Buying a Refrigerator...

[ISAslot]

i dont know anything really about refrigerators as i've never had to buy one, but i love the french door/freezer on the bottom samsung that we have. it's huge and just all around a good fridge. the only downside to it is that the ice maker always tries to chop up ice, even on cubed mode. it won't completely chop them up, but you can hear it churning and sometimes little pieces spit out past the cup which is annoying.

I must have a similar model. It only will do the ice chop thing if i toggle from cubed to crushed then back to cubed. It will crush for a sec then do cubes. If it's just starts from cubed, no issues.

 

[purbeast0]

Has it given you any repair/maintenance issues? Not necessarily expensive ones, but the tidbit of $100-$300 to come out and fix random problems?

everything has been fine with it other than the water line behind it leaking for "i have no clue how long" before i realized it. more on that over in the H&G forum here.

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2453458

other than that, all i've done to it is buy water filters.

 

[purbeast0]

I must have a similar model. It only will do the ice chop thing if i toggle from cubed to crushed then back to cubed. It will crush for a sec then do cubes. If it's just starts from cubed, no issues.

yeah i have actually heard this complaint in general on these refrigerators, no clue why it does it lol.

but overall i love it. i have one that is pretty damn wide and we can fit so much shit in it. i love the freezer on the bottom too because i rarely go into the freezer so it makes more sense being down there.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Yeah. Let us know what kind of frig and what the problem is. You might be able to easily and cheaply fix it.

E.g., I recently had a problem and easily repaired mine for a few $'s. Mine has a motherboard located on the back. The mobo was dead. After reading a bit I came upon the problem: the mobo has a fuse but instead of being replaceable it's soldered in.

The manufacturer wants you to be a new mobo for about $500 (IIRC). Then there's the cost for repairman (first for the trip out to diagnose the problem, then for the return trip to install the overpriced mobo).

Instead I pulled the mobo (super easy) and replaced the burnt-out fuse with a fuse caddy I got from Radio Shack. Then I installed the appropriate fuse and it's been working great.

It cost less then $5 and since I installed a fuse caddy I can easily replace the fuse if it burns out again.

Fern

Just had a guy over today.

Basically, here were his options:

I have a leak in the piping and such on the way from/to the compressor. Holes in it or some sort. This is the reason it hasn't been given adequate freezing temperatures. This was also an "all of a sudden" thing. We go from temperatures that were just fine to all of a sudden "Hmmm, that's weird we don't have any ice...." to "Holy shit everything is melting in the freezer!"

I wish I could be more descriptive of the issue, but essentially, holes are in place.

Option #1) A kit to fix the tubing. Basically said it would run me ~$600 or so to go this route. However, he advised that the compressor is already probably shot from being on overload for so long. No idea of the truth here. I just know $600 isn't worth it for our budget refrigerator from 5 years ago.

Option #2) Get a new compressor. He said I was unlucky in that my compressor is a 240v, but uses a 120v converter (or vice versa, I forget). Essentially, it would be an expensive part to find and replace. He estimated it would be upwards to ~$950 or so to replace the compressor.

I was willing to pay ~$300 to avoid having to buy a replacement. The fridge itself was < $1000 if I recall. $600 as a minimum? Screw that.

He also mentioned that he could just refill the freeon and hope it lasts a bit, but he didn't want to charge me for that and have it all be gone tomorrow.

 

[RPD]

Stay the hell away from Kenmore. Wife and I just replaced one of the upper end models and Sears is giving us a $2700-2800 credit towards a new fridge because since we've had it (all while under a warranty contract for repairs) two compressor replacements, 3 ice maker replacements along with other issues. Lost all food 3 times total. On a personal note fuck Sears. Their customer service group has zero understanding of what not having a refrigerator entails for a family with young children. The final straw was after they replaced the compressor for the 2nd time it never cooled, turns out the condenser had a leak but the repair guy never bothered to you know, CHECK if it held before leaving.

Then they wouldn't send out another tech to see what the problem was for 3 more days. That would have put our house at 4+ days w/out a fridge. So we are supposed to just eat out, every meal for a week?

