The Lifespan of Large Appliances Is Shrinking

[bucky]

Other than the electronics failing a major cause of a refrigerator’s failure to keep cool is that the coils get clogged with dust bunnies. I have a GE side by side fridge that I bought in 2004 and it’s still working strong. I vacuum the coils and pump yearly.

 

[Westtown Willy]

I won't buy a fridge in any other configuration than standard one door freezer on top and one door fridge on bottom, no water or ice dispenser, period.

But, it must have a 40 inch touch screen that covers the entire freezer door in case I accidentally leave my phoooone on the couch when I go to take a piss so I can stop in the kitchen and catch up with everything that happened in the world during that 3 seconds.

 

[Chris]

But, it must have a 40 inch touch screen that covers the entire freezer door in case I accidentally leave my phoooone on the couch when I go to take a piss so I can stop in the kitchen and catch up with everything that happened in the world during that 3 seconds.

I've always marveled at the stupidity of this "feature" of some new fridges. Talk about a solution to a problem that never existed in the first place! Oh, and add to that another point of failure!

 

[bucky]

Will it tell me my milk is going bad?

 

[BlueC]

But, it must have a 40 inch touch screen that covers the entire freezer door in case I accidentally leave my phoooone on the couch when I go to take a piss so I can stop in the kitchen and catch up with everything that happened in the world during that 3 seconds.

Some people pay big money for that shit. "Smart home", where even the toilet can watch you. I went in one last month that not only did the thermostats, fridge door and mirrors light up when I walked near, one of the toilets lit up and said *bee-boo-beep* "welcome", while opening the lid. I hate it soo much.

 

[Zorba]

Some people pay big money for that shit. "Smart home", where even the toilet can watch you. I went in one last month that not only did the thermostats, fridge door and mirrors light up when I walked near, one of the toilets lit up and said *bee-boo-beep* "welcome", while opening the lid. I hate it soo much.

Its the smartphone mentality.

 

[RangerTJ]

Will it tell me my milk is going bad?

My Samsung didn't

We discovered that on our own

 

[Squatch]

I also took the advice that every single appliance repairman has given me, "never buy a fridge with a built in ice maker or water dispenser".

I had been given that same advice when I bought my Whirlpool fridge in '96. However, the wife wanted it, so we got the ice maker and water dispenser. Twenty-six years later, I had to replace the ice maker. Not bad, considering that within that same amount of time, I had to replace the wife...twice!

 

[InOmaha]

My mom has the refrigerator my grandparents bought in the mid 80s. It replaced their first refrigerator they bought when they got married.

Owned 2 refrigerators in their lifetimes and both are probably still running. I know one is cooling beer in a basement.

 

[BlueC]

My mom has the refrigerator my grandparents bought in the mid 80s. It replaced their first refrigerator they bought when they got married.

Owned 2 refrigerators in their lifetimes and both are probably still running. I know one is cooling beer in a basement.

My current garage fridge. I'm guessing mid '60s-mid 70s vintage, but it has no date on the label, so maybe earlier, google can't seem to find it. I've had it for a decade or more now, and she's doing fine. I just have to defrost and clean it out about twice a year.

You know, that label says it has a 5 year warranty, I'm gonna call Sears....

 

[MaximusLJR06]

I'm dealing with failing samsung fridge currently. It is 16 years old, so that's a plus. The last few months I get all kinds of condensation built up inside the refrigerator section of it. Eventually it all freezes and i have to chip it out. Had a couples times where the entire thing just shut off and then would come back on an hour later. We started looking for a replacement and due to size constraints, we are limited to like 3 options. Going to be replacing it with a Whirlpool unit, just have to pull the trigger. $1,500 for it and I'm dreading it. All I've read is that pretty much all brands are shit now even GE. But GE & Whirlpool are the least shit. Have read great things about Bosch, but they don't make one that fits my space.

Would love to replace it with a fridge from the 40's or 50's but i don't think the wife would enjoy that.

 

[BlueC]

All I've read is that pretty much all brands are shit now even GE. But GE & Whirlpool are the least shit. Have read great things about Bosch, but they don't make one that fits my space.

I'm very happy with my Bosch dishwasher. My base model Frigidaire refer and GE range/oven (exposed elements) are also doing well. I specifically bought minimal fills appliances. The dishwasher is the only "mid level" appliance, and that was to get a stainless tub and extra sound deadening, you can barely hear it running standing next to it.

If you dive into it, you'll see that the name brands are owned by only about 5 different parent companies. I can tell you from personal experience that modern Whirlpool refrigerators are garbage. That was an expensive lesson I learned. GE and Hotpoint are basically the same appliances, with the Hotpoint name being applied to the "budget oriented" appliances. Many of those even had the same basic part numbers when I had to go looking 6 years ago.

