What's the BEST Fridge to Buy? The Truth Will SURPRISE You!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 มิ.ย. 2024
- One question I get often is specific, more in-depth reccomendations for refrigerators, so I decided to make an in-depth video for my viewers.
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In this video, I go over specific things you want to look for when considering a refrigerator, and important steps that you can take to make sure the refrigerator you buy lasts longer, culminating in specific reccomendations for Top Freezer Refrirgerators, Side by Side Refrigerators, and French Door Refrigerators, discussing specific brands such as LG, Samsung, Whirlpool, GE, Frigidaire, and more.
Products / Models Mentioned In Video:
GE Profile Opal 2.0 Nugget Icemaker: amzn.to/3GshUqK
Whirlpool 36" French Door WRF535SWHZ: bit.ly/3G7lipn
GE PWE23K Counter-Depth French Door Refrigerator: bit.ly/3WCq1X9
GE GNE/PNE US-Built Series: bit.ly/3WU62TD
Frigidaire FFTR1835VW (exact fridge I have currently): bit.ly/3WUoNXb
Whirlpool WRS325S Side-by-Side Refrigerator: bit.ly/3CdORog
Frigidaire FRSG1915AV Minimal, Bare Bones, Great Side by Side: bit.ly/3IdHaC8
GE GSS25 Side by Side Refrigerator: bit.ly/3Gu2S3L
GE GTS19 cubic foot top-freezer: bit.ly/3G9h0Ov
GE GTS22 cubic foot top-freezer: bit.ly/3Gsnppm
Refrigerator / Dryer Cleaning Kit: bens-appliances.com/products/...
Video Timeline:
00:00 Introduction
00:45 Appliance Techs Rank The Best Refrigerator Brands in the US
02:09 Don't Buy A Complex Refrigerator
03:36 Purchasing a Refrigerator with a Computer (Sponsored Segment)
04:45 Avoiding the BIGGEST Refrigerator Failure
06:20 The Most Reliable Way Get Ice in Your Fridge
07:01 Where is Your Refrigerator Made?
08:40 Pick the Right Sized Refrigerator
10:12 The MOST IMPORTANT Part of A Long-Lasting Refrigerator!
12:12 The Best Brands According to Techs, REVEALED!
12:31 French Door Refrigerator Recommendations
16:00 Side by Side Refrigerator Recommendations
17:57 Top-Freezer Refrigerator Recommendations
19:53 A Quick Run of European Refrigerators
21:33 LG Refrigerator Reccomendations
22:23 Kenmore Refrigerator Reccomendations
Tools I use in all videos can be found at my Amazon Idea Page: www.amazon.com/shop/bensappli...
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7:01 they are so bad even the frige on the left the door doesnt even line up look at it how its up a little
Hello sir can you help me I have a washing machine I did not understand the errors ?
Hey what makes a fridge “garage ready???”
Can you make a video about double ovens ranges? What’s the best gas ranges. I am looking at a Lacanche French range
Has LG finally changed or corrected their compressors ??
My current refrigerator is a GE Freezer Top that has worked well for a few years, but my crown jewel is a 1942 Westinghouse refrigerator I inherited from my grandparents that continues to operate flawlessly even at 80 years old.
Unfortunately I'd bet money that it's really costing you in electricity. ☹️
Edit:. Looks like I might lose that bet. 😆
All freezer top refrigerators are far more reliable due to their simplicity. Simpler is always better when it comes to home appliances, HVAC equipment, and water heaters.
@@tgeliot and wherever it is placed that's where it will stay until he's ready to get a crane to remove it.
@@tgeliot not really, older fridges don’t have as many high amp loads as a newer unit, just a compressor and a single fan motor. No ice maker, evaporator fans, defrost timer and heater, etc.
@@tgeliot yup the electric bill from that one will be more than replacing it every 5 years.
This channel is an outstanding example of why TH-cam has value.
Glad you liked it!
@@bensappliancesandjunk I have learned SO Much from this channel!!! Thanks! Subscribed way back.
@@dporrasxtremeLS3 thanks for your support!
You must be a TH-cam employee
What about other growing pile of human excrements doing crappy videos?
In a world where manufacturers ensure their products break down so you have to buy more, this is helpful.
It's puzzling how they get away with it in a world where you're shunned if everything isn't green/environmentally friendly..... when it's actually environmentally criminal to build these huge appliances that get thrown away sooner than later.
How “Green” of them!😒That shows you what a scam all these green appliances & products are. Trash dump pollution is irrelevant to them.
It feels like quality is becoming a relic of the past.
Everything is a throw away!
There use to be small appliance repair shops now throw away same now with major appliances where the repair part is more than a new unit. During my furnace repair the technician said furnace parts went up 300% where he tells people buy new if 10 years or older. We are so environmentally friendly with these high efficient throw away products.
You both are unfortunately right.
This is done INTENTIONALLY. They have 70 years or more making these things and just like cars, both have become less reliable and are cheaply made in 3rd world places TO SAVE THEM MONEY. They have the knowledge to make quality, reliable refrigerators but the materials and the craftsmanship are the main problems. TECH is NOT BETTER and I find TECH IS GREATLY OVERRATED in so many ways beyond fridges.
I never had a fridge/freezer fail during my childhood and college years. I didn't know they could do that. They would run for decades.
In my rented apartment, the fridge/freezer failed after around 10 years. Door hinges were all worn out (doors would often not close properly), sensor couldn't hold the temperature (sometimes you had 12+ C, sometimes your drinks were frozen in the fridge), light went kaputt (didn't know this could happen in the age of LEDs) and some of the plastic boxes inside had fractures. Was an Electrolux.
Going to move soon to my own place, ordered a V-Zug side-by-side. The brand is usually known for better quality. Wish me luck.
This man needs some kind of award. He has turned a run of the mill job, into something not only genuinely entertaining, but informative. Bravo
Not to mention the outfit! Ties it all in
Fully agree
this ^ ^
uou beat me to this comment..
yes this kid did a great job..!
As an appliance repair tech I occasionally have some "WOW" moments. About the 2nd week of March 2023 my partner and I responded to a fridge repair call, upon entering the kitchen we found an original Harvest Gold Freezer still humming away like it was new. All it needed was to be unplugged and allowed to defrost. Once it was thawed and dried it fired right up.
That color and Avocado Green have not been available since the early 70's so that is 50+ years old. A mechanical thermostat and a light bulb is all you see inside, just amazing !
Was the defrost timer out?
I use an Admiral freezer top model I bought new in 95, it still works beautiful with the only option being the two ice cube trays that came with the fridge. 😀
I know what you mean. My mom's washer & dryer lasted 35 yrs. BUT I rented an apt in to a house in Los Angeles around the University of Southern California area that had a 1946 Servel natural gas refrigerator that I used for all 4 yrs. & when I graduated from USC in 1978 it was still running! Servel founded in 1922: And from 1927 until 1956, when it ceased producing them, it was the only American manufacturer of gas refrigerators. As the United States entered World War II, Servel shifted its manufacturing to support the war effort. In addition to cooking units and munitions, Servel built wings for the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt.
Manufacturers would not stay in business if they built products that last half of a century! And if they did, they would have to charge 10x the rate just to stay in business.
