Another Expensive Day...

[Jim Frye]

Two weeks ago our ten year old refrigerator had a literal meltdown. The defrost cycle kicked in, but the compressor would not shut off so the two functions had an uncontrolled competition to see which one would win. The outside of the freezer compartment hit 110 degrees F by my Ryobi ifrared theremometer. That episode begat a new $2,100 fridge for the kitchen.

Yesterday our seven year old 32" direct view TV blew out it's audio circuits, so today generated a $1,500 HDTV and associated cables and cable system converter box. I just finished the set up of that system.

I hope things don't come in threes as the ole' pension check can't handle another big expense this month.

[MilDoc]

10 year old fridge? 7 year old TV?

Please, tell the brand names so I know what to avoid.

[crokett]

In this day a 10yr old Fridge is a pretty good one.

[cgallery]

In this day a 10yr old Fridge is a pretty good one.

Thanks for jinxing me.

[LinuxRandal]

In this day a 10yr old Fridge is a pretty good one.

Thanks for jinxing me.

Also close to jinxing me x5 by that method.

[LCHIEN]

At least Jim, you upgraded your TV for that amount. Last December I finally succumbed and bought a 52" plasma to replace the old Toshiba 32" CRT. The CRT was OK but there's really no comparison when you have good source material. You should be pleased with the picture.

And at least you got a new Fridge and TV out of it.

Now expensive would be when I decided to upgrade the plumbing on my AC evaporator drain. I turned the fitting with a wrench, but did not support the pipe where it came out of the Evaporator. Well, it was old and rusty and maybe it didn't have that much life left but I managed to crack the pan on a Saturday morning in Houston in the Summer and it cost me $1600 to have the evaporator replaced on an emergency weekend service deal- as it was he couldn't get the parts and had to come back monday so we were without A/C in Houston for two full days -

[cabinetman]

Now expensive would be when I decided to upgrade the plumbing on my AC evaporator drain. I turned the fitting with a wrench, but did not support the pipe where it came out of the Evaporator. Well, it was old and rusty and maybe it didn't have that much life left but I managed to crack the pan on a Saturday morning in Houston in the Summer and it cost me $1600 to have the evaporator replaced on an emergency weekend service deal- as it was he couldn't get the parts and had to come back monday so we were without A/C in Houston for two full days -

You could have saved a buncha money and two days of agony by first doing a simple internet search on the procedure.
.

[Jim Frye]

10 year old fridge? 7 year old TV?

Please, tell the brand names so I know what to avoid.

The fridge was a Maytag. It was the noisest appliance we have ever had. When it would go into defrost, it sounded like an arc welder with all sorts of arching sounds. The compressor was noisy from day one. In the end, not only were the control circuits hosed, but the unit would not cool properly even when set on max.

The TV was a Phillips. Not a single problem with it until the audio circuit went. It may have been fixable, but I wasn't willing to sink even a couple of hundred dollars into it.

[Jim Frye]

Fridge Life...

In this day a 10yr old Fridge is a pretty good one.

If ten years is good, then the 25 year old GE in the basement is one of the best things man has made! When it was 15 years old, my wife feared it would fail full of groceries, so we bought the Maytag to replace it and put the old GE in the basement for drinks. Well, ten years later the Maytag is toast and the GE is still chugging along. Of course it is now full to the brim with frozen stuff and the refrigerator section is chock full of liquid refreshment. Seems normal to me!

[pelligrini]

Did you put your new stuff on surge protectors Jim?
A service tech pointed out to me when he was replacing the defrost timer on an old fridge "You know, I see more folks put high end surge protectors on $700 computers but they'll leave their $2000 fridge or big screen wide open. Keeps me workin'."

[JoeyGee]

My FOUR YEAR OLD Samsung TV just went out. Well, not compeletely, it just shuts itself off after an hour or so. I think it's a power supply, and the cost for the part makes it just not worth fixing.

Hey, maybe there is some crazy electronic pulse going through Toledo or something...

[pelligrini]

It might be a heat issue. I've got a Kenwood reciever surround sound thingy that would sometimes produce some really loud terrible noises after being on for a few hours, but I noticed it didn't do it in the winter. I put a couple low RPM computer fans ontop and it hasn't made those noises since.

[cwsmith]

Sorry to hear of your expenses Jim. Hope you've had enough appliance failures for the time being.

Stuff doesn't seem to last quite as long as it used to. I do think electronics are better though and I am surprised that your TV went on the fritz.

We still have our 1970 Kenmore Refrigerator here at the house in Painted Post. We replace a thermostat switch about 10 years ago, but that's been the only repair in all those years.

For those who might wonder, Yes, it's been our primary refrigerator all those years. About 15 years ago my wife wanted a new frig and we went out and bought a nice looking GE "side-by-side" unit. $1800 or so at the time. It was in our house only three days, as it was so noisey you could stand out in the driveway and hear it running. Both the retailer and GE gave us a hard time over it, saying that was how things were! Our Kenmore is so quiet that you have to stand right next to it or open the door to make sure it's running.

TV's on the other hand don't seem nearly as reliable. My first didn't last more than a three years. The latest is now about seven years old. It runs much cooler so I'm expecting it to last for awhile more, but still, the newer technologies: flat screen, HD, etc. are certainly far more attractive. I still have, and use almost everyday, the old Technics Receiver and tape deck that we gave our son when he was in Jr. High. He's long since upgraded several times and gave me that first system. He'll be 40 in October... so I guess that was a good buy too.

CWS

[Jim Frye]

Surge Protection...

Did you put your new stuff on surge protectors Jim?
A service tech pointed out to me when he was replacing the defrost timer on an old fridge "You know, I see more folks put high end surge protectors on $700 computers but they'll leave their $2000 fridge or big screen wide open. Keeps me workin'."

Yep, our computer and cable line are on an APS battery backup/surge protector unit. The entire entertainment center is on a big surge protector. The new french door fridge is on a surge protector also. Oddly enough, Motorola told me to remove our old cordless phone/answering system from the surge protector as it caused problems with their electronics. Haven't had a phone on one since.

[MilDoc]

My last fridge lasted 21 years. I am still watching a 46" TV that is 21 years old (yeah, not HDTV, but with my vision I don't care much).