So we said F it, went to Lowes and purchased a Samsung refrigerator and a Bosch dishwasher (Sears missed out on this sale with their shitty service). After a lot of bitching on my part they agreed to scrap the unit and give us the credit, which was the amount we paid for originally about 4 years ago (If the model was still around they would have just given us that).

So rather than have two fridges, my mother in law is moving and her current fridge is probably atleast 20+ years old, she can just pick one out from Sears and pay us back.

 

[Freejack2]

We are in the same boat as you op. We have a GE Profile side by side, that's 10 years old, and it's having freezer problems. We ended up with a Whirlpool french door fridge from a local appliance seller.

The reason we picked a local appliance seller over big box stores, is the appliance seller has their own service department with a reputation for good service. Unlike the big box stores which often don't generally have the best servicemen.

However the fridge, 5 year warranty, water line replacement, and old fridge haul away, was a little over $2000 with the tax.

 

[Schfifty Five]

I bought a fridge around June of this year. I bought it when LG was having a national sale on their products. The one I bought had like $700 off MSRP (granted MSRP was high to begin with), but I also used a 10% coupon. There was free delivery and setup as well. Overall it was a higher than I wanted to pay but it's spacious and has done well so far.

I bought a french door, double bottom freezer. Main reason I got this one was b/c LG has their ice machines on the inside of the doors, instead of in the rear of the refrigerator. Given my kitchen setup, I needed the ice machine on the side to have ease of access to it if I wanted to dump ice into a cooler or something. The main water line and ice dispenser is still on the outside of the door.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

BTW, I was once informed that Samsung actually made OEM appliances for a host of retail companies. Not sure which, and if it applied to refrigerators, but I wouldn't be surprised. Not sure who I would go with if I needed a new unit tomorrow.

 

[bradly1101]

I found a PDF of some refrigerator reviews from April of 2015. And I'll be honest, I'm not real sure if it's the best source to believe. It has Samsung has some of the top ones. But who REALLY knows the answers? Someone that does 1-time stress tests to see how quickly they get cold (and other such "performance" related tests) - or someone that comes out to peoples homes to repair any given refrigerator that seems to notice a trend with certain brands needing more attention than others?

True. But in the CR issues and buying guides they have frequency of repair survey results, you have to subscribe online to see them.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

I usually go cheap. $800 is all I'll spend.

It's just a fridge. And when it breaks 5 years later, I won't care.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

I usually go cheap. $800 is all I'll spend.

It's just a fridge. And when it breaks 5 years later, I won't care.

Yeah, but that's just it. I wouldn't mind paying a BIT more ~$1300 to not have to replace it for 15 years - with minimal maintenance along the way.

True. But in the CR issues and buying guides they have frequency of repair survey results, you have to subscribe online to see them.

You can feel free to share that tidbit if you'd like :sneaky:

Look around in searsoutlet.com I got a killer deal on an LG.

So in all seriousness - Sadly, it looks like I might be going Samsung as much as I seemed against it.

I'm a little scared to go Kenmore, which is what I see a TON of on SearsOutlet. Not sure why, I just don't quite trust it.

The prices are just absolutely insane in the normal sense (HomeDepot, BestBuy, etc...) - but the same damn fridge at SearsOutlet is literally just 60% off. At what cost? Being the floor model for a bit if I understand correctly. I'll take that $3k fridge/freezer for $1.2k it's looking like.

That said, if there is one thing that doesn't totally sit well with me, it's that all of the warranties on these are only 3 Years. Even when buying them brand new though there seems to be few manufacturers that do more than 1Yr. Some of them like LG/Samsung (depending on the model) will have a separate 5/7/10 year warranty for the compressor/inner-parts, which is highly useful. So I'm just a bit cautious about this 1 Year warranty....

 

[MongGrel]

I usually go cheap. $800 is all I'll spend.

It's just a fridge. And when it breaks 5 years later, I won't care.

+1

I do not think I even spent that much the last one, and it's well over 5.

I guess if you have kids or something might matter more to get a large one, is just the wife and myself here.

I do not need a BMW fridge myself.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

I usually go cheap. $800 is all I'll spend.

It's just a fridge. And when it breaks 5 years later, I won't care.

And what do you do when its not 'usually'?