@@buddysteve5543 and that's why I do not play that game. I buy - no wait I don't even have to buy - I find - vintage appliances on the curb and take them from being scrapped. My matching washer and dryer pair I have had for the last 15 years that is in and of itself from the late 60s or early 70s, I got for free. I was doing the curb crawl on the weekend looking for goodies sitting out and seen a house being cleaned out with this gorgeous avacado green washer and dryer set sitting out. they had some rust along the bottom like they were in a basement flood many times, but nothing too serious. asked if they were being thrown away and if I could have them they were confused as to why someone would want "that old junk" and then they were happy to have it hauled away, as the landfill charges you money for disposal of large items. i cleaned them up, gave the motors some cleaning and fresh lube, sanded down the rust damage then color matched and repainted the damaged areas, they have never failed on me still to this day. the only problem I had was a wire for the control board had rubbed on some sharp metal over time from vibrating and it cut the wire. simple 3 minute repair with a wire splice and that was solved. i donated my shitty 2008 Maytag front loader to put this set in its place and never regretted it.
My gosh !!!! Never thought of it !! Two fridges side by side !!! You.Are.A.Genius.🤗
I Will do that.
Genius!!
I cannot thank you enough. based on this video we bought a GE PWE23K Counter-Depth French Door Refrigerator mentioned by you. it is made in Kentucky and is a far cry quieter than the 3 year old Frigidaire trash. I have also used your washing machine video to help my brother. Keep up the good work ,we all need this kind of info.
I cant believe I spent my morning coffee time watching a video on refrigerators, especially since Im not in the market for one right now. But this was such a well done, comprehensive video on how to choose a fridge that I was totally engaged. Wonderful job on this, and just the sort of straight shooting we need these days. Keep up good work.
But when you are in the market, it happens suddenly and without warning. My mother had a power outage, and when the power came back on, the fridge struggled to get up again and couldn't. She had to get a new one, have it delivered. Meanwhile I grabbed every cooler I had. Picked up ice at the store to save as much food as possible. The frozen stuff was lost despite cooking as much as possible, eating ice cream etc. There were 4 of us trying to eat it. Would have lost more if she lived alone
You can keep food cold on ice, but can't keep food frozen. Maybe a small chest freezer as backup? Depends on your use
@@recoveringsoul755 I agree!!
I really appreciate his easy to understand explanations on the subject, I mean love it. And I too have a reliable fridge,thanks to this young and dedicated man, now but still enjoy hearing these videos.
Me too!
lol for real. I just finished a cup of coffee and this video. Was informative and relevant to what I do at my job.
This is probably the most honest, accurate, informative, thorough and well presented video on recommended refrigerator brands on the internet. You are a blessing to appliance consumers everywhere. Please keep up the good work.
I tried really hard to make this a good one!
Agreed
Ben your content is great! I bought a home with a Samsung fridge 😩 your videos are super helpful at keeping it out of the landfill another year. When it dies I'm going on your recommendation!
Agree!
I soooo appreciate you!
Thank you.
I'm a contractor and when we renovate a home(rentals) we buy the cheapest cuz it does not matter. Like you said, "They are all crap" When we get a new stove or dishwasher in from Korea, it has a checksheet taped to the inside somewhere that asks what badge to put on it! They are all made in the same crappy factories. Thanks for the truth.
Hey as a mexican engineer I can say that refrigerators made in Mexico have great quality, many GE's fridges have been made in Mexico for over 30 years
I already have a GE Side by side refrigerator made in Mexico, and it works perfectly since 17 years ago!
Thanks, hope I remember your advice when my Whirlpool goes out. The electric system from CFE is bad and I get a lot of flickering lights etc. due to the 1960’s era transformer that is rectangular and about rusted out 😮
@@twolford01 if you connect your fridge to a individual electric regulator (koblenz x example), it will work for decades!
Good to know!
I have only had two fridge freezes, one was an Electrolux and the other one which I have still got is Hotpoint. The first one lasted well over 40 years. The second one is at least 20 years old and still going strong. And if you want ice cubes, use an ice tray, they never break down.
I hear you. My Maytag is 27 years old. Freezer on top & no frills, no repairs. Last time I was checking out getting a new one, all that was on display seemed to be of poor quality & very costly so, I will try to extend the life of this one by opening the back, cleaning the coils, vacuum it out, as I have never done this…
I still have the old aluminum lever type ice trays. Must be 40 years old, but they work.
@@jamesplotkin4674 That is so cool. Wish I saved mine. They were the best!
I've got a Hotpoint microwave from the 70s, still works and the incandescent bulb still works!
You stole my thunder, My parents bought a 2nd handed pointvI was raised with that Hot Point refrigerator and when I got married
I was broke and my parents gave me
That refrigerator and we kept it for many years and ended up giving it
To my wife's uncle and he made a freezer out of it....I'm 78 and wish
I had of kelp it....because since then
I've had 6 or 7 refrigerator!!!
I'm so glad I found you! I was thinking about replacing our 17 year old fridge just because it's a 17 year old fridge. What I learned, is that I really need to take it out and vacuum it. We have no fancy ice makers or dispensers. It's just a cold box that has managed to stay cold for 17 years. Thank you!
I still drive my 40 year old truck,runs great,no need for replacement
A new model might have a higher energy rating on it. But if I could do it over, I'd have kept the first refrigerator we bought with our first house....30 years ago. That energy rating comes with more insulation, and less space. Newer models also have more plastic parts. Oh, and the stainless looks good for about five minutes, then it starts to get fingerprints, dents, and scratches.
@@cariwaldick4898 And those new fridge are dangerous, since a climate change idiot wrongly blamed them for destroying the ozone layer.
The new "lighter gas" replacement is what starter the fire at Grenfell tower that killed around 100 people.
My boyfriend can fix anything. My fridge was 40 years old, and I didn’t want to buy a new one. He was easily able to replace the parts that could be faulty, but eventually he realized that the Freon needed to be replaced, and he didn’t have the equipment to do that. I finally gave up and bought one of the new, expensive behemoths. Had to send two back, and then just bought a couple of cheap office fridges and a small freezer. Yeah, it’s a drag to defrost them, but much better than throwing out expensive food.
I have a 34 (?) year old Whirlpool fridge, which works like new. When I pushed back on replacing it, my wife repainted it. Now it looks like new.
In the repair shop of my used appliance store we have a 1950s refrigerator that still works great. Coils on the back, no defrost, no ice maker. It s so simple and reliable it will outlive me.
🎉🎉🎉❤ standing ovation. I wish I had found your channel 2 refrigerators ago. Samsung and may tag, I'd never buy either again. Now I feel better equipped when I buy my next one.
I’ve been a Tech/Installer for 17-18 years and I wish I could work with this guy. I share the same passion. Great video man. Everything incredibly true.
I’m an electrician by trade for 40 years. It’s amazing how everything is overly complicate for simple tasks.
And the worst part is consumers gobble it up, encouraging them to keep pushing this stuff
Right? As soon as I saw the first refrigerator with a computer screen on the front I knew I didn't want one. Same with the ice/ water in the door, but for a different reason. My mom had one and it was always dirty. Due to hard water in Texas you couldn't scrub the stains out of the tray so the whole front of the refrigerator looked awful.
@@bensappliancesandjunk proof that consumers, like voters, are stupid.
