the house when we bought it in 2002 - probably made in 1996-7. It has some issues but has a cabinet style front that matches the kitchen....

Don't tell the EPA, but we run an under counter near-empty wine cooler and a chest freezer in the garage. All these fridge units likely suck up a lot of energy - but replacements would be spendy. I'll be ready to do so when needed. Fridge space may run in my family. My childhood home has a walk-in cooler where the original owner hung game. I equipped it with a keg and tap when I was in college.

My bet is its the power relay for the com-pressor.
$15 online, takes a few minutes to replace.