They don't make them like they used to - - time for a new Fridge!

[revvinkevin]

Approximately 12 years ago my ex and I were looking to buy a fridge. After researching Consumer Reports we settled on a stainless front, Amana side-by-side with ice & water in the door. Up until earlier this year, it's worked fine with no problems for all these years.

Earlier this year I noticed the compressor was running for longer and longer periods of time and it was not as cold as it should be. I called a friend who does refrigeration, who came out, checked it out and put in "some gas" saying it was low on Freon. Now here we are 4-5 months later and it's starting to do the same thing again. I called my friend again who said he'll come by and put more Freon in it, but also said "You've got a leak somewhere and will probably need to find a new fridge". Not the best news for the day after Christmas, but oh well.

I do have to say that this is the ONLY problem I've had with this Amana fridge. Compared to friends who bought a GE side-by-side a few years before we bought this one. The compressor failed in theirs less then a year after the warranty expired.

So I am asking for your ideas and suggestion for brand name please, also why you suggest it. I don't think I want to stay with a side-by-side, as they are very limiting for large items.

Thank you so much!
Kevin

 

[ronhic]

Not knowing the American market makes this impossible, but you may be interested in the following statistics from Choice magazine here as it could be an indication for manufacturers there too...

Westinghouse, Kelvinator and Electrolux fridges (medium-larger sizes) are made here in the same factory with smaller ones come out of Asia. We have a medium sized upside down Westinghouse fridge that is 4yrs old. It has been faultless mechanically, only the crisper drawer, which is poorly designed, has given us grief...and this has been resolved in newer models.

Interesting to note that GE, Maytag and Whirlpool - the only American brands we get here are at the bottom of the list.

Fisher and Paykel don't send refrigeration to the US.

Percentage NOT needing repair in last 12m

All fridges (6286) 91
Westinghouse (1806) 93
LG (456) 92
Kelvinator/Electrolux (608) 92
Samsung (294) 92
Fisher & Paykel (2072) 91
Whirlpool (272) 88
GE (132) 84
Maytag (162) 83

Would buy again

All fridges (6219) 87
LG (444) 89
Westinghouse (1786) 89
Samsung (293) a 88
Fisher & Paykel (2059) 88
Kelvinator/Electrolux (610) 87
Maytag (158) 83
GE (125) 82
Whirlpool (262) b 80

a) higher proportion said 'difficult to get service/poor service'
b) higher proportion said 'difficult to get parts'

 

[goatfarmer]

Kevin, we have a Whirlpool SxS, about 6 years old. Never had any problems with it. I think Whirlpool is still making a decent 'fridge. But with them closing the Evansville IN plant, all bets are off.

 

[toggleswitch2]

My mother has an Amana, top mount. In here the condenser fan died, causung a massive defrost of the contents of the freezer. Once fixed however the fridge/freezer ran great.

Good luck. It's seems odd to me that it's so much money for a rectangular box that merely gets cold.

I wonder if that technology that one sees in tiny "college" refrigerators that is electronic/electircal not mechanical will ever make it to larger models. Wonder if they are more reliable.

Thermoelectric cooling - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[danemodsandy]

What I Wish...

...Is that reliability and longevity had to be factored into efficiency ratings. There isn't anything efficient about a refirgerator that dies prematurely, no matter how little juice it draws when new. To replace it, ore has to be mined (or recyclable steel reclaimed), petrochemicals pumped, materials transported, manufacturing processes undergone and the result shipped - all of which takes more energy than the appliance will consume during its working life.

There really needs to be more weight given to lasting quality before we can say we're getting a handle on efficiency, I think.

In a way, I think we're moving backwards. In 1950, you could buy a refrigerator made to last thirty years, and it was made largely of materials that were either recyclable (like steel) or made of low-environmental-impact stuff (like porcelain, which is largely sourced from sand). It is true that Freon was no environmental bargain, nor was the chrome seen on the trim and shelves of old fridges.

But for all their faults, they were great machines, and it's a pity you can't get anything like those old fridges now - today, it's all weird-science plastics and electronics the Yugo people would be ashamed to put out, all wrapped in a veneer of highly wasteful stainless steel.

