Refrigerator is DOA

[Charlie B53]

Poor thing.  It wasn't even 22 years old yet.  Died peacefully during the night.  Water on the floor this morning.

I spent far too long messing with the defrost clock, Hoping it has stuck the defrost contacts 'On' leaving the defrost heater on and not allowing the freezer temp to get low enough.  I even unloaded the freeezer and took off the inside back wall, exposing the coils so I could put my hand on the heater to be SURE it was Off.  It was.  Alas, the coils were not cooling at all.  It was only then I realized the 'Hum' that I was hearing over the noise of the fan and the dishwasher running (Gramma just HAD to be doing dishes half the day). was the refrigerator unit, stuck, stalled, unable to start turning, wouldn't run.

New unit time.  It's possible to replace the refrigeration unit.   I know how, and I even have most all the tools necessary.  However, whether it is worth the effort can be a whole different story.

I've looked at four major appliance outlets, Home Depot, Lowe's, Best Buy, and Sears.  All priced within almost $50 of each other.  NONE have what I want on hand.  Earliest date to pick up is next Monday, some stretch out three weeks. Crazy, a box without water and ice is not any cheaper than one with!  I don't want to give up the freezer space just to have cold water, and I have a working  ice maker already so I do not need another that can possibly go wrong.

I'll be spending some time on the phone this morning during treatment, attempting to locate another refrigerator sooner. I should also call my Credit Union so I can compare interest rates between them and my Card.





EDIT:  Misspelt Title Word - CharlieB53 - 8/25/17

[cattlekid]

My condolences on your refrigerator. 

Ours is 15 years old.  Last week, we had the water line to our refrigerator replaced.  It was plastic its entire length and had split twice right where it connects to the refrigerator.  We were also having our flooring replaced in our kitchen and basement and we weren't about to put down that much $$ on new flooring without getting the water thing figured out. 

The contractor found that the brain surgeons who owned the house before us ran the water line up the wall, into the attic then back down into the basement and tied in behind the medicine cabinet in the basement powder room.  So all that plastic line was exposed to the elements in the attic.  Surprised we didn't have bigger problems over the years.  They ran copper inside the house and tied into the water line under the hall bath sink.  Much nicer setup.

Then they plugged everything back in and noticed that the upgrade in water pressure made the fridge water pump leak.  Ugh.   Our intrepid contractor found a new pump for $40.  Crisis averted.  My husband was looking at his new bicycle fund going to a new fridge and wasn't happy.  All is right with the world again.   

[kristina]

Hello Charlie, I also send my condolences and ours is also many years old (almost same age as yours) and fortunately it still tries its very best ...

[Charlie B53]

I had sticker shock while looking at new refrigerators on-line.

Most ALL have water and ice included.  I hate to give up the freezer space for an ice maker.  Water in the door eats up a lot of space.

We already have one of the counter-top ice makers, only a few months old but have learned very rapidly that we like it a lot.  It is so handy being right next to the sink.

I gave in and went to Best Buy to see what was immediately available as the side-by-side I was looking at on-line nobody had in stock.  All claimed up to three weeks back order.  I can't imagine waiting that long.

I should have stayed home.  I fell in Love with a French Door, bottom drawer freezer.  All that wide refrigerator space wowed me, I had to have it.  too thrilled with the price.  OOUOCH!

Decided I better go home, get the Mrs, take he along to look and see these things as I KNEW, if I was to go ahead and spend that much, she would turn colors.

I figured we would have to spend at least the whole day visiting all the major big box stores to look at the same units over and over again, just to see what little difference there is in pricing.

We went to Home Depot first as it was the nearest in the loop I figured we would take so there would be no back-tracking.

I showed her the huge differences in the side-by-sides like what we have always had and these French Double Doors with the freezer drawer.  She was also wowed by the space.  Since we don't take much advantage of the freezer, all that refer space makes a lot of sense.  Very handy.  But the  PRICES.  Ouch!  And every one already has Ice. Most it is in the bottom freezer and doesn't take up too much space.  But those with water and ice in the door have the ice maker eating up a big chunk of upper refer space, PLUS that left door is has much thinner shelves than the right side.  Those without, the left door is a carbon copy of the right on, you can set gallon jugs of milk on that bottom shelf.  Very Handy!

I was rapidly becoming resigned to paying near $1400 for one of these, PLUS I wanted an extended warranty which was going to cost as products today aren't built near as well as those of yesteryear.  Then there is TAX, and that also hurts.   Qwaap!