Iowa made Maytag and Amana is super long lasting. Have Maytag side-side from 1998 (24 years old), and Amana bottom-freezer from 1995 (27 years old) . Both work perfectly. the Maytag has need defrost timer, defrost coil, motor starter. Amana has needed a Condenser Fan.
@@pablopicaro7649 Everything from that era lasted longer. Most of my kitchen appliances are still going strong for the last 20 years outside of little plastic pieces here and there but the exact same brands now don't make the same products unfortunately.
Great lesson in fridge buying. Please consider making, if you haven't yet, videos on which fridges are cheapest and easiest to fix. Are there any third party parts makers selling cheaper parts? I can't remember the brand of refrigerator but the manufacturer of one we owned stopped selling replacement circuit boards for it and it was less than 10 years old. The repairman knew an off brand company that made identical circuit boards for a fraction of the cost. It kept it running for years. We sold it with the house.
I remember our old Westinghouse refrigerator! Grandma bought it 1973 and was replaced 1998 for a newer model even though it was still working well. I miss that refrigerator!
Yah this is my back up lmfao
As someone who lives in a rural area, an hour from decent shopping, the best choice for our household is a simple all fridge refrigerator and an separate upright freezer. We have enough room to stock up on our biweekly shopping trips. As for an ice maker, that's what ice cube trays and kids are for.
When my nephew saw the ice cube tray, he asked me what it was. He was shocked...
I live in a small town (15k pop) but have just sold the French Door Fridge/Freezer for separate fridge/freezer like you. Totally agree, esp the ice trays :)
@Viridian: 😂🤣😂🤣" that's what ice cube trays and kids are for"😂🤣😂🤣
I'm a family of 1 but just discovered recently the "garage" style fridge and upright freezer recently. I am considering both two since my house is old and had a narrow door, so a standard fridge that will fit may be too small for stockpiling.
The ice maker on my fridge / freezer must have been smart (Samsung) they put the ice maker in the freezer section. No need to keep it any colder and has held up so far.
My Viking freezer chest is now 49 years old. Never have had a problem with it. They made quality back then. It’s still running strong! Thanks for the info!
runs but probably more expensive to run... Those older ones aren't cost efficient. Mine (Whirlpool) was made in the 90's and doesn't strain the elect bill.
That’s cool, Linda! Do be careful about the wiring, though. I say this to everyone now since my father’s shop burned to the ground a few years ago with the origin being around a still-running deep freeze from the ‘80s. (No ppl injured.)
@@PK-bh1ww I'll take reliable cold food over a few cents of electricity.
@@PK-bh1ww Incorrect. Old fridges are surprisingly efficient. I've got a 1932 GE fridge in my garage and it sips power. Only 117 watts when the compressor is running.
My aunt bought a Frigidaire or GE or Maytag in 1945 got it for her 45th birthday she lived to be 105 years old ran strong when she died that’s 60 years
An incredible guide to keeping your fridge running and what to look for in a new one, if you LISTEN . Very well done. Many thanks.
When we moved into our little home in North Hollywood in 1986 there was a refrigerator in service. It may have been a Frigidaire. It had a tiny freezer, about a foot high, 18 inches to the back and 10 inches wide. It was in the bottom right corner. When I left, it was too heavy to move to Apple Valley. In 2009- it was still reliability running! The little freezer was frost free and I swear I could store a side of beef in there. What a wonderful machine!
I was raised by two school teachers, who I revere.
That being said: your videos are extremely effective for teaching and explaining. You don't use abrasive language, you speak clearly, you are very coherent and confident, you prove your knowledge, and most importantly, you know how to inject just the right level of humor. Your humor isn't overboard to where some people would find you annoying. On the other hand, you inject just enough, and at the right times, for those that have trouble following along on topics like these (people that have ADHD appreciate that).
You've earned my subscription, sir. Keep educating. Much appreciated! 🙂👍
As someone with ADHD, can confirm
Fantastic comment! All too many video's have foul language and/or trendy terms that people feel that somehow add to the subject, but to me only takes away.
I appreciate he does not say 'you know' repeatedly as so many do.
Because good customer service starts and ends with courtesy and class. Nothing says you are a street person like using foul language.
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Bought an old 26 years old GE fridge 6 years ago for 20$. Fridge is now 32 years old and still running like a brand new one. The friend who sold me the old fridge bought a new one at the time and just had to replace that new one with another new one. I told him in 5 years when his 2nd new fridge breaks, I'd sell him my 37 years old fridge for 40$ :)
That's Funny! My whirlpool side by side I think is the same age! I have no interest in upgrading, because the crap they make now, would be a downgrade! I remember when I bought it, and while 32 years went by..still kicking! And just now I heard the ice drop...lol
My 1948 general electric fridge still runs as good as new...old reliable .
😆 thanks for the laugh dude.
Still have my 1990 GE fridge and it runs like a champ!
You'd better not sell it!
My parents bought a GE side by side in late 1970's, only repairs was to replace condenser fan & compressor start relay, , gave it to a neighbor when dad passed. I have owned 3 whirlpool, each had compressor failure within the warranty period. Now have an LG for past several years. So far, so good.
I sure enjoyed this video. It's my first time seeing your channel. I'm a retired quality reporting department employee for Whirlpool Corp. This sure brings backs memories and was very enlightening. Thank you!
Man you just packed 80 pounds of crap into a 5 pound bag ! AMAZING. So much good information delivered in a very neutral manner. I love what you're doing here. Keep up the good work.
I appreciate that!
Whoa! What just happened here>?? An honest, clear report with plenty of details and explanations? How rare - what a treat. Thanks Ben. I got into refrigeration repair by accident a few years ago when I did some general repair work in a guy's apartment, and he liked what he saw me doing. He asked me if I could help him in his restaurant. I did, and realized the refrigeration repair tech he had was ripping him off bigtime, Told him he needed a new compressor (wrong - all that was wrong was the internal circulation fans were not working) and then quoted him a price about five times higher than it was worth. (I already knew how to do basic refrigeration repair.) So I became my friend's refrigeration tech. Had to learn how to fix icemakers (those f***ers are complicated), Was great fun working for my friend until he finally sold his restaurant, I wound up with a restaurant maintenance company until I retired a few years later. My thing was honesty and good work, so I can appreciate what you are doing.
"...honesty and good work..."
That's all WE want, too. Get in, do the job correctly, timely, and at a fair price. That's all we ask, same as a small business.
We need more of you in the world. My hubby watches these videos and repairs our own appliances. Thank you for working with integrity:)
Remember when going to trade school we would practice on many residential refrigerators and the one that stood out from all our abuse and negligence was Kelvinator. So when it was time to buy a refrigerator me and mom went to Trader Horn and bought a basic Kelvinator freezer top.
That was over 30years ago!
I drove up to my mother-in-law’s house to take a look at her refrigerator, your video is so informative! Thank you, sir
This was the best 20 minutes I've spent on TH-cam in months. It was technically straightforward without getting into the weeds. You video brushed up against the physics of why equipment fails and put me on a new path for taking care of my current refrigerator. You have new subscriber.
My mother bought her kenmore frig back in 1972 it worked every day since. When she passed, We sold her house and moved south last year. I wish i had taken it with me. It was such a reliable piece of machinery.
