American Fridge Freezer fix or buy another

[NewbieRaf]

Hey All

As the title suggests I just can’t decide. We year old Samsung, compressor has already been fixed once within the first couple of years and now fridge is working - ish but no freezer. The call out cost will be 120 and I reckon that part will be another 100 or so. I can’t decide, do I attempt to fix it with the chance of it going again or just buy new. If I buy new I’m between Bosch and Samsung. Any recommendations?

Thanks

 

[clogs]

we had one of those big'uns....I think u have been very unlucky....
8 years trouble free twith ours then the fridge side stopped working .....
one comp does both fridge n freezer....
actually the cold from the freezer chills the fridge......
anyay I took it apart as the call out cost was similar.....
found the freezer fins in the back, u cant see em....were solid with ice.....
so bought a temp senser...same thing...in the end bought all the senser's...
lasted about a month......
ps the ice maker quit a few months outta warenty....

Got fed up with it, in the end it was buy a Bosch at 1700euro'a or buy chinese...for 900....
no contest....at that rate if it lasts 5 years were even.....

I was told buy a white goods engineer.....if u buy Bosch make sure it says "MADE IN GERMANY" on the back...
the quality is totally diff from those from Turkey or wherever....
thru bad service with Bosch they will never be in my house ever again...

 

[NewbieRaf]

Haha yeah I’m the type of checking where stuff is made also. I’m also tempted to look at separates from Miele or Leiberr as I’m sure they are still made in Germany. More money but at least is will last

 

[Amateur]

Ive found during my time on this planet that the cheaper the better, and the more simplistic the greater longevity of the product.
I swear by Currys basic range. Their fridges and freezers are very good.
When it comes to the American style fridge freezers they always attract problems.
I worked at currys after I retired for a few years and your problems arent unique with customers.
I know this doesnt help.
All I can suggest is to buy new. Get an extended warranty..but haggle for it.
Good luck.

 

[deema]

I have an old Samsung, it too had issues which were fairly easy to fix and the bits are very affordable. I’d have a go. Here is the thread I write in it.

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/thread...ms-work-down-so-far-and-advise-sought.133027/

 

[NewbieRaf]

Nice thank you. I’m tempted as I am partial to a bit of DIY. We have a cheapo chest freezer on the way today to tide us over. That’s 200 quid already gone but we have a 3 year old so it’s a must. I don’t know if I have the time with a day job to tinker. By the time I call someone out I’ll be 500 worse off inc the chest freezer. Hence why I’m thinking just go new and get an extended warranty

 

[Homeless Squirrel]

Nice thank you. I’m tempted as I am partial to a bit of DIY. We have a cheapo chest freezer on the way today to tide us over. That’s 200 quid already gone but we have a 3 year old so it’s a must. I don’t know if I have the time with a day job to tinker. By the time I call someone out I’ll be 500 worse off inc the chest freezer. Hence why I’m thinking just go new and get an extended warranty

Go do check some prices out first! as you might have a slight shock?
Friend ordered a unit in X size to fit in place he'd just built well it arrived after a long time (little supply) turns out wrong size by someone?
Fridge sold for more than he'd paid for it as still unused but one for right size had gone up !!!!!
Another friends got one of those Samsung double door things and he's has gone all wonky also.
Would never buy a Samsung TV new unless "cheap" as they and some others build cheap they put GPU part inbuilt into main board with other parts which cooks board and parts why get Graphic issues on them(go check issues on them)
Friend who was repairs guy at Comets was telling me all about them and other things and said go with Panasonic/sharp/Sony as they build off board Panasonic esp has a dedicated GPU area much like GPU on a pc.
Plus TV's are graded ie three Sony tv's one in Sony centre.another Tesco's other Johnny be good shop ok various prices for same thing well you think it is but letter on back say's other wise. Sony Centre are grade A with grade a screen and parts while tesco and others get lower grade and so on.
Another one is LCD screens LG who is the main maker test and grade high grades are often spoken for while others go to auction so a budget gadget could be a say G grade screen etc.
Happens with lots of things like Intel cpu chips for one.

 

[Geoff_S]

Samsung have a 10 year warranty on the compressors.

I only know this as our 6 year old Samsung fridge freezer has just packed up and that's what they told me.