We had pretty much made our decision but I wanted to check the other stores to see what their pricing is and were were walking out of the rows of refrigerators and started out the main isle where we came across two more units.  The first had water and ice in the door and was obviously scratched and had a dent in the left door.  It price was marked down.  The next one was marked down almost HALF!!!!  And didn't appear damaged!  No ice in the door.  French Door.   Everything we were wanting and marked down from $1800 to, get this


















$798


I peeled the sticker off and kept it out of sight until I found an Associate and bought it.

UN-damaged, close out, last one, they are not ordering any more of that style.  That mark down price just happened an hour ago.

They gave me another %20 off because I opened a store credit account.

I am TICKLED.

Now I just have to move that big old one out, go get this one and move it in.

Last time, I had to bring it in the front double doors, through the dining room.  I had to take the refer door off to fit through the doorways.  So I'll have to do that again, plus again on the old one to get it out.

IF I decide to connect the ice maker I think I will run copper tubing instead of plastic.  I HATE plastic.  Seems everything is plastic now but I still don't like it.  I know copper will last.  I will have to use a small section, maybe something like the sink reinforced hose to make that final loop onto the refrigerator.  But tapping into the water for the sink I can do in the basement, cross the floor under the kitchen and up through the floor tight against the wall behind the refrigerator.  Well out of the way so it can never be bumped, hit, or damaged.

So my day is going to be occupied.  This ain't gonna be no 5 minute task.  P.I.T.A. but hopefully once done I won't have to do this again for a very very long time.

Yard ain't getting mowed today.  It will still be there tomorrow.

[kitkatz]

Not the fridge, but our water heater bit the dust.  Replaced it today.  Cost money. Sigh.

[Charlie B53]

Water heaters can be a whole different can of worms.  Water hardness in some areas can scale the insides and heaters reducing efficiency and total volume.

No doubt a leaking unit must be replaced, but a burnt out heating element can be changed, often at considerable savings versus the cost of replacing to whole water heater.  It all depends on your water quality and what went wrong.

We have been very lucky so far.  But I am afraid that our time is coming.It's just a matter of time.

[Shaks24]

Our water heater is over 20 years old. 50 gallon auto vented gas unit by Rheem. Was installed when we built our house over 20 years ago. I imagine it should give out any day now. I can't believe its still kicking. I keep looking for a puddle on the garage floor.

[PrimeTimer]

Our next apartment has to come with a refrigerator that has an icemaker. Hubby sucks on ice cubes as a way to limit his fluid intake. He's very good about filling up ice cubes trays but told him we really should have an icemaker the next go around. Even small thngs like that can make life so much easier. The appliances we have in our current apartment are ancient. I type this while we have the A/C on and it's 80 degrees inside here. We're just lucky that it's even blowing air. Frequently doesn't even do that. We own several fans because of it. So a good A/C and automatic icemaker are on our wish list. 

[Charlie B53]

Many of the new refrig/freezers are factory equipped with an ice maker. While shopping I specifically excluded those that had water and ice in the door as those machines gave up a lot of that left side compartment space for the water and ice mechanism.

The unit we chose does have an ice maker in the bottom freezer compartment.  Stashed in the upper back left corner well out of the way, and it is ice only,  NO water dispenser.  I have not yet connected it as I will have to run a water line across the basement ceiling, under the kitchen to cross the room, then come up through the floor.  I plan on installing a quarter turn ball valve about shoulder height against the wall near the rear corner where I can reach it if ever needed to turn off the water.  That would be a whole lot quicker than having to run downstairs and across the basement if/when there is a leak.  I need to go down there with my tape measure and get an idea what size and how much copper line to get, number and type of fitting necessary to solder it all together.  I will only use a short piece of plastic hose to marry the machine to the hard line, Just enough to have room to roll the unit out for maintenance and cleaning.

We are keeping the counter-top ice maker I bought a few months ago.  We have become quite used to having ice handily next to the kitchen sink and use it daily.  I learned of these in another thread here at IHD.  And liked it well enough I had to have it.  Found mine at Best Buy in their on-line store.  Much better price than the ones in the store.

[Charlie B53]

Wife woke me up from my nap, telling me the bacon in the freezer is soft!

I checked, my ice cream has melted.

Our 3 week old refrigerator isn't cooling.

Called Samsung and was directed to shut it off for two minutes to reset the circuit.  OK.  Restarted and reset the temperatures for both the refer and the freezer, then was told wait 24 hours for it to bring the temps down.

This was at 6 p.m.

This morning after treatment I stopped and bought two new thermometers, took them home and stuck them in the compartments.  Gave it 10 minutes and checked,  65 and 40.  Called Samsung again, went through the whole speil and demanded a service call.  Got the referral number, called that company, they should have a guy out tomorrow morning.

