Refrigerators - all average at best?

We need to purchase a new side by side fridge. Five yr old Frigidaire needs $600 compressor (60% of what we paid for it). Did a lot of internet review searching and was suprised to see that the trend was that they all got average ratings (3 out of 5 stars in most cases where there were actually a lot of consumer reviews). Are there any repairmen out their with an opinon?

Reply to
roland.case
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I'm not a repairman, but I'll relate a comment made to me by a repairman a few months ago. He was changing a controller board in my 1 year old GE side by side - wouldn't hold temperature, kept swinging up and down. Asked him what kind of fridge he had. Said he bought one of the last GE models (about 7 or 8 years old) to be controlled the old- fashioned electro-mechanical way, you know, thermostats and relays, rather than a computer controller board. His opinion, nothing built since then has been any good.

Jerry

Reply to
Jerry

The alternative it to get one that is intended to be repairable, my old Monagram, has the compressor on a roll out shelf at the top. I really don't know how old it is, but all it has asked for is a timer, & while I was in there I changed the sensors for the defrost. Online, the parts were less than $100. Cold Spot and others make a premium box, & prices are outrageous new, but you can often pick them up used at a decent price and they last forever.

Reply to
Eric in North TX

Side by sides may be convenient and stylish, but they suck for efficiency. Look at the reviews of the top (and even bottom) Freezer refrigerators. You should find some standouts.

Reply to
Marilyn & Bob

I'm not a repairman, but I'll relate a comment made to me by a repairman a few months ago. He was changing a controller board in my 1 year old GE side by side - wouldn't hold temperature, kept swinging up and down. Asked him what kind of fridge he had. Said he bought one of the last GE models (about 7 or 8 years old) to be controlled the old- fashioned electro-mechanical way, you know, thermostats and relays, rather than a computer controller board. His opinion, nothing built since then has been any good.

Jerry

I got a GE 18 cu/ft with my house 2 years ago and it's the old-fasioned kind--no LEDs or such nonsense. It's a bit noisy but I have it set at the lowest temp setting and it goes from about 36-42 in the fridge and down to about 5 degrees in the freezer. My old GE side-by-side 24 cu/ft still works fine (15 years or so) but it uses a little more power than the new one (but not a whole lot) and I'm off-grid so every watt counts. I had a Frigidair

14 cu/ft and it seemed to use more power than the 24 cu/ft GE but when the thermostat broke I was able to fix it easily.

I don't buy any appliances that have LEDs and such.

I have no faith in comsumer reports unless they are direct from the source such as this newsgroup.

Reply to
Ulysses

My parts house calls GE "Generally expensive". The newer ones are electronic, and break regularly.

Over the years, I've really grown fond of Whirlpool. Basic inexpensive stuff.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

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