HELP! Need new fridge .....

[lilbopeep]

To make a LONG story short our fridge is on it's last LEG.

My DD has offered to help pay for it.

I am figuring the fridge that we now have is 26 yrs old. This will one will hopefully last as long and I want to get a nice one.

Home Depot is having a sale and I have been looking at this one >>>http://www.homedepot.com/p/Samsung-...ase-Design-RF28HDEDBSR/205143861?N=5yc1vZc3oo

Advice? Is this a good brand? $1,400.00 saving seems pretty good. This old one is a side by side (I HATE the narrow freezer shelves!!), NO ice OR water. I really like the on-the-go door in door feature.

 

[Guts]

I will not comment on if it's a good one or not, but I will say if you refrigerators 26 years old and you buy a new one you will probably see a difference on your electric bill which will help I'm sure

 

[lilbopeep]

I will not comment on if it's a good one or not, but I will say if you refrigerators 26 years old and you buy a new one you will probably see a difference on your electric bill which will help I'm sure

Do you mean my bill will be less or more?

 

[Adillo303]

you will probably see a difference on your electric bill which will help I'm sure

I think he is saying that it will be less. We just bought a very similar fridge, maybe one cuft bigger, maybe not, I don't remember. Ours is an LG. I would say they are comparable. We are very happy. I put in an external filter in the water line and we no longer buy bottled water. That is another savings.

Wee bought ours at Lowe's, about the same price. P. S. 5 year compressor warranty.

 

[Guts]

It should be noticeably less

 

[ChowderMan]

we have a Samsung - similar french door, bottom freezer design. not the inner door tho (why?)

the freezer has a compartment 'under' and a slide out drawer - which is ueber handy - I keep the opened bags of frozen veggies / etc there - that way I can 'see' what is at hand.

it has one issue - the ice maker. production quantity is just barely adequate for two summer ice tea guzzlers. it 'ices up' internally and does not shift back&forth between crushed and cube dispense. ice & water are dispensed thru the door.

I'm quite smitten with the bottom freezer - I chose this one over other models for the shelf/interior layout - which I'm happy with.

whudda' thought they didn't know to make ice.....

oh, look for the water filters on-line. waaaay cheeper. also you can easily go 2x the 'alarm' setting unless your water is really bad....

 

[lilbopeep]

Thanks for your replies!!

we have a Samsung - similar french door, bottom freezer design. not the inner door tho (why?)

the freezer has a compartment 'under' and a slide out drawer - which is ueber handy - I keep the opened bags of frozen veggies / etc there - that way I can 'see' what is at hand.

it has one issue - the ice maker. production quantity is just barely adequate for two summer ice tea guzzlers. it 'ices up' internally and does not shift back&forth between crushed and cube dispense. ice & water are dispensed thru the door.

I'm quite smitten with the bottom freezer - I chose this one over other models for the shelf/interior layout - which I'm happy with.

whudda' thought they didn't know to make ice.....

oh, look for the water filters on-line. waaaay cheeper. also you can easily go 2x the 'alarm' setting unless your water is really bad....

it 'ices up' internally and does not shift back&forth between crushed and cube dispense

Please elaborate on above quote.

When we first moved here in 1985 we had a regular fridge with the freezer on the bottom. It was avocado!! That's how old it was LOL I think ALL the fridges in the 60 and 70's had freezer on the bottom. I LOVED IT!! BUT when it died the NEW thing was side by side. It cost a FORTUNE IF you could find a model with the freezer on the bottom. I MISS being able to put a cookie sheet in the freezer to freeze appy's then place the frozen in zip bags. It takes major rearranging to get large items in the narrow shelves.


I HATE this side by side and am SO ready to dump it!! But hub is dragging his heels getting a new one. I am so fed up with having to throw $$$ of food away because the freezer has thawed food and milk, produce etc spoils in fridge to quickly especially in the summer.

Wanted extra door for frequently used items because family tend to "hang" in fridge!! This tends to heat the whole fridge up.