$800/5 years = $2400/15 years. Difference is I have to be inconvenienced with shopping for a frig 3X as much and then have to be labored with waiting on delivery. Also, the $2400 frig is probably gonna have better features that I get to use for 15 years whereas ...

Where in your life do you not cheap out on? TP?

 

[dullard]

And what do you do when its not 'usually'?

$800/5 years = $2400/15 years. Difference is I have to be inconvenienced with shopping for a frig 3X as much and then have to be labored with waiting on delivery. Also, the $2400 frig is probably gonna have better features that I get to use for 15 years whereas ...

Except it is the $2400 fridge that is more likely to fail (there are far more parts to break). The math typically is much more like this:

$800/15 years vs. $2400/5 years.

 

[kn51]

If you want a crap ice maker go with Samsung, but maybe they improved them since mine is 4 years old. Like another poster said, it delivers "cubes" around 50% of the time. Just a poor design. I've had to replace the whole tray with the auger after it froze and cracked which ejected plastic pieces into my kid's drink. Thank god they spotted it.

In the past two weeks I've lost a chest freezer and a garage refrig. One way to make a grown man cry is having to toss out steaks, salmon, and pork shoulders. I'm still mourning.

 

[Greenman]

Basic fridges have very few mechanical parts. Thus, very little can go wrong with the basic models (a basic model is a compressor, heat exchange pipes, and an expansion valve connected to an insulated box). If something does go wrong, it is usually a relatively easy/cheap part to replace. So, if you are worried about repairs and repair costs, then I would think twice about adding in a bunch of bells and whistles. Also, the price is then ~$500, not $2000.

About the only add on that I would ever want in a fridge is an ice maker. My wife doesn't even want that.

I'm all for state-of-the-art technology. It just doesn't belong on an insulated box.

This is exactly right. It's the bells and whistles that cause problems.
I've been looking at new washers and dryers, and the level of foolish gadgetry they employee is astonishing. Does anyone really need their washer to send them a text when the load is done?

 

[spacejamz]

Bought a new Samsung French door fridge last March after my 14 year old Fridgidaire side by side stopped cooling like it should have.

If you use the fridge more, a French Door is better. If you use your freezer more, side by side is better. I definitely miss the ease of access to the stuff in my freezer...

I intentionally did not buy a through the door water/ice dispenser as this is the first thing that usually breaks on a fridge (had to replace the seals on my frigidiarie a few years ago). If you get an ice maker, make sure it doesn't take up too much room inside the fridge.

 

[TWG1572]

We bought a kitchen full of appliances over the July 4th sales. It was painful to say the least.

We ended up with a GE french door refrigerator. I'd never touch a side by side again. The fridge is the same size as our old side by side, but it holds so much more food. It's amazing how much more capacity the thing has.

We looked at LG, but in our market there were NO licensed repair techs. Stores sell them, but evidently can't service warranty claims. We heard that from a couple different stores, so there may be some creditbility to the claim. This is in a town of 600K people. YMMV.

 

[Scarpozzi]

If you're close to Sears, check them out. I use shop your way rewards and pair that with ebates for additional savings. Sears typically has GE, Frigidaire, or Whirlpool appliances rebranded as Kenmore. They are usually top of the line selections that are rebranded (features-wise)....and you get double coverage on the parts because Sears has their own service department AND regular appliance guys fix them too.

My last 3 refrigerator purchases have been Kenmore and none have failed yet.


Edit: I agree with statements above. The more features a fridge has, the more can break. Most thermostats these days are computer controlled and those computers can cost hundreds of dollars to repair if they ever break. All brands are susceptible to this unless you go really basic. Just read reviews before you jump and know that if you stick to the main brands, you'll likely have cheaper repairs in the future. I wouldn't personally spend over $1300 on a fridge....but French door fridges are more expensive and that's what my wife wants. We're going to replace ours soon to get something bigger.

 

[slag]

LG and Kenmore Elite ( made by LG ) have some issues with the icemaker. This has been going on since 2005 about... There was even a class action lawsuit that they lost.

Search LG Icemaker ER IF problems.
https://www.google.com/search?q=lg+refrigerator+ER+IF&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

Ask me how I know....

