With those new paramaters..... I don't like the new GE with the circuit board. Nor, Amana, which is also complicated. I've worked on a couple LG, and they are also complicated.
Whirlpool, tends to be simple. I've heard good about Maytag, also.
The other option is condensor under the fridge, and fan to blow the heat out. I prefer the condensor under models. I figure the fan forced air is more effective.
"Robert Green" wrote
I was wondering if that might be an issue. Some folks even on freecycle will help with moving.
Grin, It's lots of reasons but you'll find after a while, many of us have posted at least a first name. Though they often refer to me as 'cshenk' or 'Shenk' there's plenty here who will pop up and tell you I'm Carol if asked.
There's quite a few regulars here who are ladies if you didn't know that. Oddly, I think a higher percentage than in most groups. Every now and again, you'll see a little OT note about something related to that and it can ge pretty funny when someone new finds out the 'guy who was helping them learn how to (insert whatever)' was a lady. D might be Debbie!
"Robert Green" wrote
No problem Bobby! Hey, here's one next idea. I have a local Maytag repair place who also sells refubished units. They provide installation and haul away for a fee (40$). I've gotten many things there over time and always had good luck.
My current fridge is an Amana, bought new 10 years ago and still going strong. The one before it was a whirlpool that came with the house (age unknown, may have been 35 or more).
When buying a new gas oven a bit ago, I looked at the fridges just for ideas on what they cost today and there were many small but decent models in the
400$ range at the local Lowes. If retired military, you also get a 10% discount there. (I;m retired Navy, 26 years)."Robert Green" wrote
Bottom or back are the options. Back is easier if you can move the fridge to clean the coils now and again. They last longer but you have to sporadically do that it seems. Also you have to leave more freespace behind with those models.
Bottom coil units don't get cleaned the same and seem to not need that. Probably sounds to me like a better unit for your needs would be the bottom fan type.
Something made why Whirlpool, regardless of the brand -- Roper, Sears Kenmore, Costco Kirkland, Estate, or Ingilis. Avoid Maytag, one of the least reliable refrigerator brands, unless you can get proof in writing that it's a Whirlpool design (Whirlpool took over Maytag last year).
It doesn't make sense to buy a new frig--get a used one. When it is time to sell the house, you can sell it on Craigslist or use it as a bargaining item if the buyer doesnt have one.
"Phisherman" wrote
If you don't want the icemaker water in the door models, an common fridge can be had on Craigslist for cheap for one that is only a couple of years old. That's what I'd do.
A friend of mine HAD to have one of the icemaker water in the door models. Got one off Craigslist by placing a wanted ad, and got a 1.5 year old huge one that cost $1200 for $400.
One of the small simple ones should run $100-$200.
Steve
visit my blog at
A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.
You *are* an optimist. 2011 is going to be the double-dip that Obama'a actions demand. It'll be another five years before this mess gets straightened out.
SWMBO would love to quit her job and retire but she got awfully tired of staying home, too. I retired in '06. That lasted nine months. My current plan is to work another five to eight years. By then I'll have all the toys I need to retire in style. ;-)
The very expensive high end priced up in the clouds home refrigerators that are built more like commercial units have the condenser on top where it should be. The fan/coil on the bottom acts like a vacuum cleaner and grabs every bit of dust and debris kicked up by people walking about a kitchen. It's the same thing with a PC when folks put it on the floor under or next to their desk. I have a long brush and a Shop-Vac that I use when servicing home refrigerators. Molly is right about the convection cooled condenser coil covering the back of a fridge, it's the only type that is virtually plug in and forget. About the only problem you'll have with one is the mechanical motor driven defrost timer or evaporator fan motor.
TDD
Are you kidding me? You should see some of the dust that I come across every time I look at the condenser coil under peoples=92 refrigerators. Its like winter wonderland in an alternate universe down there.
Are you kidding me? You should see some of the dust that I come across every time I look at the condenser coil under peoples? refrigerators. Its like winter wonderland in an alternate universe down there.
reply: I have never seen a refrigerator that wasn't seriously dusted up, and I never met a homeowner who knew it was there and required cleaning. I just finally convinced my wife after eight years that refrigerators need side and back clearance. She built a custom kitchen, and left 1/4" clearance all around, and pushed the fridge back to the wall, leaving no clearance all around. The fridge died last week. It is good to pull your fridge from the wall, open that up every once in a while, and either vacuum with a long pointy nozzle, or blow it out with air.
Hi. My name is not Bob. ;)
Yes, I know about it. After buying a repair manual and learning how to replace defrost cycle timer, defrost ice-encased frostless coils, and generally tear the thing apart, I learned much. I also learned you DO need to clean them coils. It was hot where I lived and dirty coils meant the difference between mere hours and two days to freeze a tray of ice. Once a year cleaning is enough.
nb
Since it appears you are capable of working on your fridge, consider repairability as a criteria.
As an example, I was given a fairly new GE refrigerator that was not running. I'm pretty good at repairing appliances and figured I could get this one back online, no problem. PROBLEM! I discovered the failure was due to a bad temp controller and I went down to my local appliance parts place, and gave them the model and serial number. I knew and trusted these guys, from long association, and they told me this particular model, a low end one, was not worth the effort. They said the specialized tool needed to effect said repair would probably cost more than a similar model refrigerator. IOW, a disposable cheapie design.
I'd ask a parts or repair center about ease of rapair before choosing.
nb
It seems that on most low price appliances that the cost to repair is not worth it. If the item is more than a few years old, you replace one part and a month later another part goes out. By the time you get two or three parts , you have the price of a new appliance. This is especially true if you have to pay someone to do the work.
I threw away a good amount of money on two used refrigerators in my life. Now, I don't do that any more.
Steve
visit my blog at
A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.
I checked out a refrigerator for a fellow I knew a while back after his house was hit by lightning. It damaged a lot of stuff including blowing electrical outlets out of the wall. Anyway, he had a very nice fridge that quit running, a model with all sorts of digital readouts and electronic controls. The compressor was OK but the microprocessor based control board located in a compartment in the back of the fridge was toast. A new board was more than $100.00 my cost. I fixed a simple fridge for my friends daughter who's home was hit by lighting and the capacitor, evaporator fan motor and defrost timer cost a lot less than the fancy computer control of the the other folk's refrigerator. The lesson being that you may want to forego fancy bells and whistles when you choose a refrigerator.
TDD
I guess I'm an exception then. I'm not happy with the current fridge in my house because I haven't a clue how to clean the coils. The last one was bad enough. But the girl wanted a bottom-freezer, French door model, so options were limited. I guess in the next year or so I will have to make the effort to puzzle it out.
And yes, the old fridge (inherited from POs) had quite large dust hares in residence underneath. I did clean it, shortly before it started running all the time and making even more noise than usual. It was dated 1988 though so I guess it didn't owe anyone anything.
nate
No kidding. I've seen them with a comuter (PC) with touch screen on the door. Lord knows what those cost to repair.
The one I had was that old GE/Amana/etc avocado-colored workhorse that millions bought in the 60s. Frostless, top freezer, etc. I salvaged mine cuz, despite still working, was not very efficient and I was moving states away. OTOH, I knew of half a dozen just like it still doing duty in ppl's homes (two on my block) as their primary or garage beer fridge. My dog could repair it! ;)
nb
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