Refrigerators back then were made well and very reliable. They could make quality appliances if they wanted to, but this way they sell more because it's generally cheaper to buy a new appliance than to have one repaired. We all need to just buy the cheapest one we can find and count on using it for 4-5 years discard and buy another cheap one. You can't repair a fridge for less than $500. That's $500 you can add to a new one.
My aunt has the original fridge that came with her house that was built in the early 60's and it still works great.
@cindypattana6071 Yes, I'm sure it does. It was manufactured when America was great.
It seemed people knocked Kenmore, but I've had some that lasted decades. People question why I buy used and I just say for better quality. Appliances, tools, cars, homes, home goods....
@@girohead
Fortunately, REAL, ACTUAL statistics for vehicles are easier to track than for appliances, thus enabling narrative, story telling, anecdotes based on survivorship bias and personal bias to be questioned and overturned.
Consumer analytic companies track and compile those easier-to-acquire statistics on vehicles, and what those REAL statistics show is that todays vehicles (the average vehicle) is much more reliable and l a s ts longer than ever before, contrary to anecdotal myths based on the survivorship bias fallacy and “golden age” story telling.
Thank you soo much for this info. It's refreshing to see a true technician, non-biased, review of products. Watching today January 27, 2024. We have two fridges that are old.
One 14 years old, a single side by side AMANA with ice and water indoor - running like a champ! Never any issues!
One 13 year old KENMORE ELITE French Door with water in door only. Ice maker is down in freezer drawer on shelf. Run great, only issues door seals and cracking condiments shelves in fridge doors (all six) replacement cost PER shelf around $100.00 US.
Looking forward to a 2024 update on this content. Your help is greatly appreciated Fred
It's great that your two fridges are still running strong. Our GE side by side lasted 21 years! I replaced a few parts myself and extended the life, but the compressor went kaput the other night. I noticed the newer models all have cheaper looking plastic shelves on the doors - I know those are going to crack. Our door shelves eventually cracked and they were a better quality...fixed them with duct tape though - lol. We also had to replace the thin plastic veggie drawer not long ago and that cost over $100. It's crazy how something made of cheap plastic costs so much.
I've been a commercial food equipment repair technician since 1995. I built my home in 1999 with contractor grade appliances because they're simple and reliable. 25 years later and everything is still going strong with just a simple preventive maintenance schedule. Contractor grade is designed with old school electromechanical controls. (Simple= reliable). Some folks may prioritize bells and whistles and replace every 6 years. I work on commercial appliances for a living, I do not want to spend my free time working on MY appliances😂
Which brand(s) would you recommend?
yes which brand (s) did you get.. ?
(viking ?)
the kid mentioned that in the vid.. tho they ate pricey..
but what did you get..
pls do tell..
@BEAUTYnIQ You're not going to like my answer but the cheaper contractor grade appliances have fewer bells and whistles which equates to less parts to fail. The biggest issue with higher end models are control boards being obsoleted after just a few years. I'm not sure that brand matters as much as it used to so I'd start with consumer reports and decide from there.
@@JohnDoesItAll so then which brand(s)? Or do contractor grade ones have no brand names?
@@SayAhh He sounds like one of those guys who likes talking but really has nothing to say.
For any appliance, stay away from a plethora of digital buttons. That’s a rule I learned many years ago from working at a neighbor’s family appliance store. Those were the most service calls. The store was open for 70 years and knew their stuff. This guy seems to have great advice overall.
I live in a rented “artist loft” thus my unit, of course, came with a fridge. I am not in the market for any appliances. Yet, I am totally glued to this video and fascinated by the information within.
Ben is awesome! Honest, humble, has jokes, and knows his stuff. What a guy.
Now I know why my fridge has lasted so long. I never make ice and I vacuum the coil area. If I needed ice for a party I just went out and bought it.
We have a LEC fridge freezer bought second hand in about 1993, so at least 30 years old, it has moved house 3 times and still works fine :-)
I agree i have a clock right now that is between 80 to 100 years old and it still works and it doesn't lose or gain time it works beautifully it was my grandparents
Yes, but does it keep your food cold?
When I moved to a different part of the state in 1992 I took my 1990 GE refrigerator with me. We kept in in our kitchen for 8 years and then my wife just had to have one of the new shinny silver models. We moved the old GE outside to the garage as a backup frig. 15 years later ( another two new inside refrigerators later) it finally broke down. The old one was just built better than the new ones!
The same happened with TeleVisions
Some 4 decades ago - I repaired a PHILIPS TV (CRT type of TV) for a Fellow I knew -
He worked part-time as a 'Barman'
The TV was given to him when the establishment he worked at - purchased
a new one with a 26-inch picture tube.
It worked well for a while and then died - (as he put it)
He missed watching his collection of " Westerns" he had on Video Tape.
__I studied Electronics Engineering with PHILIPS during my 30-year Military career -
and knew them inside out - He balked at the $150 I charged him for the repair --
== However I do recall that before HE died he said the $150 was really a bargain -
as the TV worked for over 15 years after the repair - and worked without failure -
So the $150 worked out to less than $10 per year of viewing.
RIP Ronald 'Rocky' Lazar -
I hear you!
My parents bought a Norge refrigerator around 1960. It got relegated to the garage about 25 years later.
Finally got rid of it about 10 years ago.
They bought an upright freezer about 1970. Was still operating worry free when I got rid of it about 10 years ago.
The only reason I got rid of it was I was afraid at 40+ years old, I'd wake up to $1000 in spoiled meat someday.
Got a Tappan fridge in the kitchen now, that I'm about to move to the walk in pantry, for curing bacon and aging cheese. It was bought about 1995.
I have a smart family hub fridge and it’s been a nightmare. My old fridge is in the garage. The new one broke 3 months in. I have fixed it twice already and regret the purchase. My old backup is going strong in my garage.
Same story to me. My wife keeps over 30 years old style white Whirlpool refrigerator (made in USA) when we install new style stainless Samsung RFG237AARS/XAA was manufactured 2012. I have to keep cleaning the ices every 18 months. People who are unable DIY it is nightmare. We should file class lawsuits to have design flaws products to be sold in USA.
I recently bought a refrigerator , and saved almost $1,000 by going plain vanilla - top freezer without in-door water or ice. I just don’t use enough ice to rationalize getting a fancier model. Also, while the top freezer wasn’t as exciting as a French door, it is perfectly adequate for my needs. I usually aim for the appliances with the least bells and whistles I can get, figuring there are fewer things to go wrong.
Best thing to do. I tell my customers this all the time. Simpler is better.
My refrigerator has an ice maker. I usually keep frozen meat in the ice bin. Next to the ice maker I have two old fashioned Ice Cube trays. When I empty one, I refill it with water and put it behind the other tray, rotating the two.
I called these analogue, lol
I do the same on all appliances and cars
Common sense - keep it simple stupid. [KISS principle]. Undergraduate - not to multiply entities beyond necessity, Ockhams Razor. Post grad - ontological economy.
Awesome!! Informative and to the point. Such a pleasure to listen as someone correctly articulates the English language without adding useless filler words such as SO and LIKE every other word.
My maytag side by side with a ice maker in the front of the door was bought 23 years ago and is still working great! I have never had any issues with this fridge.