However, in this instance it was the compressor overheating. I only know this as I paid £132 for an engineer to identify the problem. Insufficient ventilation apparently.

The fix was to switch it off for five minutes then back on, then press the top left and top right buttons on the control panel for 5 seconds. This performs an error check and if all is well it starts again.

The second bit was to provide additional ventilation in the kick boards in each of the side cupboards.

 

[clogs]

Geoff_S
all our fridge freezers have solid metal back panels and only one has the radiator type fins.....
I always put a block of wood at the back of mine just incase her indoors gets it out to clean under it.....
she even cleans the top of the cupboards and dont talk about the cooker, she takes that to bits.....hahaha....
Generall we buy the machine with the least programes in white goods and never buy a named brand anymore....
Been let down by Bosh and Phillips pretty badley.......
with our summer rental we cant afford a problem with anything, if it goes bad we just buy new....
plus we now keep a new washing machine in stock as they seem to die YOUNG.....
here there is a 3 year warranty as standard.....getting to claim it, I've no idea...
our stuff tends to last around 4-5 years and by then they aint worth fixing even if u can afford it....

 

[D_W]

Samsung have a 10 year warranty on the compressors.

I only know this as our 6 year old Samsung fridge freezer has just packed up and that's what they told me.

However, in this instance it was the compressor overheating. I only know this as I paid £132 for an engineer to identify the problem. Insufficient ventilation apparently.

The fix was to switch it off for five minutes then back on, then press the top left and top right buttons on the control panel for 5 seconds. This performs an error check and if all is well it starts again.

The second bit was to provide additional ventilation in the kick boards in each of the side cupboards.

If they decided that ventilation was lacking, do you get warranty coverage on the compressor?

Over here in the states, generally the more plain an appliance is, the better the longevity.

There are a lot of $3k fridge/freezer combinations that don't outlast the stuff selling for 1/3rd.

Fridge freezer here bit the dust two years ago at 14 years old (old style top freezer where the freezer is the source of the cold and there is a drip tube, and the fridge is "fueled" with cold air from above. When the drip tube either freezes or fills with scale, the condensation comes down into the fridge instead and the only potential reasonable fix is to leave the thing unplugged for a day or so and see if it's frozen bits or if it's something more permanent like scale. In my case, it was scale.

Delivery guy said "well, this is an old one - we don't see many of these".

Really, at 14 years old, it's that uncommon?

My mother has had two fridges. Not sure what triggered the purchase of the second - longevity was assumed on the older fridges and chest freezers, and their energy consumption was what did them in.

We've got an 8 cubic foot (chest) freezer in the basement that hardly uses electricity, and it is also about 14 or 15 years old. it was all of $150. I guess the garbage man will be telling us how old it was when it gives up the ghost.

The turnover of appliances vs. what it was 30 years ago is really obnoxious. On the third dishwasher, too - first one came with the house, and the second one was a giant pile of leaks within 6 years and I was too lazy to see if it was fixable when redoing the kitchen. Newer dishwasher doesn't want to retain its front seal, is 4 years old now and rather than fight it buying new seals or constantly stuffing them back in, I cemented the back side of the seal in place and I guess the life of the front side will define the life of the dishwasher.

 

[Richard_C]

do I attempt to fix it with the chance of it going again or just buy new

I understand your dilemma. I am convinced that repair pricing, parts, call out etc is designed to ensure that anything out of warranty gets replaced - it matters not whether it is an appliance, camera, phone, lawnmower, we end up throwing stuff away for want of a simple part becasue the part costs about 50% of a whole new replacement.

I fix things if its simple, if not I end up replacing knowing that it is really a wasteful. A few years back we had a washer drier pack up just out of warranty - we did get a repair person to come, electronic controller which is what I thought it was. That would have cost a big lot to replace - about half the cost of new - so I bought new. The amount of good stuff - bearings, heater, valves etc. that ended up at the local tip/recycle was amazingly wasteful. But, the manufacturer had chosen to price an easily swapped part such that buying new was the rational choice. I have diy fixed a sloppy door on my cooker, will do for a year or few, new springs would cost me £200 for a £350 cooker - they obviously want me to buty a new one, not fix the old one.

Share prices are based on analysts views and analysts look at sales volumes - no incentive to make repairs affordable.

GGRRRRRRRR. Rant over.