 

[magic clean]

Any interest

in persuing further repair? Whirlpool has a "dye" filter-drier(part# 2317845) that can be easily installed by your tech. After several days, the dye will show up where the system tubing is leaking....conclusively identifying the area that needs attention by your tech. Most leaks occur at a 'high' side joint or tube surface. Generally this is easy to repair at a moderate cost. A 'low' side leak would severely contaminate the system & render the unit as scrap at this point.

If you are otherwise happy with the unit, it might be worthwhile having it repaired. Since it is '98 vintage, then it is charged with R134A which is plentiful and not terribly expensive. Good luck!

L.P.

 

[yogitunes]

I have a Kenmore LIMITED EDITION SXS in almond, I it got in 1998, at fours years the compressor made a fluttering noise, out of warranty but the compressor system had a 5 year warranty, so that was replaced no charge....never had another issue since, but a year ago the water line to the "in-door" dispenser dry rotted and cracked....at 20 years old not sure it's worth investing $110.00 for a 4 foot piece of molded hose....but curious how long theres of the machine will last, I love this one with every possible feature available and the electronics....not another one like it available on the market.....

but sears has a new one out that gives you ice 3 ways...cubed...crushed...and "SNOW CONE"....not sure who manufacturs it yet, but this is high on my list....

Happy Shopping!

 

[xraytech]

I really like my 22 cu ft Kenmore bottom freezert fridge, I picked it up at a used appliance store last year,I lover the slide out drawers in the freezer and that everything in the fridge section is at eye level, I also love that it has two slide out shelves to make finding things in the back easier. It runs quietly and has not been a problem at all

 

[imperialmarkxii]

I've been happy

with my 25 cu.ft. Sears Kenmore side by each (made by Whirlpool) with water & ice through the door, plus night light!

A lot of people love the bottom mount freezers. So many features to choose from these days, as well as those that compliment your decor. I would love for them to come out with a self-cleaning fridge.

FYI: Kenmore has more than one manufacturer for their fridges. Also Pacific Sales has some GOOD buys going on through 12/31/09.

My two cents, (no tax!)

-Russell P.S. 'Believe mine was made in '01 or'02.

 

[frigilux]

Whirlpool and Frigidaire have the best reliability ratings according to the most recent review by Consumer Reports.

I've had three Frigidaire (top-freezer style) refrigerators and all have performed flawlessly. The oldest is about 15 years old and is currently doing duty in break room at work.

The fridge in my kitchen is 8 years old. No problems.

My downstairs refrigerator is the newest, about 2 years old (which I bought when I took my old one to the break room at work). No problems.

 

[redcarpetdrew]

Why not think about staying with Amana?

The Amana brand is still made (mostly) here and is still a good product. I've been very pleased with my JennAir SxS refrig which was made in the Amana plant. Quiet, keeps an even temperature throughout the unit and has been trouble free. If it does hiccup, then service is easily found through the Whirlpool/Maytag network.

The latest generation bottom freezers have been a really reliable machine. I've worked on few here in my corner of the world.

RCD

 

[spankomatic]

My COOL thoughts....

I think buying a refrigerator today is a crap shoot. There is no way to really tell what kind of quality you are really going to get. The compressor may be good on one brand but the ice maker will quit in a year. Then another brand may have a good ice maker but noisy compressor. I have used many refrigerators in my life. The type of kitchen and where the refrigerator will go plays a big part on what style to get. Is the door handle going to hit a wall when you open it? Will a large door block a doorway when opening? When pulling out a bottom freezer door can you still stand in front of it? I had one like this and because of space issues you had to get out of the way when opening the bottom freezer door. The top part was the french door style. For the most part it was neat but if you wanted to put something in the bottom veggie drawer you had to open both french doors to do it. Do you want on the door ice and water dispencer? Some water dispencer you have to open the refrigerator door for access. Visible temp display I always thought was neat.

I say go for the features and style you like. Reliability is anyone's guess these days... Look over the warranty and extended warranty. You almost need a lawyer these days...

