Repair versus Buying New

[scratch]

Recently my 12 year old Roper/Inglis refrigerator was starting to die.
I felt at the time that a 12 year run was acceptable and checked out new similar fridges and could not believe the prices. So I called around and the same afternoon the fridge had been repaired for just over a hundred dollars and was told that it was the thermostat. I was also told after a full inspection that it would most likely last another 10-12 yrs.
My question here is, after a discussion with the repairman that most people choose to buy new rather than repair at a fraction of the cost. But my overall question is how many of you choose to repair or buy new. This does not only apply to my item but other big ticket items including automobiles.
:canada:

 

[karrie]

I don't like to throw things away if they can be fixed. But, if the old model is deficient in some way shape or form (ie, too small, too loud, too costly to run), then I may have the repairs done and put it up for sale, so long as I'll make more selling it than I put into repairs.

 

[lone wolf]

That new fridge at thrice the price is going to break down and die a lot faster than the one you can give another 12-year lease on life. Quality workmanship is the thing of the past. The operative word is profit. I have enough of my Scottish grandmother in me to choose value over rip-off. Cars? A two-year-old car still has the balance of a warantee and had depreciated the greatest amount.

 

[darkbeaver]

I used to rebuild old refridgerators, LoneWolf's got the right idea the new stuff is just flimsey junk, I fixed up fridges as old as forty years, they have weight and substance built to last.

 

[#juan]

One thing we should all know about refrigerators is that the replaceable, hermetically sealed, compressor is almost the only moving part. There is the little button that turns the light out when you close the door and the thermostat, but little else. Almost all fridges can be repaired for a lot less than buying new.

 

[Outta here]

hmmm this reminds me that I've been meaning to try and find out why my fridge is leaking water from somewhere in the freezer down to the shelves in the fridge. Anyone got any ideas about that? It's only about 6 years old, I should be able to get a little more mileage out of it no?

Re: repair over fixing - I'd have to agree. It seems more and more these days, a specific lifespan is built right into stuff - with the expectation that the consumer will again lay out the cost for an item within about 10 years or so. You see it with everything from vehicles to appliances... and just in case stuff accidentally outlasts its' warranty, the manufacturers make sure they render their own products obsolete within just a few years so consumers are left having to either scrounge around trying to find compatible parts or buy new rather than repair.

Durability. Reliability. Workmanship. Values from the past, I guess.

 

[#juan]

hmmm this reminds me that I've been meaning to try and find out why my fridge is leaking water from somewhere in the freezer down to the shelves in the fridge. Anyone got any ideas about that? It's only about 6 years old, I should be able to get a little more mileage out of it no?

Re: repair over fixing - I'd have to agree. It seems more and more these days, a specific lifespan is built right into stuff - with the expectation that the consumer will again lay out the cost for an item within about 10 years or so. You see it with everything from vehicles to appliances... and just in case stuff accidentally outlasts its' warranty, the manufacturers make sure they render their own products obsolete within just a few years so consumers are left having to either scrounge around trying to find compatible parts or buy new rather than repair.

Durability. Reliability. Workmanship. Values from the past, I guess.

Hi
What I would do is empty the fridge and turn it off overnight with all the doors open to let any ice melt. Sometimes a little ice will build up and block a little drain hole. Turn it on the next day and it should be fine. Frost-free doesn't always mean ice-free....:lol:
Good luck...

 

[miniboss]

Buying new is what makes the economy go round. It's the way they make things these days, cheap, and disposable. Purposely. The concept of repair is head for obsolescence.

 

[Outta here]

Hi
What I would do is empty the fridge and turn it off overnight with all the doors open to let any ice melt. Sometimes a little ice will build up and block a little drain hole. Turn it on the next day and it should be fine. Frost-free doesn't always mean ice-free....:lol:
Good luck...

Hey thanks Juan - I just learned something new - I'm gonna try that - maybe I'll be able to stop laying down tea-towels on the shelves.

 

[lone wolf]

Buying new is what makes the economy go round. It's the way they make things these days, cheap, and disposable. Purposely. The concept of repair is head for obsolescence.

That's obvious. All you have to do to prove the theory is run your printer dry:lol:

Woof!

