Used to replace every fridge compressor that died. Now I only do the ones that make financial sense.

Took me 5 years to realize I was wasting time on 15 year old fridges that cost more to fix than replace. Last month a guy in Toledo wanted me to swap a compressor on a 2008 Whirlpool and I talked him into a new unit instead. Anyone else have a cutoff age for repairs?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_spencer28d ago

The 2008 Whirlpool is a good example. I drew my line at 10 years for anything with R134a refrigerant. After that point the rest of the machine is usually toast anyway. Had a guy last year with a 2010 GE that the compressor gave out on. I told him straight up the seals were likely dry rotted and the condenser coil was caked with dust. Doing the compressor would have just been putting a bandaid on a broken leg. Ended up getting a basic Frigidaire for $550 and it'll probably outlast the old one by a decade. Your experience with the Toledo guy sounds like the right call to me. People don't realize that new fridges are way more efficient so the savings on electricity can pay for the unit in a few years if you do the math.

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ward.mason28d ago

Wait, you're telling me a 2010 model had dry rotted seals? That's insane. I've got a buddy who's still running a 1999 Kenmore with R12 that the factory seals are original on. What kind of climate does that guy live in that cooked a 14 year old fridge that bad? Must have been sitting in a garage or a hot warehouse or something.