This week's release is a fun one from Whirlpool, touting their IceMagic automatic ice maker, circa 1972. This is another one that had shifted almost entirely to red, but came out okay with some heavy color correction.
IceMagic 1972 - 16mm Film
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Now that was the "coolest" video, there--makes me sooo happy that my fridge is a Whirlpool with an inside ice maker, too...
I like the location of it there on a middle shelf (not way, high-up on the highest, where the newer and newest ice makers are) and even the size-selection is offered, too...
Oh, if only I could get my door-mounted dispenser to work & get cubed and crushed, otherwise my ice maker has come a long way, in that I can go back to when you still had to open the freezer door for your ice, but I have a bucket right in the door going out, and the much needed shelving that those used to take (prompting you to buy a separate freezer, in that times, on the increase, as well)...
Thanks a lot for another "chilling" video, Corey!
-- Dave
I like the location of it there on a middle shelf (not way, high-up on the highest, where the newer and newest ice makers are) and even the size-selection is offered, too...
Oh, if only I could get my door-mounted dispenser to work & get cubed and crushed, otherwise my ice maker has come a long way, in that I can go back to when you still had to open the freezer door for your ice, but I have a bucket right in the door going out, and the much needed shelving that those used to take (prompting you to buy a separate freezer, in that times, on the increase, as well)...
Thanks a lot for another "chilling" video, Corey!
-- Dave
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I currently have a 21 cubic foot top mount Whirlpool refrigerator. No ice maker though. Though I did save the trays from my previous whirlpool and egg bin. It's not hard to fill up some ice trays and dump them into a bucket. One less thing to go wrong
phillymatt53
Well-known member
Damn straight!
I watched that video, it was mildly amusing, and I love how the marketing and glorification of that device is used to sell that junk.
But, of course, that's what they're supposed to do, to make you want something.
The real-life situation is different, because Everyone, and I mean Everyone that I know of, who's had icemakers in their fridges, has been utterly disgusted with those contraptions!
One family I'm friends with went on a vacation, only to come home to a flooded kitchen and dining room due to a malfunctioning icemaker.
Others I know, had bad issues with jamming, leaking, and even the door mounted machines.
Not one person it seems was happy with those hunks of junk.
My 1985 GE refrigerator has an option for one, thank god it's wasn't ever installed.
Yep, I stick to old school with 4 trays of ice filled from the sink.
It's not hard to do that, I'd rather be in control, rather than deal with issues far worse.
I've not had any disgust with the ice makers in my refrigerators.
You don't know me, so, of course, my experience doesn't stand against your statement.
phillymatt53
Well-known member
Well Dad, all I can say is that perhaps "some" people are lucky to have a properly functioning icemaker.
But I'm going on what 40+ families and friends over the years have had to deal with.
Like agiflow mentioned, it's not a big deal to manually fill ice trays and with it, the peace of mind, knowing that you won't have surprises that you don't want.
Those heat release icemakers were very trouble free back when this film was made. Our 1966 Coldspot bottom freezer ice maker lasted the life of the refrigerator (33 years) without a malfunction or repair. Also our 1988 Whirlpool bottom freezer had same and lasted the life of the refrigerator without any problems or repairs. I agree that icemakers today, especially made in China imports are very troublesome.
It is interesting...I grew up with a coppertone Amana SxS with ice dispenser b/w the freezer doors and it never had a single problem its entire life. I loved the chrome "levers" and the backlit Amana logo. When the fridge conked out in the 90's, it was replaced by a new black SxS Amana. Pretty upscale, with soft-touch controls on the door above the handle, a VFD, plus fast-freeze and a door alarm. That had the icemaker in the door with a removable 'bucket' to aid in filling coolers and such. No issue at all with the icemaker, but running flex tubing into the door was a bad idea as it aged; had to repair that a couple of times. The replacement fridge (WP) also has the icemaker in the door, but jams up frequently, and filling a water glass results in a lot of splashback. They now use the sink for drinking water. Definitely a step backwards.
Fast-forward a decade, and my parents build a lake house. Within a year the new Amana (WP) fridges are leaking from the plastic tubing. The Amana-branded DW has warped the wood floor. And the Amana range only shows some digits of oven temp on its display. They're back to filling ice cube trays manually, washing dishes by hand, and I was able to repair the range with a solder reflow. Perversely, and by design, if you use the oven's timer function, it will simply beep softly once, and if you didn't hear it, well, too bad. Hope you enjoy chicken ala charcoal.
Thanks, Cory another really fun video. This video was designed for use in training, whirlpool sales and service people. It was not meant for public viewing. It was not used as an ad.
Automatic icemaker, or another of the many incredible inventions of the Appliance industry came out with the crescent cube heat release icemaker back in the very late 40s whirlpool acquired serval in 1956 both to get extra manufacturing capacity of most of all to get the pattern for the icemaker.
This whirlpool crescent cube icemaker was by far the most successful icemaker ever made in 1972 when this video was done nine out of 12 US refrigerator brands with icemaker were made by whirlpool including the Amana you talk about that your family had.
Icemakers can be extremely reliable. I can think of six whirlpool built icemakers in whirlpool refrigerators that our family has had I don’t think anyone was ever repaired. I might’ve put a new water valve on one of them.