I had no idea that cleaning out the back of the fridge was a good idea. I've added it to my To Do list for the weekend chore list. I also agree 100% that simple is better. My fridge, washer and dryer all have the absolute minimum of controls (none of them are digital) and they all still work fine 25 years after they were purchased.
He said you need to do it every 6 months if you have pets; once a year if you don't.
Just a thought ladies who don’t have a handyman in the home, I roll my refrigerator out and blow everything off with my leaf blower about twice a year, yes it makes for a dusty mess to vacuum up but it’s a very efficient and quicker way to keep your fridge running at optimal performance. Hope this helps .
@@pambeck324 LOL I use a leaf blower too (on low)... for the floors - you just have to dust after.
Agreed.
@@pambeck324 I don't understand why you don't just remove the dust on the condenser coil directly with a vacuum cleaner instead of making a dusty mess with a leaf blower to be vacuumed up. I remove the dust on the condenser coil of my refrigerator with a vacuum cleaner once in a while. It's super easy.
As someone who worked for an extended warranty company, the ice maker in the fridge door is one of the worst ideas anyone has ever had...they all break. I also appreciate your commentary on all brands, nicely done. Also like your signed Disciple album on your shelf...Nice!
Kevin and the band signed it 2 months ago! First time I saw them live was in my small home town and they were still a 3pc band with Kevin still playing bass
I have a Whirlpool Gold fridge, it's been great but I've had to replace every ice maker component at least twice.
It’s so funny how no matter how fancy the home you visit, you need to check in to see if the door water and ice work. Over the holidays I was invited my supervisor’s home and when I went to refill my water, the spouse got me just in time to tell me I needed to use the bottled water. I seriously have no interest in all the bells and whistles after seeing my parents LG (which they bought after reading consumer reports) fridge have compressor issues at the 3rd year. I guess I should be happy my 1981 almond GE fridge is going strong!
@@Progrocker70 my whirlpool gold is at least 12 years old and the original ice maker is going strong
My sister has one and it has been one headache after another. Myself I checked consumer reports first and bought a base model GE French style refrigerator based on Consumer Reports. I have had it for 6 years now and no issues at all. It works very well and is quiet. It has an ice maker, but we chose not to connect it. We just do the old fashioned ice trays. We do clean it off and on, but we need to do that more often. I did check into Consumer Reports and looked at reliability(where it was made). I already knew that less features means less things to go wrong. Great tips! Thanks!
I still have my GE that I bought in 1992. It’s in my second home now but I think it will work forever!
My old freezer top GE built in 1988 is still reliably chugging along.
Over 20 years ago I bought a 1939 Kelvinator fridge. Still had the Kelvinator companys 25th anniversary label on the inside of the door. It still works perfectly so long as I defrost the freezer about once a month. This is truly a 'they don't make them like this anymore' piece of equipment.
My Mom and Grandmother both had one of these.
Not many like to defrost their freezers themselves, and once a month is a bit over the top!
@@ErikssonTord_2 I remember my Grandmother putting all the food in the refrigerator and putting a pot of hot water in the freezer and scraping frost and ice every couple of months.
I had a vsiual of my mom doing just that@@jeffkelly5972
@@rcorn79135 The old stuff was made with quality parts and labor when people still cared. Made in the USA too.
Hi Ben , Very nicely done ! I'm a retired refrigerator repairman and I can say you were bang on with everything you said ! Keep up the great work !
Glad you liked it!
My husband took out our ice maker and gave us so much more room for food. We have a top freezer Frigidaire since 2010 and it is still going strong,,praise the Lord! Each year he pulls it out and cleans up the floor beneath and cleans the fan and coils.
What model is it? Thanks
Back in 2002 we bought a smaller black maytag with an ice maker, the style was top freezer bottom refergerator...still going great..had a side by side with an out side ice maker. But that broke but not enough freezer space, like the may tag..even with the ice maker inside the freezer..here it is 2024 and still running great..
I love the idea about putting 2 refrigerators together and off setting the doors to make a faux side by side French door unit. Great cheaper idea and lots of space.
Very nice if you have the space...
Nice idea but who has that kind of space?
Great idea. If one malfunctions, the other one can still be used.
@@user-es6ft5xg8h Sure ..if you keep one empty or both half filled..
The big sell for french doors for me is that large pizza boxes will fit inside vs a side by side where they often won't. But a red neck french door setup might work...
I don't care if I somehow wound up on an alien planet never needing an appliance again, I would still watch your channel because the genuine advice is such an honest example of integrity that is unrecognizable in today's day and age. Happy new year God bless
Thanks for the demo. Reinforces the belief that like for cars, simpler is better... but only if you take care of it.
Great reviews. I'm going to keep maintaining my 30 yr old upright freezer and 20 yr old whirlpool fridge.
I’m in the market for a new fridge, and it’s been overwhelming. This is EXACTLY what I needed to watch. It’s made my decision significantly easier. Thank you.
What did you choose ? I wanna buy my parents a new fridge , I'm tired of seeing our fridge so unorganized .
Yes, I too would like to know what you got and how well it went.
@@sjackson5980 I actually did that . Went to a Dollarama and bough a bunch just to organize bread and deli meats,I'm gonna get a few more to organize vegs. It made a huge difference .
I have a simple Samsung side by side 4 yrs. old and no prob.. (just ice in door and water)
I recently purchased a fridge and was so overwhelmed by the choices. I got a Bosch 800 no water/ice in the door. Got an awesome deal during a holiday sale. It’s been great so far!
My brother still has our parents first refrigerator that they bought second hand in the mid-1940s, an art deco style General Electric. Nothing has ever broken on it, NOTHING, even the now illegal latch type industrial looking door handle that traps children inside works perfectly. It has never needed to be recharged. He had it painted in a body shop some years back and it looks awesome in his home theater bar area.
My father had a GE from the 1930's, with the 6" thick walls, with the tiny box on four 8" or so long legs, and the compressor on top of the box, enclosed in a circular shield. It never required service, and was still running a few year ago when he passed away. I wonder what became of it.
Me, I have a 50 years old U-Line refrigerator that was my fridge in college. It also is still running, and has never been serviced.
That's the whole point. They don't make them like that anymore. At some point, these companies realized that having a well built appliance cut into their profits. If you have a fridge that lasts generations, then who is buying new ones? All these companies traded in the "Best Product" model, for the "engineered to fail after 2-4 years" model, so you can keep coming back. Washers, dryers, TV's, you name it. My Sony Bravia failed 3 days after the warranty was up.
@@sexual_chocolate Keep in mind the other side of the equation, and that is how dramatically the price has fallen over the years. My little U-Line cost $125 in 1973. In 2022 dollars that is $875. A comparable mini-fridge today is about $160, so 1/5 the price. If it lasts 9 years, it will deliver comparable value. Will it? I have no idea.
Well...you finally convinced me to subscribe to your channel! Think your videos are truly aligned to what a real and honest feedback of appliances should be.
I have a plain Jane Maytag that came in my mobile home 34 years ago, with ice maker. It's still running!
We've had a GE freezer top for 13 years and it's going strong. The ice maker started leaking about 7 years ago. I fixed it by shutting the water off and buying some ice trays😁
I have a 30 year old Whirlpool! Only problems are the cold water dispenser and Ice maker; I don't remember when that system started leaking water. Just disconnected the water and got some ice trays. It is a bit thirsty for electricity; 2400 watts per day. 😏
Same thing here.. clean the 'icebergs' and shut the water off.
