New refrigerator challenge

Wontactmyage

Wontactmyage

Daisy Hill Studio
Location
A fly over State, USA
Our refrigerator is over 10 years old and has started to become somewhat unreliable so we went to see about a new one and was very surprised that none were available to buy off the sales floor or back stocked. They could not give us a time if we ordered one how long it would take. Thankfully we have a refrigerator in our shop we could use if by chance the other stops working. However, it about 20 minutes away from where we live. We do have a mini fridge (the size of a large microwave) that we can keep a few small items at home. So just wanted to give you a heads up. They were not to see this resolved possibly until next year.
 

Wontactmyage said:
Our refrigerator is over 10 years old and has started to become somewhat unreliable so we went to see about a new one and was very surprised that none were available to buy off the sales floor or back stocked. They could not give us a time if we ordered one how long it would take. Thankfully we have a refrigerator in our shop we could use if by chance the other stops working. However, it about 20 minutes away from where we live. We do have a mini fridge (the size of a large microwave) that we can keep a few small items at home. So just wanted to give you a heads up. They were not to see this resolved possibly until next year.
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This sector has seen massive shortages since March, 2020. Ask me how I know. Better yet... don't.
 
Wontactmyage said:
Our refrigerator is over 10 years old and has started to become somewhat unreliable so we went to see about a new one and was very surprised that none were available to buy off the sales floor or back stocked
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In what way is your refrigerator unreliable? I don't know if this helps because my refrig had trouble keeping things the temperature I set it on pre-pandemic and maybe parts aren't available now, but for my refrig I had an appliance repair person look at it and he replaced the motherboard (some computer board inside the refrig, not sure what it was called) and the refrig was still working fine 3 yrs later when I sold my house.
 
HoneyNut said:
In what way is your refrigerator unreliable? I don't know if this helps because my refrig had trouble keeping things the temperature I set it on pre-pandemic and maybe parts aren't available now, but for my refrig I had an appliance repair person look at it and he replaced the motherboard (some computer board inside the refrig, not sure what it was called) and the refrig was still working fine 3 yrs later when I sold my house.
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We don’t have anything that fancy.😁
 
John cycling said:
I used a temperature control to convert a chest freezer to a fridge,
that uses an average of only 8 watts and cools much better than a regular fridge.

View attachment 247348
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Wow interesting. All our freezers are full so can’t convert. But we did see several new freezers that were for sale. I think we need upright to fit in our kitchen.
 
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Alligatorob said:
10 years is not real old for a refrigerator, the only ones I have worn out were well over 20 years old. My brother still has the refrigerator we had when I was a kid, back in the 60s, not very efficient but it still cools fine.

Can you get it repaired?
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Partner is a Mr. fixit guy. The plastic is coming apart and drawers are broken. We will use the old one at the shop or at the garage until it pukes. Just want to be sure we have a good working one here at the house. Holidays approaching and will need reliable refrigerator. We are not getting a big fancy dancer one. We have opening constrictions and we have money set aside for such challenges.
 
Alligatorob said:
Ok, that makes sense, a lot of the interior parts are pretty cheap in the newer ones...
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This is so true. We looked at these high priced ones (about the price of a used car) and were shocked at the “planned obsolescence“. The refrigerator might work but all the shelves and plastic what knots will almost make it unusable. We are getting a single door refrigerator with the freezer on top. Our opening is 30” wide and 69” tall.
 
We had an old International Harvester refrigerator that was at least 10 years old when we bought it from another military family in Turkey in 1969. It had been shipped all over the world by them.

Then, we shipped it back to the US, used it for 4 more years. Gave it to my dad, who used it as a garage refrigerator for years. He sold it to some college boys who wanted a beer fridge for their apartment.

For all I know, it's still keeping beer cold somewhere.

They don't build 'em like they used to.
 
In my small town, we struggled to buy appliances during the pandemic, but our local Appliance store took a better solution route. Instead of buying a brand, he joined a Northeast group that cuts the middleman, and his store was stocked with washers, dryers, stoves and refrigerators last year! I couldn't believe what I was seeing when I went in. So, I asked how they did it when others were not available, and this was the answer I got.
 
Alligatorob said:
10 years is not real old for a refrigerator, the only ones I have worn out were well over 20 years old. My brother still has the refrigerator we had when I was a kid, back in the 60s, not very efficient but it still cools fine.

Can you get it repaired?
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I think you're referring to the refrigerators of yesteryear.
I replaced mine that was over 40 years old & still working. When they delivered the new one, the guy asked me how old my old one was.
When I told him, he said, "Well, don't expect the new one to last more than 6 years."
 
win231 said:
Well, don't expect the new one to last more than 6 years."
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That’s almost being optimistic. We bought an all-fridge that lasted 5 years. It was replaced under warranty and that one gave out at 4.5 years. Even though there was still some warranty they had quit making that style. Got a partial credit for another fridge. Our next fridge didn’t do well either and we replaced it with a single door one with freezer on top fridge. We‘re limited in what we can buy because the space allowed was specifically for that all-fridge. Wish it had kept working; loved the style.

As the OP said, he’s not buying Samsung. Even in Canada consumers are hating them.
 
Jules said:
That’s almost being optimistic. We bought an all-fridge that lasted 5 years. It was replaced under warranty and that one gave out at 4.5 years. Even though there was still some warranty they had quit making that style. Got a partial credit for another fridge. Our next fridge didn’t do well either and we replaced it with a single door one with freezer on top fridge. We‘re limited in what we can buy because the space allowed was specifically for that all-fridge. Wish it had kept working; loved the style.

As the OP said, he’s not buying Samsung. Even in Canada consumers are hating them.
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I got a Whirlpool, but the brand doesn't make much difference any more because appliances are made in other countries (wherever the labor is cheapest) & the parts come from all over the world. Then the product's name is sold & stuck on the appliance. I think the price of the name depends on the popularity.
 
Refrigerator nightmare for over 2 months earlier this spring into summer. Old frig was freezing up and not keeping food cold or frozen. Despite all units at Home Depot and Lowes being made in Mexico, I purchased the only GE that would fit my space. Cheap made with shelves that would not adjust. Delivery men would not take the doors off the frig to bring it into my home as salesperson had told me was common practice. Ended with them leaving with my new frig. Plan B. Called a local repair man who replaced the defrost timer. Did not fix it or try anything else. Plan C. Found a good used made in the USA frig and before delivery was sold to someone who needed to keep his beer cold. Solution: Spoke with a repair service and after taping the frig side door closed as advised, I removed the door, fixed the messed up door gasket and my old 1996 Whirlpool side by side is still going strong. Lost all my food, but saved my frig.
 
win231 said:
I think you're referring to the refrigerators of yesteryear.
I replaced mine that was over 40 years old & still working. When they delivered the new one, the guy asked me how old my old one was.
When I told him, he said, "Well, don't expect the new one to last more than 6 years."
Click to expand...
I am. Oldie but goody.
 
John cycling said:
I used a temperature control to convert a chest freezer to a fridge,
that uses an average of only 8 watts and cools much better than a regular fridge.

View attachment 247348
Click to expand...
I had a refrigerator that was a chest refrigerator and ran off solar panels. I kept it in a pantry that was off the kitchen and it never ran once in the winter. Summer time was another story. I had investigated other alternative refrigeration but found the chest type made the most sense.
 

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