Our refrigerator saga...

[Scott Douglas]

The other day my wife informed me that the fridge had given up the ghost.
I did the defrost thing as it was covered in ice in the freezer which was cold but the bottom fridge part not so much. Clearing the ice out helped but, it's 20+years old and she doesn't trust it.

Her only criteria for a new one was it had to be delivered today (Friday).

Got a fridge ordered yesterday from HD no problem as they said it would be delivered today.

Check on the delivery as we weren't getting timely emails/updates.

Still on track according to them after calling YESTERDAY late to confirm delivery today. They said it would be delivered between 10am and 6PM. Great, an 8 hour window when they said it'd be a four hour one.

Still nothing about what hour they'd be arriving so called again @11 or so. It's now going to be delivered next Tuesday.

WTF?

We got in the car this noon after having lunch to go to Lowes. Same fridge, in stock can be delivered tomorrow. SOLD!

Cancelling the order at HD is a pain in the you know what, but I got it done.
In the mean time, I put the freezer door back on and started it up again as it does get cold enough that we won't loose too much food

Wife is happy she's getting a fridge that works, tomorrow, but it should have been today.

Thanks for listening/reading. Had to vent somewhere.

We're having Panda Express takeout tonight for dinner.

Have a Safe 'n Sane Fourth everybody!

[Cajundaddy]

Hoping the new one has a traditional compressor (not linear) and is as simple and mechanical as possible. Smart (software driven) appliances suck.

[Baz]

My Kenmore is over 20 years old and still works perfectly. I bought it at the local Sears "outlet" here in NSB. Loaded it in my truck and hauled it inside myself on a hand truck. Even went up the front concrete steps - which are in 2 parts - 90 degree turn.

IIRC, I paid around $300 for it, new.

My house sits on a dune ridge - thus the steps to get to the front door.

My parent's old Kenmore is in one of my storage units where I hauled it after Mom passed away. Still working like a charm and also re-located by myself.

I don't use the ice makers in either one. I have an ice cube tray in my home unit that serves the purpose just fine.

I like simplicity.....

[GH85Carrera]

We bought our current fridge when we moved into this house back in 1998, so it is 28 years old.

A couple of years ago we noticed the freezer was cold, but the fridge was not. Poke around on-line and common issue is the defrost heater dies. I took the freezer panels out and it was a huge block of ice, and the defrost heater was obviously bad. I put it back together so we would have a fridge, and ordered a new defrost heater for about $100. Easy install, after defrosting the freezer again. Fixed.

Then a couple of years ago the fridge was dead. Sounds like a startup capacitor. I ordered one, but with no place for the food except a friends freezer and our big ice chest, Mrs. Carrera was in a bigger hurry. So I called a local appliance place, and he diagnosed bad start up capacitor, as I told him on the phone. He had one on his truck, and replaced it. Bingo, the fridge is fixed. That was a $100 service call. As he drove away the capacitor I ordered arrived. So I have a spare for 27 years from now if the new one fails.

We looked at new fridges while using our ice chest. Not one was the same physical size to fit the place in the kitchen. Either massive too big, or way too small. Many had no lights in the freezer, and ice makers were extra, and crazy expensive. Our ice maker works perfectly after 28 years of making ice.

We are super happy to have a 28 year old fridge that has no silly water filters to replace, and no giant computers display in the door. I never will want an fridge connected to the internet, or any appliance connected to the internet for that matter.

We bought a new washer for the house 28 years ago. I had to replace a board that sense is the door it open. It was like 50 bucks, and 10 minutes to replace.

Our dryer is one my wife bought used when she was in college back in the 1970s. Never any issue with it.

[gregpark]

Bought the top of the line LG less than 10 years ago. It stopped working last week. Repair guy said it will cost $200 less than a new one to fix it and there are better brands out there. Wife said she wants another new fridge just like this one!? So that's what we got. My 40 year old Kenmore downstairs works perfectly, has never given any trouble and the ice maker hopper is 4 times bigger than the LG

[GH85Carrera]

When we moved out of our old house to move here, we gave a buddy the old Harvest Gold fridge my wife had bought used when she moved into her first house. It worked fine, but did not match the appliance in our new kitchen. My buddy took it to the lake house as a beer fridge. He sold the lake house 10 years later and that fridge worked perfect. He sold his lake house to a friend, and he say that fridge still work perfect, and they have gone through two new kitchen fridges.

[Scott Douglas]

Our current old fridge is a Kenmore. I forget what it replaced, but seem to remember that fridge quit working after two weeks. We had a guy come out to repair it and it worked until it didn't. I think I was on a vacation with the 912 group when it quit and my wife bought this one and had it installed. It must be a 21 cu foot one because I'm always complaining it's not full enough to work efficiently so I've kept it full of old milk jugs filled with water.
The new one is a GE and only 17.5 cu ft. It should be more than big enough since it's only the two of us now that the kids are gone. I don't think I'll be keeping 'extra' water in it to fill it up.
I would have done a deep dive into what is wrong with the one we have now, but. I know when to listen to my wife when she says 'It's 20+ years old, I want a new one.'
I have learned something after 45 years of marriage.

[I'd bet the problem has something to do with the defrost system, be it a heater or sensor that's not working. Hence the ice up in the freezer section.]