I have an LG and do not have problems with my ice maker. Not all fridges of a specific brand have issues. That's why you research and check out opinions before buying. We got a scratch and dent LG after researching it from BB and are very happy with it so far, but we've only owned it 4 months.

 

[spacejamz]

We ended up with a GE french door refrigerator. I'd never touch a side by side again. The fridge is the same size as our old side by side, but it holds so much more food. It's amazing how much more capacity the thing has.

There are pros/cons to both types...

However, since the French door fridges are 'in', side by side gets kicked to the curb.

I do love the insane amount of room in my new fridge, but having to bend down for the freezer stuff really sucks...my french door has one big freezer door with a sliding top level shelf inside. Getting to the stuff in the bottom is a pain.

But honestly, I were do it again, I would save $500 and get a side by side...I got a Samsung fridge for $1600 delivered and a comparable side by side was around $1100...

 

[TWG1572]

I do love the insane amount of room in my new fridge, but having to bend down for the freezer stuff really sucks...my french door has one big freezer door with a sliding top level shelf inside. Getting to the stuff in the bottom is a pain.

I'll give you that. Each have their benefits.

We have the same top shelf arrangement in the freezer. I don't really like how the sliding top shelf works on ours. But I'd rather deal with that situation, than our old side by side where every time I tried to dig something out of the freezer 20 other items would fall on my head. My wife loves a full freezer.

 

[Artdeco]

Stay the hell away from Kenmore. Wife and I just replaced one of the upper end models and Sears is giving us a $2700-2800 credit towards a new fridge because since we've had it (all while under a warranty contract for repairs) two compressor replacements, 3 ice maker replacements along with other issues. Lost all food 3 times total. On a personal note fuck Sears. Their customer service group has zero understanding of what not having a refrigerator entails for a family with young children. The final straw was after they replaced the compressor for the 2nd time it never cooled, turns out the condenser had a leak but the repair guy never bothered to you know, CHECK if it held before leaving.

Then they wouldn't send out another tech to see what the problem was for 3 more days. That would have put our house at 4+ days w/out a fridge. So we are supposed to just eat out, every meal for a week?

So we said F it, went to Lowes and purchased a Samsung refrigerator and a Bosch dishwasher (Sears missed out on this sale with their shitty service). After a lot of bitching on my part they agreed to scrap the unit and give us the credit, which was the amount we paid for originally about 4 years ago (If the model was still around they would have just given us that).

So rather than have two fridges, my mother in law is moving and her current fridge is probably atleast 20+ years old, she can just pick one out from Sears and pay us back.

Sorry, but that makes no sense at all, Sears builds nothing, they just put their sticker/badges on other manufacturer's products. Some of the stuff is built just a little different, but most isn't. The refrigerator I bought is a Kenmore, made by LG.

If you read what Consumer Reports says, they do not recommend fixing refrigerators beyond very simple stuff, a 10 year old refrigerator is much less efficient than a new model. The one I bought is huge and uses 30% of the electricity of the one it replaced.

 

[spacejamz]

I'll give you that. Each have their benefits.

We have the same top shelf arrangement in the freezer. I don't really like how the sliding top shelf works on ours. But I'd rather deal with that situation, than our old side by side where every time I tried to dig something out of the freezer 20 other items would fall on my head. My wife loves a full freezer.

If you have a wife, the french door is a given and the side by side is pretty much out....LOL

 

[gorcorps]

I have heard bad stories about every brand out there for every appliance. So, my recommendation is get the features (or look) you want and don't cheap out.

For me personally, the slate finish that GE offers trumped everything out there. Samsung has a black stainless that's nice, but the slate color is completely matte which I like a lot. I'm not a huge fan of the fit and finish when installing them (cheap leveling legs and such), but once they're installed they're really nice. I only have the gas range and dishwasher though, and haven't had them for longer than a couple months.

I'm currently looking for a good bottom freezer fridge that DOESN'T have French doors, because the spot for my fridge is against a wall so I couldn't open the left door fully. I need a single door fridge, which GE has but for some reason they cut a lot of the features out of it. Apparently I can't get a single door fridge with all the high end features, and that pisses me off. Not sure if any other brand has a top-end model with a single hinge door or not, but that's what I need.