Mine is just a couple of months over  8 years old.  It's just a plain vanila GE over/under style.  It's been acting a little flaky for a while.  I was just wondering should I be planning to replace it soon?

Paging Dr. Fridge, you are needed in GD

You might try cleaning off the coils in the back and underneath of it.

A friend of mine just got rid of a Fridgadaire that was from the 50's.

Quoted: Paging Dr. Fridge, you are needed in GD

mrs here
tagging it so he will see it when he checks his active topics later.........

I always hear to replace it if it's over 8 years old

My parents have a reefer in the garage that we've had since... shit... 1980?   It's still going.  

My Jenn-Air is 15 years old and is still working great. I did have to replace the ice maker about four years ago.

If you have the funds to replace it, do it. Nicer fridges have came in 8 years. If your on a budget fix it.

My dad has one thats running fine that he bought in 1964.  

Just my opinion since I used to work with appliances.

Do business with a small local company that will come troubleshoot your fridge and if it needs fixed they can fix it, but if it is beyond repair - make sure they will roll the service call into the cost of a new fridge. Small places like that usually will, and they will take away your old fridge for next to nothing.


We called GE's Garbage Electric. But they are pretty easy to fix. But what exactly does a litle flaky mean? Is the compressor running constantly? Do you hear a certain noise? Is it not cold enough? Too cold?

They can last a LONG time.....

Quoted: Mine is just a couple of months over  8 years old.  It's just a plain vanila GE over/under style.  It's been acting a little flaky for a while.  I was just wondering should I be planning to replace it soon?

AVerage age for a freesstanding refrig is 12 years. Depending on the problem. GE has been known to have compressor problems and you have to bitch and scream and MAYBE they will do something for you. Oh and it was the units built 8 years ago that they had the compressor problem.

If you have a bad defrost timer, heater, bi metal or condenser fan motor is out... then fix it, if it is a sealed system problem... toss it. Repairing a sealed system  problem on a freestanding refrig is just not worth it these days.

(Sealed System... any component that carries refrigerant.. Compressor, evaporator, condenser and connecting tubing)

If you are gonna replace it, get a Whirlpool, Kenmore (106. series 'built by Whirlpool') Amana or Kitchen Aid... Oh and I must say that I have been quite impressed with the NEW Frigidaires that are out there. The ones built by Electrolux... YES the vacuum cleaner company. 4xys2xxs has one and it is a cool unit. I was impressed. And this coming from a technician who works on "Sub-Zero refrigerators" 99% of the time.

Call GE Direct (1-800-GE CARES) and have them come out. parts for GE are less expensive if you go direct through them. In my journeys I can tell you that they DO NOT give us a price break on the price so when we mark up our prices we are more expensive than GE. They sell the consumer the part for the same (or even is some cases... (Proof upon request) less than what they sell to the independant servicers)

And if they condemn the sealed system, GO AFTER THEM! if  it is a compressor, ask if it is the ROTARY or RECIPROCATING compressor. If it is the ROTARY, GET ON THEM... they had some serious issues with them. Hope that helps.

10 years or so.  My grandparents had one from the early 50's that was still chugging along out on their back porch until 1995 or so...

Thanks for all the answers.  Most of my problems are with the icemaker.  It's been slowing down on making ice, and then this weekend it somehow got stuck open and  filled the bottom of my freezer with water before it drained out the back down to my basement.  Now it won't make ice or if it does it's really small cubes.  In addition, the compressor wouldn't kick on earlier until I switched if off the power save setting (inside the fridge).  Seems to be running fine now, but we aren't putting anything too expensive into it at the moment.

I have a 52 year old Frigidaire out in the garage, damn thing keeps the Diet coke really cold

Grandparents have a fridge from when they first moved to the US.... something like 30 years..... They bought a new one.... which went into the garage. The old one's still in the kitchen.

Refrigerators have gotten ***MUCH*** more energy-efficient over the past decade. The electricity savings alone would probably pay for a new fridge – not to mention the savings on repair bills.

Quoted: I have a 52 year old Frigidaire out in the garage, damn thing keeps the Diet coke really cold

Look at the nameplate on the door. Does it have the General Motors insignia on it? those were TANKS!!

Quoted: Quoted: I have a 52 year old Frigidaire out in the garage, damn thing keeps the Diet coke really cold Look at the nameplate on the door. Does it have the General Motors insignia on it? those were TANKS!!

It has a Chrome plate on the door in this configuration:

F Frigidaire Made only By General Motors

A decent refrigerator should last at least 20 years, I replaced my old Whirlpool a couple of years ago, the old one was almost 30 years old!  Bought a new Whirlpool refrigerator to replace it.

The old Frigidaires were pretty good, that company went out of business about 20 yrs ago, the current Frigidaire is a new company that bought the rights to the name, quality is definitely not what it used to be.    

Quoted: Refrigerators have gotten ***MUCH*** more energy-efficient over the past decade. The electricity savings alone would probably pay for a new fridge – not to mention the savings on repair bills.

True.  I'm not sure most people will be able to include this in their buying decision.  It's too logical.

It better last until all the beer is gone.

Speaking from a very unpleasant experience.  If it is the back-up fridge/freezer used for long term storage in the garage.  Check it about once a week, them damn little red lights on the front stay on and the motor hums while the "frozen" turkey  turns into a leaky smelly bag of noxious goo.  

About 1951, my folks bought a GE Refrigerating Machine (that's what the name tag on the back said).  In '56, we and the fridge were transfered to the Nancy (France) Ordinance Depot where the GE ran off a convertor for three years.  Then, we were transfered back to the states.  It ran at that location until '78 when it was moved again.  In '80, it was moved again.  We sold it for $50 that year.  It was still running just fine.  Oh, it's bad to move a fridge, at least that what people were told in the old days.  The old GE enduring two transAtlantic voyages, thousands of miles of freight trucking, getting yanked open probably 10,000 times (the door handle never broke), and probably 100,000 compressor cycles.

We replaced it with a Kenmore in '80.  During the divorce proceedings, I gave that one away in September '04.

A good fridge can run a very long time.  BUT, the new fridges are much more energy efficient.  

Remember, it's always a good idea to buy quality when making a large purchase.

BTW, there used to be a brand called "Leonard."  It was made by American Motors.