[Cairo94507]

Have a brand new GE refrigerator in the garage. The ice maker would not work. Tech came out and replaced the ice maker -still not working. Then he came out and replaced the water valve to the ice maker - still not working. Finally, he replaced the water supply line that feeds the ice maker and has a little heated incorporated into the line. That did the trick and she began making ice. The retail outlet paid for the parts and I have the tech. $150 for all his trouble. The refrigerator was "free" as I bought a new kitchen full of appliances from the retailer as part of our new to us home remodel. They just don't make stiff like they did.

[craigster59]

We have an LG in the new house. Old house had an LG for garage fridge and Samsung in the kitchen.

Samsung was a POS and they are known for it. Ice build up that had to be dismantled every 3 months. Never a problem with the LG.

I bought Frigidaire fridge and a freezer for the garage. So far so good!

[porsche tech]

Early in our marriage (been 55 years) in our first house, my wife bought “Lady Kenmore” or something top of the line washer and dryer from Sears. The guy installed them, started the washer and left. Halfway through the cycle it quit working. Wife called Sears and they said it would be a week to ten days before somebody could come out to look at it. She rightfully did not settle for that and they sent someone right away. He checks it out, says it needs a new timer, and calls his warehouse (on our phone—no cell phones in those days). Reports it will be a week to ten days to get the part. Again, my wife did not settle for that and said she wants a new unit. Guy gets on our phone again and reports it will be a week to ten days to get a new unit. My wife told him to take the washer and dryer back where it came from because she didn’t want it. We went up to the local appliance store (wife went to HS with the owner’s son). Sold us a Whirlpool I think (they made Kenmore for Sears)…same guy that sold it to us came and installed it and we had it for 30+ years.

[Scott Douglas]

Soooo, the new fridge shows up.
Guys on the truck unbox it out in the street and..............it's dented. (SIGH)

The guys offer to call the office to see about a dent discount.

When all is said and done we kept it.

No one will ever know the dent is there, unless they look really closely.

Now if it'll just get cold and keep things cold we'll be fine.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by porsche tech

Early in our marriage (been 55 years) in our first house, my wife bought “Lady Kenmore” or something top of the line washer and dryer from Sears. The guy installed them, started the washer and left. Halfway through the cycle it quit working. Wife called Sears and they said it would be a week to ten days before somebody could come out to look at it. She rightfully did not settle for that and they sent someone right away. He checks it out, says it needs a new timer, and calls his warehouse (on our phone—no cell phones in those days). Reports it will be a week to ten days to get the part. Again, my wife did not settle for that and said she wants a new unit. Guy gets on our phone again and reports it will be a week to ten days to get a new unit. My wife told him to take the washer and dryer back where it came from because she didn’t want it. We went up to the local appliance store (wife went to HS with the owner’s son). Sold us a Whirlpool I think (they made Kenmore for Sears)…same guy that sold it to us came and installed it and we had it for 30+ years.

When I was buying my bachelor pad house, the day before closing on a final walk through inspection, I noticed the water heater was leaking. So the former owner had to replace it on his dime, with a Sears water heater. Closing went smooth, and I moved in on Saturday back in November of 1980. I go up to take my first shower in my new house and the water would not get cold. I go check the water heater, and I had to light the dang thing, and wait for water to heat up. I was tired and sweaty, but it was November and the water was COLD.

So I get my shower, and go to bed. Sunday morning, same thing no hot water.
So I waited for hot water again. I kept an eye on it, and the pilot light would go out on its own. Once the burner was going, the water got hot, but the burner would not re-light as the pilot light went out.

I called Sears, and they said it would be Tuesday before they got a repair guy out. So for two days, I had to get up early, and relight the pilot and get the water warming up. He replaced the defective thermistor and left. Guess what, same issue.

So out comes the same repair guy, and he puts in a new thermistor and that one fixed the problem. As I was selling the house 26 years later, the inspector saw a small leak in the water heater. So I had the honor of replacing the water heater, and the new owners got a new water heater. It worked fine.

[wdfifteen]

What a PITA. I hope you didn't lose a bunch of food.

[craigster59]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

No one will ever know the dent is there, unless they look really closely.

That's what refrigerator magnets are for.....

[911 Rod]

The multiple warranty claims to Frigidaire which in the end resulted in a new fridge contributed to wife's mental illness. It was not a good situation.

[Randolph]

Sorry for the drama you had to go through Scott, at least it's done so you have a few worry free years.

What's good at Panda Express? Have never been there.

[Cajundaddy]

Originally Posted by Randolph

Sorry for the drama you had to go through Scott, at least it's done so you have a few worry free years.

What's good at Panda Express? Have never been there.

Chinese fast food that is reasonably ok at a reasonable price. Most of the usual fare including orange chicken, Broccoli beef, mushroom chicken, walnut shrimp, noodles, rice. I can get a 3 entree large plate for $15 and it will easily feed my wife and I. There is one just 2 minutes from my house and it is convenient and quick.

[Scott Douglas]

We get the orange chicken, double helping, and chow mein noodles combo plates. Eat half each and have the left overs for another meal.
We also did Jersey Mike's sandwiches which we only eat half and save the other half for another meal.
The PE is about 6 miles round trip, but during rush hour can be a challenge to get to.

[Randolph]

Thanks guys, there's one close to Staples for Amazon returns, I'll stop in next time I send something back.

[onewhippedpuppy]

I wish somebody made a simple fridge that wasn’t fugly. My wife is fine with our simple and ugly Hotpoint washer/dryer in the laundry room hidden from view, but the fridge may be a hard sell.