New refrigerator

[CountAllVotes]

Well, lucky me is expecting a visit from the weatherization people tomorrow.

They are coming to weatherize my home with stripping, new light bulbs and check the furnace and stove/oven for safety.

They also told me that I qualify for a new refrigerator.

The one I have now is 25 years old, made in the year 2000 and is a Hotpoint.

At one time it made a lot of racket but after having is serviced, it seems fairly quiet now.

I was told I was eligible to receive a new refrigerator similar to the one I now have. I guess that is great news or is it?

I know that the new appliances sure aren't lasting for 25+ years.

Do I want a new one?

Let me know your thoughts on this and also, what brands are the best to get.

Thank you for your insight and help!

[rsdsharp]

1. In the basement, we have an "almond" Monkey Ward fridge.

It was the main fridge in the kitchen when we bought the house 21 years ago, and I don’t know how long it had been there when we moved in. Three years? Five, ten? Who knows, but it’s still going strong.

We’re on our second kitchen refrigerator, and our second stove, washer and dryer. The ice maker periodically stops working on the fridge, and can’t be repaired. At some point in the near future it will fail to heal itself, and we will get our third refrigerator. It would not surprise me if the basement unit continues to work. My mother-in-law has an old refrigerator in her basement that she had when we got married 45 years ago. It was old then, but it still works.

My advise would be to keep the old one. If it dies you’ll still be eligible for a replacement, right?

[CountAllVotes]

2. They said five years

If I do not take them up on this offer now, I will have the offer again in five years.

I wish I knew how much longer it will run for.

My late mother told me that my godmother (who was quite the baker and cook) swore by the Hotpoint brand.

I don't know what Hotpoint is these days but this refrigerator doesn't have an ice maker but it has a fairly good sized freezer on it.

It is about empty most of the time since my husband died.

It has milk, yogurt and coffee creamer in the refrigerator part and a few frozen dinners and packaged meat in it.

What brands are the best these days?

I'm so tempted to keep it!

On edit, I just found this:

>>Hotpoint appliances sold in the U.S., Canada and Central and Latin America are manufactured by the Haier Group (a Chinese company), while Hotpoint appliances sold in the U.K. and Europe are manufactured by Whirlpool (an American company).Mar 19, 2024.

Who would have thought? ??

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

3. Take the new fridge.

Keep it somewhere in case the current one fails.

My Dutch uncle's motto, "For free....take."

[rurallib]

4. second this!

[CountAllVotes]

5. I wonder if they'll let me do that?

I'll find out tomorrow!

Good advice!

Thank you!

[CountAllVotes]

6. I think I better take it

Seems it has outlived its lifespan!

It was leaking in the summer time for awhile but it stopped doing that.

However,

Lifespan…how long do hotpoint refrigerators last
about 10 years
On average, a Hotpoint refrigerator will last about 10 years.Feb 22, 2024

[2naSalit]

9. I agree.

[Skittles]

7. what do you mean by "qualify"

it will be free?

[CountAllVotes]

11. It is based on the household income

I'm at poverty level still.

It sucks and I wish I did not qualify for it because that would mean I've got more of an income than I do.

I should take it now before it dies on me.

I've done everything I can to keep it going, like cleaning it and vacuuming off the back of it where the dust builds up.

I've thought it was a goner more than once over the years.

So, being I now "qualify" I can get a new one. I think the old one has to be 20+ years old for this to occur.

[Skittles]

15. AH OK, I wasn't making any judgement, I just wasn't sure

hey GO FOR it - get that new one now - yes INDEED - it would be crazy to wait! Get one that is energy proficient

[CountAllVotes]

18. I no longer need one that is 18.? cu

Something smaller would easily work as there is almost nothing in it.

I could save a lot of money this way, you are right!

Thanks for the input!

[kimbutgar]

8. Stay away from Samsung they are awful and at least once a week we have to defrost it and the ice maker

No longer works. The refrigerator was brought in 2017. I want to buy a new one because I’m tired of hearing the noisy refrigerator. There are Facebook pages on this and if you do a search you find out don’t buy Samsung.


But I recently brought a new Samsung TV because they are better made just not the refrigerators!

[CountAllVotes]

12. Thanks for the advice

They said it would be replaced with a refrigerator of the same type and size.

The one I have now is 18.? cu.

It is large for two people but when my husband was around, I tired to keep it packed full as he ate a lot.

Thanks again!

[rog]

10. re: my old Admiral fridge

I'm not an expert, and not a good DIY-er, but ...

I have an old Admiral ... freezer above, fridge below. I think it is from the early 60s, in a house I inherited from my parents. Maybe an old Sears brand???

It has 'seemed' to break down a couple of times. What I learned was that keeping the coils under the unit free of dust and debris is key. If it doesn't have free air flow it will not cool properly, then it freezes and thaws, which over time causes ice buildup all over the cooling coils under or behind the freezer. That's what appears to cause the 'leaking' ... the drainage tube which is part of the auto defrost system gets clogged with ice, or perhaps it also has some debris clogging it up. This happened to me a month ago, and the fix was to unplug it, clean out all the dust bunnies, and totally thaw it out with a hair dryer, which takes a LONG time before all the ice on the coils melts. Bottom line is that it's working as well as ever again, with no sign of dying.

Before I figured this out I did buy a 'new, used' fridge, which is sitting in my garage in case I need it, but for now, the old Admiral is still kickin'. It's funny ... I had tried cleaning and thawing the Admiral with no luck, so went to buy this rebuilt unit ... actually of similar vintage ... but by the time I got home the Admiral had completely thawed out and was cooling just fine. Also, the guy who owned the appliance bebuild shop actually tried to talk me out of buying a new fridge ... said these old units (no computer, no ice machine) run pretty much forever, with only minor problems. Looks like he was right ... but at least I have a good backup in case this one takes a hike permanently.

.rog.

[CountAllVotes]

13. Interesting!

I could see this one going for quite awhile longer but it has had the problems with leaking in the summer months and for awhile it was HORRIBLY loud!

I mean YIKES loud!

I'm quite amazed that a refrigerator with a dent in the side of it has lasted so long.

Thank you for your input!

[rog]

14. Mine leaks in the summer, too ...

... if I don't remember to clean it out. Not a great job, so I put it off.

But I think another poster had a great idea, ie, if you can get a replacement free and still keep the old one, I'd go for it!

BTW, what program do you have that is giving you all these upgrades, if you don't mind sharing?

[CountAllVotes]

16. It is some program offered by PG&E for low income households

They came here 10 years ago and replaced light bulbs and put weather stripping on the doors.

They also noticed that gas was leaking from the furnace and the stove. They red-tagged those two things which I ended up having to have replaced.

I was not happy after they left as they had promised me a new refrigerator at that time as well but the one I had and still have wasn't old enough so it was pointless.

[CountAllVotes]

19. the problem is I don't know where to put another one

I live in a very small house with a one car garage.

I don't know where I'd put it is the problem!

*sigh*
The hoarder in me wants to keep it forever however!

[True Dough]

17. Maybe it's just me,

but I think Hotpoint is an odd name for an appliance designed to keep food and drinks cool/frozen.

[pansypoo53219]

20. we had a 50's one at work. loved making coke slushy in the freezer.

my great aunt had her 1st fridge from the 60's til the 80's. new ones came + went faster.