Have a few questions for you .....
Do all the Samsung have that "freezer has a compartment 'under' and a slide out drawer"? I can't see it in the picture.

Can the freezer hold a 25 to 30 lb turkey?

 

[ChowderMan]

here's the freezer - the drawer slides atop the 'bin' of the freezer compartment. gives you two 'flat surfaces' - vs digging through the depths of the monster....

oh, how big a turkey.... dunno. I normally buy them frozen and defrost in the top. but it['s a good size - you'd have to take all these rest out tho....

 

[ChowderMan]

the thru the door thingie has options for crushed ice, whole cubes, (chilled) water
see the metal rod along the bottom of the ice maker?

the 'lever' at the back is operated by a motor, controlled by the crushed/cube button.
however where the lever goes into the housing at the left, there are some 'tight' spaces where ice chips build up and does not let the metal rod rotate.

I've put duck tape over it, I've filled the voids with food grade grease, no luck. it basically 'sticks' in one position or the other until I pull it out and let the chips melt.

 

[lilbopeep]

the thru the door thingie has options for crushed ice, whole cubes, (chilled) water
see the metal rod along the bottom of the ice maker?

the 'lever' at the back is operated by a motor, controlled by the crushed/cube button.
however where the lever goes into the housing at the left, there are some 'tight' spaces where ice chips build up and does not let the metal rod rotate.

I've put duck tape over it, I've filled the voids with food grade grease, no luck. it basically 'sticks' in one position or the other until I pull it out and let the chips melt.

Thanks!! The bottom pic - is that the bin with the ice - in the fridge section? I was wondering if the ice bin took space away from the freezer (hoping it didn't take space away that could be used for food storage).

P.S. I also shop at Stop-N-Shop and ShopRite. LOL (Also Fairway for Prime cut meats).

 

[lilbopeep]

OOPS posted this question in the dinner thread also.

I have a question ... the fridge specs say the depth is 29 inches WITHOUT the doors. My doorway is exactly 29 inches wide. Will it fit thru the door? If not I can't get a new fridge because I think that was the narrowest one I could find.

 

[Shermie]

Try having the kitchen or front door temporarily removed. And then, just for added ease of getting the unit through the doorway(s), have the fridge doors themselves temporarily removed.

Mine is an apartment size (about 10.0 cubic feet). But because the stairs are so narrow, the delivery guys had to remove the fridge doors temporarily to get the unit up the stairs. The transition was smooth and easy, but getting the old one down the stairs was hard because it was a bit wider (12.0 cubic feet).

You say that your old one is 26 years old. I'd say that you probably got more then your money's worth out of it. Time to send it off in that big Pink Cadillac to heaven. It has served its purpose, and did it well, but it was becoming "sick" and just couldn't go on, so it has lived out it's life. Your next one will be more energy efficient!
__________________

 

[Adillo303]

Peep - I measured my LG last night. It is a hair under 29", a thin hair. About half an inch of that is a plastic bumper on te back, which looks like it could be removed.

Also, the fridge arrives sans doors and partially disassembled. The delivery crew puts it together.

It would be a good idea to ask if the price was refundable if the fridge would not fit in the door.

 

[ChowderMan]

the 'std' ice maker is in the fridge section on this model. they had a optional second ice maker for the freezer section but as you note - you lose the slide out drawer, etc.

we had to remove the fridge doors to get it in the house.... (standard 30 inch house doors...)

 

[Shermie]

Here's what I did.

Knowing that the fridge's freezer is too small to possibly accommodate an ice maker (no provisions in there for one anyway), I bought a separate ice maker (below) for those times when ice is in very heavy demand, such as for keeping large amounts of beer cold in a cooler, when the fridge is full with food for the holidays and other large things, like making ice ahead of time for a party and storing it in the freezer.

This helps keep more room in the freezer for frozen food storage. I DO however, have a small rack in the freezer to accommodate up to three ice cube trays so that I'm not out of ice altogether!

Also, it solves the problem of having to buy ice from the stores.