It's mainly not monitoring that flap at the dispenser making sure there isn't ice stuck leaving warm air to circulate inside the ice maker.
The new GE's are junk.
ge is now chinese owned and are crap
I have a very basic GE fridge that my dad bought new almost 20 years ago from a Big Box store on clearance. It's *still* going strong! 😃
I have a bottom of the line GE and it’s still going strong since 1995! Never had any problems whatsoever.
GE has since been sold to China (Haier)
Older GE was great due to their Matsushita compressors
sadly, if you bought a new one now from the same Big Box store now, it will likely cost 5-10 times more than the old one did, and have 5-10 times shorter lifespan...
sorry - reliable yes but efficient no. The annual cost of running an old fridge freezer is a lot higher than a new one
As a old automotive/truck mechanic i can tell you the same thing about the more junk (electronics) on them the more they break down. Now i repair highway service trucks with 5 computers just to run the truck, Then there is the sand and salt spreader that monitors the speed and debit speed controls. Then there is the system that lays down with the sand and salt a kind of sticky chemical to make ice less slippery. Then there are the controls for the under body scraper and extension blade and front plow that can change angle or auto float over manhole covers or railroad tracks. Then there is the controller for the rear flashing sign board side lights and flashing lights at the ends of the plows and scrapers and top of the truck for the cars in front and coming towards the truck. Add in anything else like communication radios etc and you have a lot of stuff that can go wrong and make the truck out of service to use. Do not forget the G.P.S. for the company and government to see if it is moving and doing what it should be doing in one shift. Never mind all the stuff that can go wrong with the truck itself like wearing out parts or hitting things like bridges, power lines and drivers on their phones crashing into a slow big flashing bright orange and yellow trucks. All this to say if you seen the book of wiring diagrams for one truck and that changes everything and call it improvements to the new versions of truck your fridge repair man would have heart issues.
Ive had GE from mid 80 and it’s still going strong in my basement for almost 40 years. Upstairs for the kitchen we upgraded to LG about 10 years ago and it’s with ice maker located in a freezer (which we never use) also great fridge no complaints.
I bought two subzero refrigerators and a subzero freezer in 2007. They’ve all worked flawlessly for 15 years. No service calls. No problems.
That's before the Era of fridges he's talking about
Yes, they are built like tanks. However, even tanks need maintenance sooner or later, and labor and parts for Subzeros are way up there.
I'll see your 2007 SubZero's and raise you 1936 GE Monitor Top (Kitchen) & a 1952 GE Freezer Top (basement). ;p
I mean... Subzero fridges start at roughly $10,000 and can go up over $20,000. Many refurbished and used ones still sell for $7-9000. Most people can't afford even one, let alone 3.
If you can afford to spend between $20,000 and $40,000 on 3 fridges then you could probably afford to pay for a service call or to just replace them or buy a different one.
Good for you for being able to afford them, but its like someone saying "I've never had any issues with my Lamborghini" when someone is complaining about their Chevy Cruz having issues. It doesn't help with 99% of peoples issues at all.
I bought my SubZero in 2009 and gave $14,000.00 for it. I had it specifically built into the cabinet and shortly after I moved into my house I got a notice in the mail to stop using it as it could catch fire. I sent my model number in and it was in the recall. The repairman had to remove it from the cabinets and replace a switch underneath. After that, no problems. I used my 20-year-old Maytag while it was out if service. Great video!
I used to sell major appliances back in the 80s. GE once came out with a rotary compressor which was supposed to revolutionize the business. It had fewer moving parts, etc. It was a bust. What impressed me was that GE recognized the problem and replaced the compressor in all sold refrigerators -- without being forced to by lawsuit or government intervention. It was a completely voluntary recall.
I'm pretty sure there was no energy efficiency laws in place in the 80s. Today's refrigerators must meet strict energy efficiency laws and the linear compressor by LG has weak springs and plastic parts.
@@xcmskim4all designed to give us an inferior product.
Thank you for all your eye opening information. I am glad I watched your video before buying my refrigerator.
I have an old Frigidaire in that nostalgic yellow, a freezer top that was in my grandparents home since as early as I can remember,
I am 57 years old and it is in my non air conditioned shop here in the South keeping things cold.
I bought a no-frills, white Kenmore fridge about 25 years ago, made in Canada. It has never given me an ounce of trouble. Still looks good and does what it is supposed to do. My Mom and Dad had a GE fridge bought in and around 1950. They owned it until they sold their house in about 2005. As far as I know it is still going strong.
Thanks! That's really helpful for somebody looking to buy a new refrigerator!
I would have taken it with me.
That's because its a Kenmore. Sears brand appliances were built to last. See my post about our 54 year old Kenmore refrigerator. Also the fridge I own now is a GE and I bought it used in 2015. I don't know how old it was when I bought it, but it wasn't new. The only thing I don't like about it is that the freezer door (its a side by side) doesn't open far enough, and tends to spring back on me. I have to prop it open with a chair when I'm having to get things in and out of the freezer. But I think it was made that way and has nothing to do with age.
I have a Roper that came with the home and mfg date of 3-99, works well 22-24 years old
That 1950 refrigerator should be replaced. For nostalgia sake, it's worth keeping. But for energy efficiency purposes, it's costing you more money to use it than to just buy a new one and replace it every 8-10 years.
My fridge is a 35 y/o Whirlpool Top Freezer. It has the condenser coil hanging off the back. It's a frost-free design that has never had an issue.
I service medical lab equipment including Cryostats. A Cryostat is a deep freezer with a microtome inside it. Old Cryostats made in the 70's can still be found working perfectly in some places. Newer units have a lot more issues. Refrigerant leaks, and insulation breaking down are common problems, not to mention electronic issues.
My GE top freezer w/ice maker came with our 1999 home bought new. No issues what so ever. We pull it out once per year to clean around it. In 25 years, we've cleaned the condenser coils once with the correct brush and removed the lower rear cover to vacuum out the dust. The GE stove and dishwasher have been equally reliable.
Incredibly informative! Relevant even 2 model years in! Must watch b4 ur next fridge purchase! It's gonna save u thousands of $ & ur time!
My GE refrigerator outlasted my marriage, after 20 plus years we called it quits and refrigerator is still going strong.
Wow!
@@bensappliancesandjunk …Not a joke, GE freezer top with ice maker in the freezer. I have really been enjoying your videos, makes shopping for appliances for new home much easier.
Thank You for making these video’s.
@@82dupont you're welcome!
Not uncommon 😂
@82dupont
Do you/did you work for E.I. DuPont?
So are you going to marry your fridge? hahaa.
I have a GE fridge made in 1947. 76 years old and still runs smooth as did when it was new.
That’s fantastic
But I bet your paying as much to run it as a new fridge would save you in 4 years.
@@Notrocketscience101 that's like saying the new cars are better than the old cars in cost upkeep...
Nothing wrong with keeping something that works.
@@Notrocketscience101You can’t save enough money today by buying a new energy efficient fridge because the cost of electricity has skyrocketed under Biden Bimbo
This is an excellent video!
I learned so much... Especially I need to clean my refrigerator coils!
The part about the ice maker in the refrigerator makes so much sense... I'm appalled I didn't realize it in the first place. Ty big time.