Good luck!
Looking foward to hearing what you pick.

Jim

 

[twinniefan]

Hope this helps

Hi Kevin,
Like Ronhic, being from Australia this may not be of any use to you, but for what it is worth, when I had my G.E. SBS serviced earlier on this year, Peter the tech who's company services many different brands suggested that when I (note the word when not if???)I need to replace it that I should seriously consider L.G.(another brand they service also),as according to him they perform as well as any and probably more importantly they keep a large supply of spare parts which apparently are quite reasonably priced.
I note your comments about your friends G.E. dying basically 1 year after warranty,interestingly enough I have had a few more problems with mine this last few days, not quite keeping the goods cool enough, I had to turn the temperature controls from 5 (normal setting.),to 7 just to get the temperature cold enough to freeze properly,but maybe it was just because it has been fairly hot recently, except Christmas day onwards.
Peter the tech also mentioned to me that Samsung are really a hit or miss company, meanign if you get a good Samsung fridge it will be a really good one, but if you are unfortunate enough to get a lemon, it will be a lemon forever, they also have some issues regarding poor after sales service.
I hope this info is of some help to you ,would be interested in seeing what you end up buying.
Cheers.
Steve.

 

[peterh770]

Part of the problem with my last fridge was that the fiberboard back to it had disintegrated to the point where the coil cooling fan no longer pulled room air in over the coils and out over the evap pan. If that is the same problem your fridge has, you might have an easy fix.

 

[mtn1584]

I like GE

I would recommend a GE because GE still has their own service network, and although I have had some problems with GE appliances over the years their GE service in the NY area is second to none. Good luck.

 

[sudsmaster]

If I were in the market for a new fridge today, I'd probably get a bottom freezer french door model. More usable space than a side by side. But I'd also insist upon one with filtered in-the-door ice and water. I find that very convenient and a good way to stay hydrated.

As for brands... Kitchenaid/Whirlpool is good. I've been impressed also with the Samsung offerings. I would avoid LG and GE on general principle (LG because of their poor service network, and GE because of their history of cutting corners on important things like compressors).

I've had a side by side Kitchenaid for the past nine years, with no major problems. Quiet and energy efficient. A couple of times the thing freezes the water delivery tube to the icemaker. Then it starts squirting out the top of the back of the fridge. I had a service call for it the first time it happened, and they replaced the controller, but it happened soon after and I found a hair dryer directed at where that tube enters the freezer compartment fixed it. Then no problems for several years, and it happened again. This time I figured out the cause: I had stacked items on the top shelf of the fridge unit which effectively blocked the cold air vent up there, causing the water tube to freeze up inside the freezer. Now I'm careful to leave that vent unblocked and haven't had any more problems.

 

[whitekingd]

Haier?

I don't know if they make full size refrigerators, but I have two smaller ones, plus a freezer. All have been trouble free for over ten years now. Just a thought!

 

[laundromat]

AFD2535FES

I hate,literaly hate side by side refrigerator freezers.I buy in bulk and have never had issues with any Amana bottom freezer units I've owned.I currently own a 25 cu ft bottom freezer unit with no ice or water but lots of useable space.This model (AFD2535FES)is in SS and has the filtered/chilled water on the inside left wall.Nothing on the doors to take away space.It also has a filtered water ice maker down below and is extreamly energy star compliant and huge in capacity.M.S.R.P. is $1899.

 

[panthera]

In a market

which out-sources major components and places no value on longevity, I think if you are otherwise happy with the refrigerator, it's probably worth looking for the leak with that dye test.

Most people in Europe don't realize that nearly all compressors are made by one company in Italy, ALL major brands -Siemens, Neff, Bosch, Miele are made by B/S/H and the luxury queens simpering over their Liebherr and "Made by Liebherr" refrigerators are looking at parts made in Italy, put together by B/S/H and put together under contract for Miele and Liebherr...by B/S/H. To the exact same quality standards and on the exact same production lines.

And yet, the price differences are enormous. The only thing you are buying is appearance.