 

[lilbopeep]

I don't think I can get a new fridge.

Door is to narrow and I am on a chat with home depot. Chat agent says they don't remove doors and I need to go by assembled depth.
She is checking again and I am waiting for her reply.

 

[ChowderMan]

a smaller fridge is an option, no?

check with a local appliance store - typically they'll meet prices and will have local delivery types available who will dismount the fridge door(s), etc.

measure the house door -

if the side to side dimension of the fridge is to wide to go thru, then

with the fridge doors removed it is the 'depth' i.e. front to back dimension - that is important.

does the fridge have to fit in a "hole" of the cabinets or is it completely free standing?

also check the "wall to front of fridge including fridge handles" in your kitchen - these biggie big fridges are bigger on the outside as well and you don't want to 'block' the kitchen ways....

 

[Shermie]

I don't think I can get a new fridge.

Door is to narrow and I am on a chat with home depot. Chat agent says they don't remove doors and I need to go by assembled depth.
She is checking again and I am waiting for her reply.

OMG!!!

You just can't go back to the old one!!

Try Lowes. A smaller one might work and you may have to give up some of the first-class amenities that come with the larger ones, but at least it's a heck of a lot better than dealing with spoiled food and having to throw it away constantly! You may just as well take your money and shovel it out the window!!

 

[Cooksie]

That looks like a really nice fridge with all the bells and whistles. If it turns out that one won't work, look at the Kitchenaid Architect II. It's not as fancy, but doesn't cost as much and it looks like it will fit through the door without the fridge doors.

I agree with Chowder on checking on the local appliance stores. They'll get that fridge in there come hell or high water .

Good luck with the hunt and on convincing the hard head

 

[Shermie]

That looks like a really nice fridge with all the bells and whistles. If it turns out that one won't work, look at the Kitchenaid Architect II. It's not as fancy, but doesn't cost as much and it looks like it will fit through the door without the fridge doors.

I agree with Chowder on checking on the local appliance stores. They'll get that fridge in there come hell or high water .

Good luck with the hunt and on convincing the hard head

Yeah, what IS the point in keeping an old fridge that has been nothing but a money pit as far as spoiled food is concerned? That is good money after bad!

 

[lilbopeep]

I found a prehung steel anti rust/corrosive solid no window entry door 36X80 for $129.00. I would need to get someone who does this stuff to install it. Hub doesn't want to!! Every option he knocks down. I was told by the handy man who does plumbing putting a water line in is not a big problem. NOW hub is screaming "NO ICE maker I don't need that!!" But every new fridge seems to come factory installed ice maker. He wants one just like the old one. They don't make fridges the same size and make without ice maker like they did 26 years ago. He just wants to wait till it dies and he has NO options, no sales, NO choice. So he can scream and curse boo hoo, "what bad luck I have!!" I feel so dejected.

 

[ChowderMan]

hold the phone there peeps!

one does not simply "replace" a 30 inch door with a 36 inch door - there's way more to it that that - including most likely lot of structural re-framing plus interior and exterior finishes to be torn apart, then replaced.

there is no need to replace doors to get a refrigerator in the house.
do not put any stock in what the India chat rep for Home Depot said.

measure the width of your door opening.
go to a local store and tell them you want a fridge that can be passed through the opening.

in stark contrast to chat idiots, people who know what their business is will know if they can get the fridge you want through the door.

can't help much with the reluctant husband. it was however true that "next to heating, the refrigerator is the most (energy) expensive item in the house" - that was true prior to air conditioning.

regardless, it is true that modern fridges are way more energy efficient than 26 year old (working) refrigerators - and those 26 year old models that are flaky - they just add to their cost in spoiled food.

if I had to guess, the erratic performance, especially in the summer, is likely due to low refrigerant levels - resulting in supercooling the coils, which then ice up, which makes them ineffective, etc etc and yadda yadda. given that legit repair people cannot just dump Freon into the open anymore, the cost of repair - given the risk it'll need repair after repair after repair - it's time. in fact, it's quite possible "the repairman" will decline to even think about fixing it - there's just way too many potential issues with such an old machine - "repair warranty" is o-u-t the window - it'd be strictly at your own risk.

give the hub a bullet and tell him to bite hard.