Our neighbour had a kitchen makeover, big american fridge freezer. Then he had a new back door - door a bit smaller, frame a bit fatter. Fridge freezer packed up after 4 years, ordered a new one, handily I was around the day it came so I could take the door and frame off otherwise he would have had to walk past his old dead one a few times a day and go outdoors to use the new one. . Had he been able to get it square on it would have gone through but the kitchen is narrow at that point. They really are big awkward things perhaps not suited to many UK homes. I prefer "separates".

 

[pgrbff]

I have always bought Liebher. I'm 60 and I have had 2. I bought the second because I left the first in the house when I sold it.

 

[NewbieRaf]

Thank you all so much. I couldn’t resist and bought a Lieber. Expensive but the independent dealer was so good that we agreed at this price point if anything happens it becomes his problem. I bought a side by side which is two independent units should one die. I am partial to things that are made i Germany and yes I did look and confirmed.

 

[hawkeyefxr]

Hey All

As the title suggests I just can’t decide. We year old Samsung, compressor has already been fixed once within the first couple of years and now fridge is working - ish but no freezer. The call out cost will be 120 and I reckon that part will be another 100 or so. I can’t decide, do I attempt to fix it with the chance of it going again or just buy new. If I buy new I’m between Bosch and Samsung. Any recommendations?

Thanks

As others have said, we have had two now in about 20 years, maybe more and they have been great.
Do you have insurance for your appliances?
Depends what's gone pop really, the one big thi g is the compressor as it does both fridge and freezer cooling. If the fridge is working-ish as you say it could be that it has a gas leak though I would expect that all the gas would escape after 24hrs.
Then there the electronics and I don't have a clue on those, refrigeration yes as I was an A/C eng when I was working.
If the gas has escaped the compressor could be damaged as well, don't know if they have an L/P, low pressure switch to protect the compressor.
Bit late for this but I would look at alliance insurance, it has saved us in the past. 1 fridge (not Smsung) 2 dishwashers and a washing machine all replaced within 3 days and the old ones carted off.

 

[Suffolk Brian]

Hey All

As the title suggests I just can’t decide. We year old Samsung, compressor has already been fixed once within the first couple of years and now fridge is working - ish but no freezer. The call out cost will be 120 and I reckon that part will be another 100 or so. I can’t decide, do I attempt to fix it with the chance of it going again or just buy new. If I buy new I’m between Bosch and Samsung. Any recommendations?

Thanks

My grandson had two Samsung American style fridge freezers, the second was a warranty replacement that also failed in less than a year. Newer ones may be OK, different gas and all that, but………….

 

[Chris70]

We rate Miele. They're not cheap, but their service is good. I was surprised to learn that they're a family concern. I don't know your location (how does one find out on this forum, short of asking the guy) but we found out Miele have a factory outlet in Abingdon, Oxfordshire where you can get bargains. Here's a link Miele Outlet, Abingdon

I hope this is of interest to some.

 

[Lefley]

Nice thank you. I’m tempted as I am partial to a bit of DIY. We have a cheapo chest freezer on the way today to tide us over. That’s 200 quid already gone but we have a 3 year old so it’s a must. I don’t know if I have the time with a day job to tinker. By the time I call someone out I’ll be 500 worse off inc the chest freezer. Hence why I’m thinking just go new and get an extended warranty

Fix for a big of money then sell to recoup repair and more and buy new with extended warranty.

 

[Stuart Moffat]

Fridges and freezers used to be very very simple. A compressor, thermostat and the only bit of electronics was a pot to set your chosen temperature. If there was a light inside, the bulb was the most likely thing to fail. Dishwashers can be nearly as simple. They used to have ”clockwork“ controls. Would last for many years. Washing machines for the same reasons would last as long with the proviso that you knew how to change the brushes every few year. I’ve still got and still use the only microwave I ve ever owned… from the very early days of microwaves. Needless, poor quality electronics is the reason a lot of home repairing doesn’t happen.

 

[Lefley]

I just installed a Miele dishwasher and Bosch combo convection micro wave oven and stove and a flat top burner set. All wifi so you can turn on and off from your car!!!!!!! And a fridge with a tv. Tel me nothing is going to go wrong with those with kids slamming the doors for a few years!

 

[mikej460]

I've recently read somewhere that American Fridge Freezers are one of the worst for energy efficiency.