What To Look For In A Refrigerator?

[aemeijers]

Ignoring any questions about salts of whatever kind- soft-water ice tastes nasty, especially if it sits in the freezer awhile in a self-defrost unit. The actual h20 evaporates off, and the trace element load increases. I almost never use ice because it tastes so bad, and the cubes are usually half-evaporated. It leaves a nasty residue in bin and chute, and the chilled water tube is almost plugged. On the other hand, I the in-door water and ice at my sister's place, with no softener. If I ever get around to getting a plumber in here to clean up the punch list of piddly projects, one of them will be replacing ice maker saddle tap in basement with a coupling, and running a new feed off a tee attached to an accessible unsoftened cold line near the feed from the well, with a shutoff valve to make the inline filter painless to change.

One of these days....

-- aem sends...

[Some Guy]

Only the designers of the appliances in question have that knowledge. Anyone else must seek out that information, and in many cases it simply is not available to those outside the company that makes it.

So what are you saying - that Consumer reports is an accurate and comprehensive source for detailed product information?

So you are an advocate and praise CR?

Is there any particular reason you chose to bring CR into this discussion?

If you want to debate or counter the statements I made in my previous post, then bringing CR into it just to tear them down makes no sense. Just as your previous post largely contained no sense.

[Pete C.]

I have the knowledge to evaluate those items as do many others. I understand refrigeration, construction methods and electronic controls. I can readily look online to check parts availability from various suppliers and can find reports of warranty issues.

No, I'm saying that Consumer Reports provides recommendations that can be used by those who lack the knowledge to do their own evaluations. I disagree with much of CR's evaluations WRT features and benefits, however they are usually at least adequate to steer someone with no knowledge away from problematic models.

No, see above. CR does serve a purpose for those who are not capable of shopping and evaluating on their own.

Yes, since you have indicated you are not capable of shopping and evaluating appliances on your own, they are a source of recommendations you can use to at least avoid the worst models.

My post contained very sensible advice for use by intelligent persons, since you are apparently not very intelligent, you did not understand it and chose to try to mock that which you do not understand.

[Steve.IA]

"Abby Brown" wrote in news:sOydnX4-0uLmbcHXnZ2dnUVZ [e-mail]:

What to look for in a refrigerator?

Beer!

[windcrest]

In the showroom apply about 100 to 150 lbs of weight to the drawers and shelves (by using your muscles and body weight). If the plastic drawer sliders and shelf holders dont crack, then buy that fridge. Apply this weight with the drawers slid open. I have rarely had anything ever go wrong with a fridge, but many times I wind up with cracked plastic drawer sliders and shelf supports after the first year or so. It is a bitch fixing these as you have to replace them completely.

If the salesperson has a problem with this, then go to another store and test them there.

I'm serious, strong internal plastic sliders and shelf cleats is about all I bother to look for, as I am living with a fridge (Maytag) today that has 2 cracked drawer sliders that no longer can hold the drawers at all (those drawers now sit on the shelf). All the other aspects seems to be too close to call between manufacturers.

[JC]

In the showroom apply about 100 to 150 lbs of weight to the drawers and shelves (by using your muscles and body weight). If the plastic drawer sliders and shelf holders dont crack, then buy that fridge. Apply this weight with the drawers slid open. I have rarely had anything ever go wrong with a fridge, but many times I wind up with cracked plastic drawer sliders and shelf supports after the first year or so. It is a bitch fixing these as you have to replace them completely.

If the salesperson has a problem with this, then go to another store and test them there.

I'm serious, strong internal plastic sliders and shelf cleats is about all I bother to look for, as I am living with a fridge (Maytag) today that has 2 cracked drawer sliders that no longer can hold the drawers at all (those drawers now sit on the shelf). All the other aspects seems to be too close to call between manufacturers.

I think you will find almost all of them are made by the same company, WS Woods and just put various brands on them.

[windcrest]

You mean WC Wood?

They make the interiors on most brands?

[Some Guy]

What an insane test.

Sure, you might have 150 lbs of stuff in your fridge - but not all on one shelf.

If you press down with your hands on one shelf and put half your body weight on it, it will break and the store will nail your ass for the repair bill.

[Some Guy]

Evaluating information or data is one thing.