 

[ChowderMan]

oh, the ice maker....

my parents pooh-poohed that idea again and again as you experienced. the grief I took having bought a fridge with a (GASP) ice maker, lazy bum what I am....

then they had to get a new fridge and as discovered, most come standard . . . .

fast forward 3 decades, my mother moved into a retirement home and when the option of an ice maker in the 'standard issue' fridge came up she didn't bat an ice tray - she opted in immediately.....

 

[Shermie]

I found a prehung steel anti rust/corrosive solid no window entry door 36X80 for $129.00. I would need to get someone who does this stuff to install it. Hub doesn't want to!! Every option he knocks down. I was told by the handy man who does plumbing putting a water line in is not a big problem. NOW hub is screaming "NO ICE maker I don't need that!!" But every new fridge seems to come factory installed ice maker. He wants one just like the old one. They don't make fridges the same size and make without ice maker like they did 26 years ago. He just wants to wait till it dies and he has NO options, no sales, NO choice. So he can scream and curse boo hoo, "what bad luck I have!!" I feel so dejected.

Hi, Lilbopeep.


Not for nothing, and this is nothing against you at all, but........, YOU NEED A NEW FRIDGE, BOTTOM LINE!

If your husband is not even so much as lifting one finger to help you, then I commend you for doing it on your own. Fact is, you can't keep using your old fridge, since it is acting up, won't keep the food cold properly and is on it's last leg.

Rule of thumb is you don't wait for a fridge to die completely before you get a new one. That is not practical. Tell your hubby to get off his rusty-dusty and go buy a new fridge BEFORE the old ones dies completely! It makes no sense the way that he's acting. Very childish. So sad.

 

[chocolate moose]

a couple of years back, I bought separate units for fridge and freezer. they are simple units, and we're really happy with them.

a fridge freezer combo is expensive and a lot can go wrong with them.

 

[Shermie]

I also have a separate freezer - a small chest type one, in addition to the fridge's freezer, which is small.

We've learned from our mom to always have a separate freezer for storing meats, fruits & veggies and other foods, just in case of a snowstorm, hurricane or other really bad weather.

Even though with a full-size fridge and a full-size freezer paired together, the idea sounds very nice, but then the room for them is an issue, especially if your kitchen is not big enough.

 

[The BoardSMITH]

I realize I am a little late to reply but...

We purchased a new Samsung French door unit several years ago. The problems started when the upper condenser coil froze and started to make a noise. When the repairman arrived he found a leak from the upper cooling unit. The galvanized steel had rusted and stained the back of the refrigerator with a frozen skating rink on the bottom. Later a strong odor started, not bad food, and lingered for weeks. The repairman couldn't find the source. On an appliance forum I found that several Samsung refrigerator owners were experiencing the same identical problems and a repairman finally admitted he was seeing other Samsung refrigerators with the same problem.

After 18 months, over $1000 in initial repair costs and a purchase of a master service agreement from A&E, we were finally able to get the monstrosity replaced by a Whirlpool side-by-side. No problems, no leaks, no smells and we are satisfied. Never again will I buy a Samsung product. Same goes for LG. The washer and dryer pair was spent big bucks for simply didn't wash clothes well. But that is another horror story.

 

[Shermie]

Be extra careful though!

Even some of the well-known name brands thar we've trusted for years & years, the co's in charge occasionally has their projects made these by foreign no-name nobody co's and then they have THEIR brand name slapped on them to make it appear as though it was actually made by our supposed trustworthy appliance makers from years ago!!

These days, you really don't know what you're getting in terms of trust, reliability, integrity and dependability because greedy co's like that often CLAIM that their products are good and claim to stand behind them, but it is always the very innocent consumer who usually ends up with the short end of the stick because everyone has their hands in the cookie jar!!