The time and energy saved with an automatic icemaker is very nice. Of course you can make ice in ice trays and the majority of people in the world still use old-fashioned ice trays. My current whirlpool built icemaker is in a KitchenAid all freezer that I bought new in 1987. It has never been repaired. It’s never even been pulled away from the wall, all it does is makes ice.
Automatic icemaker, or another of the many incredible inventions of the Appliance industry came out with the crescent cube heat release icemaker back in the very late 40s whirlpool acquired serval in 1956 both to get extra manufacturing capacity of most of all to get the pattern for the icemaker.
This whirlpool crescent cube icemaker was by far the most successful icemaker ever made in 1972 when this video was done nine out of 12 US refrigerator brands with icemaker were made by whirlpool including the Amana you talk about that your family had.
Icemakers can be extremely reliable. I can think of six whirlpool built icemakers in whirlpool refrigerators that our family has had I don’t think anyone was ever repaired. I might’ve put a new water valve on one of them.
The time and energy saved with an automatic icemaker is very nice. Of course you can make ice in ice trays and the majority of people in the world still use old-fashioned ice trays. My current whirlpool built icemaker is in a KitchenAid all freezer that I bought new in 1987. It has never been repaired. It’s never even been pulled away from the wall, all it does is makes ice.
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phillymatt53
Well-known member
Combo, that icemaker with the metal arm for sensing cube fill shutoff looks like the same one that my neighbor's got in his side-by-side GE Monogram fridge, with the door water/ice gizmo.
He's had numerous issues with it, and the door ice dispenser jamming up.
Any reason for that so I can tell my neighbor?
Hey John, unfortunately, I grew up in the age of what Cory Doctorow has coined, "enshittification". What hasn't been monetized has been cost-reduced, shrinkflated or SVA-adjusted. I got to see the rise, the peak, and the decline of a lot of home tech as a young adult.
I have no doubt at all that 1980's and even early 90's icemaker designs were at their peak and still clicking along today. Pretty much every white good built in my adult lifetime has seen an improvement in quality control and efficiency, and a decrease in part count and cost, often to the detriment of longetivity. I stick with the oldies, but watched friends get married, buy homes, and purchase new appliances (and relegated the previous owners 80's models to the garage, or hauled off by Home Depot). And today it's the odd man out that's still rocking something from the early oughts. Nothing seems to make it past 10 years. What's worth a chuckle is that one friend is a bit snobbish, and moved his old 90's bisque WP fridge to the garage 20 years ago. Yet he's been through two replacements in his kitchen since then. Another friend this week is replacing his <10 year old LG fridge with another LG fridge (and lost all of the food). Two months ago the LG front loader died, and to keep the wife appeased, bought the exact same model. His Bosch DW was replaced <5 years ago after failing in a similar timeframe.
When WP bought Servel, they poured over a million dollars into improving that icemaker tech, because a superior product would build out a consumer base. Seems smart to me, but suggest that today and you'd get fired.
Growing up, if you had an automatic icemaker, you were "rich", haha. Here I am in my 40's, and over half the people I know are back to cube trays. The most popular fridges (Samsungs and LG's) have caused nothing but service calls and completely turned them off. (Yeah, I know some Samsung folks).
I doubt anyone today would be willing to pay the adjusted price of a '72 fridge, but then again, -everybody- seems to have a horror story about their latest fridge/washer/white good. Beat someone down enough and eventually they'll accept a <10 year life as acceptable. Actually, said 'bisque friend' this week had his 7 year old top loader lock up. Not worth repairing.
I have no doubt at all that 1980's and even early 90's icemaker designs were at their peak and still clicking along today. Pretty much every white good built in my adult lifetime has seen an improvement in quality control and efficiency, and a decrease in part count and cost, often to the detriment of longetivity. I stick with the oldies, but watched friends get married, buy homes, and purchase new appliances (and relegated the previous owners 80's models to the garage, or hauled off by Home Depot). And today it's the odd man out that's still rocking something from the early oughts. Nothing seems to make it past 10 years. What's worth a chuckle is that one friend is a bit snobbish, and moved his old 90's bisque WP fridge to the garage 20 years ago. Yet he's been through two replacements in his kitchen since then. Another friend this week is replacing his <10 year old LG fridge with another LG fridge (and lost all of the food). Two months ago the LG front loader died, and to keep the wife appeased, bought the exact same model. His Bosch DW was replaced <5 years ago after failing in a similar timeframe.
When WP bought Servel, they poured over a million dollars into improving that icemaker tech, because a superior product would build out a consumer base. Seems smart to me, but suggest that today and you'd get fired.
Growing up, if you had an automatic icemaker, you were "rich", haha. Here I am in my 40's, and over half the people I know are back to cube trays. The most popular fridges (Samsungs and LG's) have caused nothing but service calls and completely turned them off. (Yeah, I know some Samsung folks).
I doubt anyone today would be willing to pay the adjusted price of a '72 fridge, but then again, -everybody- seems to have a horror story about their latest fridge/washer/white good. Beat someone down enough and eventually they'll accept a <10 year life as acceptable. Actually, said 'bisque friend' this week had his 7 year old top loader lock up. Not worth repairing.
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