I suspect he will find a toasted circuit board, replace it and all will work once again.

I also suspect that I will be returning this unit and buying something else.

Reasoning:

I had to replace the circuit board in one of the garage door openers after lightning in the neighborhood cause a strong enough EMF to toast something in that circuit board.

Two nights ago we had another thunderstorm.  We always have thunderstorms here in the Mid-West.

I do NOT want a refrigerator that is susceptible to EMF.  Warranty will run out, I did purchase the 3 year extended policy, but what about AFTER that three years?

Our old Amana with a conventional thermostat lasted 22 years.  Why should I settle for anything less?

Wife and I are not happy campers.

Melted ice cream.  Thawed out salmon.   I guess I'm baking salmon tomorrow.

[smartcookie]

That sucks!  But at least the salmon sounds yummy!  I hope you can find the refrigerator you are looking for!

[Michael Murphy]

 Charlie you have suffered a bath tub Failure.  During the first 90 circuit boards have a higher Failure rate then occurs after 90 days.  As the product matures the failure rate generally stays low.  At some point failures begin to increase, graphed its high failure in the beginning and end the graph looks like a bath tub.

[PrimeTimer]

This would be so frustrating. I'd not only ask for a new fridge but make them pay for delivery AND give a few bucks back on the one that broke. 
MMM! I smell a good salmon bake! What I call "the other white meat"! Don't forget a little lemon juice on top just before it's done.

[Charlie B53]

I am a mix of emotions.  Surprise, relief, are near the top of the list.

The Refer Tech came out, we talked about what happened, what could be wrong, how I may need to return this unit by Sinday as Sunday will be our 30 day return limit.

He asked if we could pull it out to unplug it as just turning it off doesn't clear all trouble codes and totally reset the program.  Well..... OK.  Before we pulled it out he pushed a couple of buttons and got a trouble code.  Decrypted the code says the is a problem with the compressor cooling fan.  Pulled it out, unplugged it, then he pulled off a couple of panels.  WOW, there are THREE circuit boards in there.  No black heated spots on any of them. He tried to turn the cooling fan and it was stuck.  A MOUSE must have thought the fans was an exercise wheel and tried it.  Quickly committed suicide, stuck between the fan and housing.  He pulled out the dead mouse, plugged in the unit and it started up as if everything is normal.

He tells me I would be surprised at how many times he has found dead mice stuck in fans.   Oh Really?

This morning box is 40 and freezer is -5, all good.


I've already replaced the dead compressor fan in the old Amana.  That unit will be replacing the even older refrig in the garage.  The Amana is and inch and a quarter taller than that really old unit so there is a small problem fitting it into that space.  I need to rearrainge some things so I can set it in about 5 feet left of where it used to be.  Not today, Friday, I have treatment, then Wife tells me we are loading up 'stuff' and heading South to Daughters for the weekend.  Seems Wife and her Sisters have made plans for me.  I am always the last to know.

What started out as an annual birthday picnis because a few of them all have B'Days within this week has turned into a 'Family Reunion'.  Oh Great, just what I need, to be surrounded by a bunch of half worthless people that I try hard not to have anything to do with.  Oh Well, there will be hot dogs and fries Chicken, Potato Salad and melon that I should have.  Maybe I will remember to grab a few of my fishing rods and gear so I can spend most of the time at the edge of the lake away from most everyone.  Gotta remember to take my chair.  My parasol (umbrella) is always in my truck, I use it for shade so I don't have to hide under the pavilion along with everyone else.

I just noticed the misspelling in the title of the thread.  I am slightly surprised Cas didn't notice and fix it, she's pretty good at finding my spelling errors.  Sometimes I don't notice that red line under a misspelled word. I must not pay enough attention to proof-reading what I wrote.  I will edit that as soon as I finish posting this.

[smartcookie]

I am glad the fridge is okay!  I guess that snake didn't get all the mice in the garage and that little one snuck in.  Poor little guy!  What a brutal death! 

[Michael Murphy]

Rather expensive mouse trap!

[cassandra]

.....
I just noticed the misspelling in the title of the thread.  I am slightly surprised Cas didn't notice and fix it, she's pretty good at finding my spelling errors.  Sometimes I don't notice that red line under a misspelled word. I must not pay enough attention to proof-reading what I wrote.  I will edit that as soon as I finish posting this.

I seriously thought it was not a misspelling but a very funny new word. Like headacheoso or something.

I wish you many useful years with your new fridge 😆

[kickingandscreaming]

I assumed it was Italian for refrigerator.