 

[MaximusLJR06]

I'm very happy with my Bosch dishwasher. My base model Frigidaire refer and GE range/oven (exposed elements) are also doing well. I specifically bought minimal fills appliances. The dishwasher is the only "mid level" appliance, and that was to get a stainless tub and extra sound deadening, you can barely hear it running standing next to it.

If you dive into it, you'll see that the name brands are owned by only about 5 different parent companies. I can tell you from personal experience that modern Whirlpool refrigerators are garbage. That was an expensive lesson I learned. GE and Hotpoint are basically the same appliances, with the Hotpoint name being applied to the "budget oriented" appliances. Many of those even had the same basic part numbers when I had to go looking 6 years ago.

View attachment 698698

Pretty much if you get 5 years out of any of them now, they consider that a good one. It’s absolutely ridiculous that these the options we get and cost of them is insane.

The only GE option we have is a counter depth model that we would lose way too much storage space. I feel like we are stuck with the whirlpool option just based on dimensions.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

I've never been happy with a single Samsung-made item. Back in the 80s, when the brand first came into my consciousness, they had a reputation as a cheap, poor-quality manufacturer of TVs and home stereo components. I never paid attention to them, but then in the 2000s, I started to see them everywhere, and their reputation was much better. I have owned a refrigerator and the large, flat-screen TV made by them in the last ten years. Both were disasters. I won't ever buy one of their products again.

I bought a pretty nice (1080p, 120Hz) 52" Samsung TV in 2007 and finally tossed it in 2025. I did have to replace some capacitors around 2015 but otherwise never had a problem.

When I replaced it though, Sony had the edge in my research so that's what I replaced it with.

 

[Zorba]

I'm dealing with failing samsung fridge currently. It is 16 years old, so that's a plus. The last few months I get all kinds of condensation built up inside the refrigerator section of it. Eventually it all freezes and i have to chip it out. Had a couples times where the entire thing just shut off and then would come back on an hour later. We started looking for a replacement and due to size constraints, we are limited to like 3 options. Going to be replacing it with a Whirlpool unit, just have to pull the trigger. $1,500 for it and I'm dreading it. All I've read is that pretty much all brands are shit now even GE. But GE & Whirlpool are the least shit. Have read great things about Bosch, but they don't make one that fits my space.

Would love to replace it with a fridge from the 40's or 50's but i don't think the wife would enjoy that.

That's probably fixable - something to do with the defrost system and/or timer would be my guess.

 

[sab]

When I replaced it though, Sony had the edge in my research so that's what I replaced it with.

Me, too. So far, so good.

 

[Apparition]

I'm very happy with my Bosch dishwasher. My base model Frigidaire refer and GE range/oven (exposed elements) are also doing well. I specifically bought minimal fills appliances. The dishwasher is the only "mid level" appliance, and that was to get a stainless tub and extra sound deadening, you can barely hear it running standing next to it.

If you dive into it, you'll see that the name brands are owned by only about 5 different parent companies. I can tell you from personal experience that modern Whirlpool refrigerators are garbage. That was an expensive lesson I learned. GE and Hotpoint are basically the same appliances, with the Hotpoint name being applied to the "budget oriented" appliances. Many of those even had the same basic part numbers when I had to go looking 6 years ago.

View attachment 698698

Put a Bosch in at an older house I had. It was really good and still working when we sold it.

Now my house has some shit I don’t like so it’ll probably last forever.

 

[KennethS]

I also took the advice that every single appliance repairman has given me, "never buy a fridge with a built in ice maker or water dispenser".

24 years ago the wife wanted this fancy Whirlpool fridge with not only an ice maker and water dispenser, but the water dispenser has electronics to measure the amount of water dispensed or dispense a pre-selected amount. I was SOOOOO against a fridge with a built in computer. And 24 years later, what failed? The ice maker. A simple mechanical device. And all that electronic stuff I didn’t want and feared would fail is still working.

 

[Chris]

24 years ago the wife wanted this fancy Whirlpool fridge with not only an ice maker and water dispenser, but the water dispenser has electronics to measure the amount of water dispensed or dispense a pre-selected amount. I was SOOOOO against a fridge with a built in computer. And 24 years later, what failed? The ice maker. A simple mechanical device. And all that electronic stuff I didn’t want and feared would fail is still working.

Yep, having those things built into the fridge is just adding more points of failure. Every single appliance repair guy I’ve ever spoken to has highly advised against fridges with them built in. I finally took that advice!

 

[Zorba]

24 years ago the wife wanted this fancy Whirlpool fridge with not only an ice maker and water dispenser, but the water dispenser has electronics to measure the amount of water dispensed or dispense a pre-selected amount. I was SOOOOO against a fridge with a built in computer. And 24 years later, what failed? The ice maker. A simple mechanical device. And all that electronic stuff I didn’t want and feared would fail is still working.

I'm wondering how much more it cost to replace/repair it what with the electronics.