Getting your hands on that information or data is another.

And I could show you an exploded view of two fridges. What would you do with that information?

Where will you go to find out what gauge metal is used for what part of the fridge?

How will you find out which east-asian plant produced what PC board in which fridge?

By the time any really relavent information is available to compare any given consumer product, that product will most likely no longer be available on store shelves - it will be replaced with the next model.

That is true of TV's, cameras, appliances, etc. The time-cycle between products is being reduced to counter consumer awareness and reduce the relevence and usefullness of on-line reviews.

[Pete C.]

I guess I'm just better at locating that data.

Being quite familiar with most everything mechanical, I can readily compare the overall design, location of the condenser coils, fans, dampers, etc. and get a good feel for the units. I can also look at the parts lists and see how the parts availability is, i.e. what parts are available separately vs. only in a unit, as well as the parts cost both from the manufacturers web site as well as 3rd party parts distributors.

My 5 minute inspection of each model that has made my final cut based on other factors will confirm the materials and overall soundness of the construction.

It doesn't matter one bit. The parts are all standard components, and I've not seen low quality PCBs in quite a few years.

If the product is available for purchase in the store, all the relevant information is also available.

Ah, you're one of those conspiracy theorists eh? Probably one of the 15% on the CNN.com poll who think the moon landing was faked...

[Stormin Mormon]

I'd want to avoid anything GE with a circuit board. My parts house calls them "generally expensive". And the parts are expensive. Or anything Amana, which is also electronic.

Me, I've been fond of Whirlpool, or Frigidaire.

[Rudy]

and shelves (by using your muscles and body weight). If the plastic drawer sliders and shelf holders dont crack, then buy that fridge. Apply this weight with the drawers slid open. >If the salesperson has a problem with this, then go to another store and

How often do they let you out of the place you re locked up in ?

[Pete C.]

I do my electronics repairs to component level, so in most cases I wouldn't be buying a new board, I'd be buying $10 worth of parts from Digi-Key.

A plastic motorized damper door broke on my GE fridge some years back, the part was only available in a $160 assembly, so I spent 30 minutes fabricating a replacement in my shop and it's worked perfectly ever since.

[Stormin Mormon]

Please condsider advertising your service on the net, and post a link, here. There is a real need for your talents and skills.

[windcrest]

t

In 1964 my mother used to stand on the fridge drawer to reach the cabinet above (she was only 4'11''). That drawer never broke because everything about that old Admiral was steel.

I have 3 kids and a wife who did in the drawers on our fridge in only one year. They are built like crap today, it is necessary to find one that can take the stress. Take it from someone who has a Maytag with

2 broken drawers and a broken shelf and come to think of it a door shelf that also broke.

They should easily take 100 lbs. if they are to survive a 25 lb turkey and a few gallons of milk.

[LouB]

Isn't milk about 7 lbs per gallon?

[windcrest]

rust

When the turkey is "plopped" down the weight spikes up.

I would also add that the OP should bring a 100lb kid with him and ask the kid to hang onto the freezer/fridge doors and use same as a carnival ride. The doors should not go out of alignment after a kid swings on it. This is in addition to the interior drawer/shelf tests. Another good test is kicking the crisper drawers closed instead of closing them by hand. My wife usually has a handful of stuff and likes to kick the veggie drawers closed, this probably contributed to their breakage. My contention is that a good quality fridge should survive all this abuse, but most wont.

[Stormin Mormon]

Water alone is about 8.33 pounds per galon, depending on your altitude, and how far you are from the coast.

[JC]

Geez. I guess, just in case, you might want to have them roll one outside so you can hit it a couple of times with your car. You know, so if you're gonna keep it in the garage.

[aemeijers]

All kidding aside, I DO wish the interiors on modern residential fridges were built more sturdily. Fridge that came with this place is almost tolerable- branded RCA, but not sure if it is a Whirlpool or not. Glass shelves on metal standards hung from vertical rails in the back, and door shelves are hung in a similar fashion, and also adjustable. Much nicer than the typical blow-molded crap on a cheap fridge. Too bad it is a SxS with the coils underneath- I'm scared to move it lest that 20 YO copper ice maker line starts leaking. The glass shelves do make be a little paranoid, though.

-- aem sends...