My original Kenmore fridge lasted about 22 years. I replaced it with a Frigidaire with the largest top freezer I could find. Only problem was that it couldn't hold under 40f. New thermistor didn't help, so I added a 320k resistor across the thermistor, and now it can run with the fridge compartment at 34.
Only extra thing is a typical inside ice maker that I don't use, and plan to remove it to gain freezer space.
I had a Hisense Side-by-side that stopped working after 5 years. So I switched back to my 55 years old Liebherr fridge. Still works like a charm.
Imagine how energy inefficient that old beast is?
@@bob_frazierNot that bad that you can afford a new fridge every five years from the difference in your electricity bill. 💸
@@jansix4287 And you also have saved the earth by throwing less things in the landfill.
IT WORKS!! Imagine how much she will save over the decades NOT buying an energy efficient piece of junk???
@@bob_frazier I hooked a power meter to my mom's old coldspot fridge built in 1958 and amazing enough it was more energy efficient than her brand new one. Why, because it has only a compressor and a light. That's it. No fans, no auto defrost, no ice maker, no nothing. It still runs fine and even the gaskets are still good and original. We wait till winter to unload it and defrost it once a year.
Dude... I can't properly explain in words how much I truly appreciate this video.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
This is what quality YouTubing looks like, and I'll definitely be subscribing and binge-watching your videos after I hit "submit."
Thanks for your time and what you do. This is a true service for the average person. It's an absolute sham that manufacturers get away with their lack of quality. I'm not for more legislation, but there should be a law that makes every manufacturer to warranty their product for at least a decade.
Something needs to happen... hopefully these class action lawsuits bring some change to the market. Paying $3-4K for a consumer appliance is ludicrous if it dies within 5 years. Crazytown...
Capitalism should be able to solve this without regulations or lawsuits. Why doesn't one of these companies take advantage of this dismal situation by making high quality products, and getting a big share of the market?
And what has happened to Consumer Reports? Their top recs are LGs and Samsungs, despite the class action suits and awful reviews. Have they sold out, too?
I've got a magic chef top freezer since 1994 and it just keeps going.. just bought a whirlpool top freezer because we wanted stainless appliances and that was the only one we could find that would fit into our smaller kitchen. So far so good, it's been just over 3 years and no problems yet.
I have a Maytag 2 door frige on top and freezer on bottom. I Love it. It works well..
I still have my top freezer Whirlpool Imperial that I bought in 1990. Only had to replace the door gaskets about ten years ago. Still works great.
My parents have a french door Whirlpool fridge they got brand new with a 50% discount in 1993 (the year I was born) because it had a big scratch in the front. It is still their only fridge to this day. It has lasted 30 years. Its fun to go over to their house and use the same fridge I grew up using. I have had a simple french door Samsung for 3 years with no issues. Simple meaning it only has a ice maker in the freezer, no water outlet or ice dispenser. I think the simpler the better.
The less moving parts the better.
I agree. The fewer bells and whistles, the better.
T.U.Z.K: I would say that the chances are your parents were lucky that at the time they purchased that appliance (back in that era) it was the original Whirlpool company (most likely in Italy) of who manufactured to higher standards. But unfortunately these days the household appliances are just "named" with those brand-names, but it's all just a smokescreen. And I so miss those days (predominantly before 1993) when we actually had "choice" of different companies, but nowadays nearly all appliances are produced/manufactured under just "one" umbrella and disguised as many different companies - but it's all just a "lie". These days most appliances and other items are knocked up on the cheap and not made to last. Very sad :(
@@bigcityjunglecatenvisageth1422 greed.
@@roadrunner694
Yeah, absolutely. It's all about "greed" and very greedy/uncouth business corps trying to make more and more "money" with no holds barred and in any which way but loose!! :(
My mom just got a new fridge this week. The old one was 24 years old. A stripped down, no bells and whistles fridge. Worth the money I’d say.
You are just a joy to watch and listen to. Funny! I wish you were by me, I would buy from you for sure. You can just tell you are Humble and Honest! You don't find those traits much this day and age.-----I just bought a used GE french door and the freezer is not freezing and the frig is only cooling to 40 degrees. So now I am trying to find out how to DIY the fix, fingers crossed. So far I am trying the "overload" to start with.
This makes me feel good about my Whirlpool. I bought it used for $80 in 2011, and it's still going strong.
Older-ish Whirlpools have a HUGE edge on GEs, and any tech will tell you that. Especially if its a Jazz-board unit. The bad problem was that those boards used to cost ~$250 but 3rd parties now offer them for $45.
It made me so happy to read this, Calvin!
@@bensappliancesandjunk -- I bought one of the Whirlpool freezer-top units with the control system you showed, 6 months ago. But at least I got an extended warrantee on it. And they knocked off $100 because the delivery guys put a dent in it on the way over here. I have the required clearances around it. Any other tips to extend its life?
@@grizzlygrizzle I hope this answers your question. I've found that everything about taking good care of anything can be found in the owner's manual. I suggest reading the owner's manual for anything from cover to cover.
Iowa made Maytag and Amana is super long lasting. Have Maytag side-side from 1998 (24 years old), and Amana bottom-freezer from 1995 (27 years old) . Both work perfectly. the Maytag has need defrost timer, defrost coil, motor starter. Amana has needed a Condenser Fan.
The most expensive refrigerator that I bought came with my last house - $14k. That was the amount of damage that a defective sensor caused when it failed in my kitchen and flooded the floor beneath. When we bought this house, we disabled the ice maker to prevent a repeat performance. Personally, we live in a 55+ retirement home where the average house turns over every five years. This means that in at least 40% of the homes, the kitchen is remodeled in 40% of the homes. We often buy a refrigerator off of one on the neighbors remodeling, especially if it is 15 years old when most parts were made in the USA. Our repairman loves to fix 80s era appliances and the words "LG" and "Samsung" are enough to drive him off a cliff.
Had my ice maker fail, destroyed our laminate floor..
I used the opportunity to put tile down, I love it, the insurance covered it.
Also disabled ice maker.
... heard similar words on LG n Samsung goin around all over the past few years --- they need to stick to electronics n stay out of kitchens n the laundry rooms
@@nemesisxrox6773 Many of the problems in their appliances _IS_ the overly complex electronics.
It's stories like this are the reason I never bothered to hook the water line up to my fridge to run the water and icemaker. Seems like a lot of risk for a little ice and water.
Honestly the Kenmore or Whirlpool stuff from the 90s and even early 2000s wasn't bad either. As long as it does not have a digital display. If I see an old school Kenmore or Whirlpool washer or dryer, with manual knobs (no digital display) and a agitator in the middle, I would snatch it up. My family has two dryers and washers like this, and I have rebuilt all of them, multiple times, since 1997. It costs me about $40 to get the dryer like new again and about 30 minutes of my time. I do that procedure about once every 7 years. The washer I have only had to replace the agitator teeth. I did have to bypass the lid open sensor to get it to run, but we don't have any kids to worry about, so no big deal there. I thought about replacing them once, and the old appliance sales gentleman told me "don't get rid of them, all this new stuff is junk". So I just keep fixing them.
My Kenmore has been running for 30 years. It does have an ice dispenser in the freezer but it's never been connected because the layout of my kitchen made it too difficult. This video makes me sad but also glad I got mine before the Kenmore brand went south.