 

[darkbeaver]

Hey thanks Juan - I just learned something new - I'm gonna try that - maybe I'll be able to stop laying down tea-towels on the shelves.

Do what Juan says, but you may also have a bad defrost element in your freezer or a bad thermo for it or a bad circ fan from it.

 

[Outta here]

Do what Juan says, but you may also have a bad defrost element in your freezer or a bad thermo for it or a bad circ fan from it.

8O

uhhh....

can you translate that into dollars please??

 

[darkbeaver]

8O

uhhh....

can you translate that into dollars please??

Could be the timer too. Well defrost didn't used to be automatic so you could follow Juans advice periodically to perform the defrost function manually. In the old days a service call was fifty bucks, that's just to talk to me if I actually used a screwdriver a hundred. It's been ten shyte fifteen years since a did fridges. We'll talk you through it. Do you have tools?

 

[Outta here]

Could be the timer too. Well defrost didn't used to be automatic so you could follow Juans advice periodically to perform the defrost function manually. In the old days a service call was fifty bucks, that's just to talk to me if I actually used a screwdriver a hundred. It's been ten shyte fifteen years since a did fridges. We'll talk you through it. Do you have tools?

oh yes, I have the same tool kit all women have: a pair of high heels and a butter knife, and in a pinch I guess I could probably McGyver a wrench out of my salad tongs if I had to.

... perhaps I'll start with Juan's idea - if that doesn't work, I'll meet ya back here - same time, same place... in two days... that should be enough time to tell if it worked or not hmm?

 

[darkbeaver]

oh yes, I have the same tool kit all women have: a pair of high heels and a butter knife, and in a pinch I guess I could probably McGyver a wrench out of my salad tongs if I had to.

... perhaps I'll start with Juan's idea - if that doesn't work, I'll meet ya back here - same time, same place... in two days... that should be enough time to tell if it worked or not hmm?

Is the fridge equiped with a separate freezer compartment or is it a refer only single door? I fit's a single fridge compartment type the fix will be different, like your drip tube could be plugged with algee a slime that occurs at the point in the drip tube where it hits the ambient air temp of the room on it's way to the evaporator plate on top of the compressor. High heels eh, maybe we could work a deal ;-)

 

[Outta here]

nope - it's a two door whirlpool. I've just packed everything from the freezer compartment downstairs to the big freezer, and my perishables are in camping coolers with ice packs. When I turned the temp selectors to off, the freezer one was stuck, and some ice came out of it. I assume this means something. lol. It's unplugged and ready to self repair now. :lol: gawd I hope this works... if I have to start dismantling things in there...well, let's just not think about that right now. If you do have to walk me through a fix Beaver, I'll send ya the heels. If unplugging it works, I guess I'll have to send 'em to Juan.

Thanks for the help you two, I'll keep ya posted.

 

[darkbeaver]

nope - it's a two door whirlpool. I've just packed everything from the freezer compartment downstairs to the big freezer, and my perishables are in camping coolers with ice packs. When I turned the temp selectors to off, the freezer one was stuck, and some ice came out of it. I assume this means something. lol. It's unplugged and ready to self repair now. :lol: gawd I hope this works... if I have to start dismantling things in there...well, let's just not think about that right now. If you do have to walk me through a fix Beaver, I'll send ya the heels. If unplugging it works, I guess I'll have to send 'em to Juan.

Thanks for the help you two, I'll keep ya posted.

It'll defrost overnight Zan keep towles arround the base to soak up the water, it'll be alright tomorrow.

 

[talloola]

I haive a maytag frig that works great, BUT every once in a while it makes a big noise,
a loud kind of crunch noise.

I was told that is normal, it is just adjusting itself. Any feedback, it's kind of wierd.

 

[#juan]

I would offer to keep any cold beer that might spoil at my place but you're a little too far away..........Cheers

 

[miniboss]

Lone Wolf, I hear you loud and clear. Lexmark inkjet printers are notorious for this. I don't quite understand why it's almost as expensive to let your inkjet printer ink cartridge run dry, and buy a new printer, than to by a new cartridge. You'd think with the green movement, manufactures would be accountable in some way to decrease the amount of hardware going into the garbage, by increasing the price,and making repair of hardware viable. It's all about cranking out product, and making money, and I'll bet the workers who build these units aren't getting a fair wage.