You are GOOD! Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I am going to pull my fridge out and vacuum ASAP. After first seeing the build up on our old fridge, i started doing it regularly, and have never had to replace a compressor yet! Thanks for the reminder. I notice my Samsung is much easier to vacuum than my old blue Kitchen-aid. We called her the Titanic, because the ice-maker in the freezer door, which worked except in hot humid weather, used to spew ice across the room. We learned to just accept she needed a rest now and then, and she would start on her own after a week or two, usually heralded by a rumbling in the night. Lol. When we got the new Samsung we relegated the blue Kitchenaid to the garage, she still worked but all the drawers were cracked.
Just a note about garage fridges in norther climates. Our garage is technically unheated but well insulated. We go down to minus forty Celsius here. But often our vehicle is plugged in, so the heat from that, and a little heater when it really gets cold, it goes to just below freezing. Which our fridge hates, and all the veggies freeze.
But i solved that problem. I keep a low watt LED bulb in a small lamp, in the bottom crisper. The cord just comes out the bottom of the door and plugs in. It keeps the fridge from getting too cold, hovering at about 3 degrees celsius! I also have a tiny fan going inside the fridge too. I have done this for three winters, it works and keeps our large amount of garden produce, carrots, garlic, onions, beets, plus eggs, pretty much everything, nice and cold but not freezing, for not a lot of expense. That old fridge has to be at least 15 years old and even though the condenser is a pain to vacuum, it never misses a beat! The French Door Samsung though, at about five to seven years old, keeps getting ice build up under the bottom large drawer. Periodically i thaw it out with a blow dryer, and then pull it out to be sure the tube at the back isn’t clogged, but it still eventually builds up ice again, and will “ding” for weeks, quit, then start again. We had a repair man come out and he replaced some switch, it stopped dinging and we thought it was great. A couple months later it went back to its old tricks. We gave up and just live with the sporadic dinging. It does tend to freeze veggies if overpacked. I have learned to set it to five degrees instead of three. That seems to help.
Anyways i love all your videos. Thanks so much, you have taught me a lot.
I am going to send this to my husband. We bought a Samsung French door, no water/ice in the door (put my foot down to refuse that). The bottom drawer freezer is my favorite, we opted for French door because there was better space than the comparable side by sides. Got it as a floor demo to replace an aging Kenmore with stress cracks forming in the freezer. It works great for us.
My Samsung freezer top is a sleeper hit. Since I haven’t replaced other appliances the dark chrome works with the white appliances. It fits well. My old one was too large for the area which may have made it work harder and burn out.
I read your comment and had to laugh. In our case it was the wife who insisted on an LG with the ice maker in the door. I caved in of course. She spends all of her time in the kitchen and deserves her choice in refrigerators. We've had one call on the compressor, covered under warranty. Otherwise, no problems. It's been a good refrigerator. It's six years old, but I doubt that it lasts as long as the basic GE in our garage that we've had since 1985. With that one there've been no repairs or even a recharge of the coolant. But it looks old, and it makes her feel old, so it's the garage for the GE.
As long as you don't have an ice maker inside the fridge compartment of a Samsung, they are relatively trouble free.
I’m happy to hear that, just bought my first Samsung fridge yesterday, arriving tomorrow after my 17 yr old Kenmore failed 😞 I’ve been nervous bc today I’ve read a ton of bad reviews when it comes to Samsung fridges! So thanks for sharing!
@@lolacookie453 Same! When I tell people we picked a Samsung I get just blasted with "are you insane!?" comments. We picked the 4 door one with the ice in the freezer. Even this guy seems to say it's a decent choice and he's clearly not biased on any of them. Are you liking yours?
I love the "feature" my freezer/fridge came with: a manual ice maker. It was a ice cube tray that was taped inside the freezer so it wouldn't slide around during shipping.🤣 That is what it was advertised as, a manual ice maker!
Between your channel and Consumer Reports, I got the most stripped down, freezer-over-fridge I could buy. It is a little smaller than I realized, but it works out great for me. I don't lose stuff in the back as easily.
I love manual anything.
I've gone through two refrigerators in less than 10 years! My second one, the handle broke on the freezer. My microwave door broke in both last two microwaves in the last 10 years. My washer is getting rust. Not even 10 years old. All the from Samsung. LESS is MORE. I also hate cars with too much crap! Same thing with appliances. Good advice. Subscribed. You are spot on about the water and ice on the door. The first fridge started leaking water all over the place due to the stupid water inside of it. And yes, it had water m/ice on the door.
@19:30 Holy crap, dude. We did that exact thing 20 years ago and made an huge side by side fridge! It was awesome. One of those units has recently quite working, but I haven't been out there to see why yet.
This video takes me back to the 1970's when my Grandpa was still with us. He was a Electrical Maintenance Superintendent at Lockheed Burbank since before WW2. He used to say "if you want an appliance or machine to last, keep it simple stupid". I listened to him and whenever I can I follow Grandpa's advise I do. So when our GE whiz-bang double door stainless steel 5 year old refrigerator with through the door ice, cubed, crushed and water died I went back to a simple Kenmore $800, (on sale, made in Mexico, NOT China), top freezer stainless steel 20cuft refrigerator with a simple ice maker in the freezer Like we had before the $3,000 whiz-bang double door stainless steel refrigerator. Al least I can get 10 years out of this one and it doesn't cost as much as a used Toyoda.
He's right about buying something with the least components possible. I got a husband with only two working parts and he's been very easy to fix when needed.
How would you feel if your husbandhad madethat comment?
You are very disrespectful to your hUsband. Then again what can we expect from a woman
@@mikevale1000 Calm down boomer. This was a funny joke. If my wife made this comment, I'd laugh. Live life a little bit more lol
Great video explains what to avoid and more importantly, why.
My parents have an Amana from 1986 that is still running perfectly. Never had a single repair.... About 15 years ago they moved it to their garage to use as a drink and ice fridge. They live in Texas and the garage is uninsulated. It's still working perfectly. Every time I go home to visit, the drinks and ice are in the fridge in the garage, cold as ice.
Amana was sold to Goodman a long time ago (1996) and was then sold to Kenmore/Whirlpool... needless to say the Amana products line suffered and hasn't been the same since the buyout in 1990's.
This channel is an outstanding example of why TH-cam has value.. This channel is an outstanding example of why TH-cam has value..
Two years ago I switched to a separate refrigerator from the freezer. Two different units. Very large Midea fridge where I can put vegetables, fruits and everyday cooked food. Arctic king freezer where I keep frozen food. Both very simple, no complications.
Your a smarty man! I have the same setup. Plane Jane, dirt cheap and going strong 16 years
We find Midea parts in Samsung products. China
Enjoyed the video. Why is the transcript not in English? What about midea refrigerators and arctic king freezers? A little confused by what to buy, perhaps do a summary as you close the video.
@@benjismith593 I believe Midea is Chinese and they're the largest manufacturer of appliances in the world. I think it's a lot like Foxconn in electronics, they build it no matter what name is on the outside (even if it says Apple).
This is a good idea!
Purchased GE Monogram fridge 2015: trouble-free since initial door issues under warranty. I also have a US-assembled Maytag fridge purchased in 2012: also trouble-free. You make great points.