How old is your refrigerator?

Yipsy

Our refrigerator is nearing end of life. Fan emitting high pitch squeal that is very unpleasant and also a smell of presumably freon or some lubricant.

It probably has hours to days left.

Surprised learning a rerigerator's average lifespan is 12 years.

Ours will turn 19 in a few months. The LG has been very reliable. No repairs but the waterline inside the fridge started leaking years ago prompting us to use another filtered water solution.

There's a fridge in our family that is over 30 years old. One of the old school white ones most of grew up with.

I find it hard to believe people's refrigerators only last 12 years these days. It is true that they don't make them like they used to. A strange feeling knowing the new refrigerator will be the last one I ever purchase unless there are major issues.

How old is yours?

Bravopilot

Yipsy I have a Sub Zero 642 (no longer in production) in my house, was there when I bought the place in 2023. Since it is built into the wall, appears to be the original one. Works well, but I'd prefer more of the options of current fridges. Not sure if I will repair vs replace when it goes bad. The reputation on them is good. I just looked up the price and not one for the everyday family. Geez.

BTW, the Sub Zero is stainless steel and not magnetic. I like to use magnets on the fridge to hold all the clutter.

I put in a Samsung into my house in VA before I sold it when I remodeled the kitchen. Bought as scratch & dent from Lowes. Worked well.

[deleted]

About 4 years old Hisense from Lowe's. The last refrigerator was a Kenmore (Whirlpool) that my worked fine, but my wife hated it. 1/2 of the battle with refrigerator shopping if finding something that fits. We all know what the other 1/2 is.

KCee

I think ours is 9-10 years old. Just recently the ice maker is starting to give us trouble (the ice is slightly melting, sticking together and clogging the chute). The last fridge the ice maker and water dispenser died so I disconnected the water supply and we kept using the fridge. It was probably almost 20 years old when it was finally on it's last legs.

jsippy73

KCee
Replacement ice makers are cheap on ebay and exactly the same as OEM.

johnnydoom

29 years old (bought it the same week I moved into this house). Been expecting it to die for 10 years now as it makes a very loud clunk when the motor shuts off, but it still works as good as ever so far.

MartinD

I can't say for sure, as I'm still using the one that was in the house when I bought it, but it's at least 15 years old and still working reasonably well.

propman

Back in 2021 (in the middle of the supply issue), we needed to get a new frig. We went with a local appliance dealer. The salesperson who also does installs, when asked brand which is most dependable, flat out tells us they are all pretty much garbage. He points out that LG and esp. Samsung are special garbage.

bigshank

propman Samsung here about 12 years. Let’s just say not impressed. We’ve been using ice trays for probably the last nine years. Don’t even bother calling in issues. They don’t give a f&#k.

Yipsy

propman

I consider myself fortunate if that is the case. You never know when someone is telling you the truth, their truth, or lying.

I'm not a Samsung guy so I won't be buying anything from them. Would gladly buy another LG but I'm not brand loyal so who knows what I'll end up choosing meaning what the wife says.

Hisense is intriguing to me. Contemplated buying a new range from them a year ago but went with a different solution.

If it's left up to me (it won't be) I'd just buy a used refrigerator off a local sales site and save hundreds. Wife will want one that does things we don't need and will never use.

Heartening seeing people getting many more years than the 12 year average which I doubted to begin with. I think they tell you that so if you experience issues around that time frame you'll think that means you need a new one and go out and purchase one.

Going to spray some WD-40 on the freezer side fan and if the noise goes away maybe I'll get lucky like johnnydoom and get several more years out of her. Wife wants a french door with freezer at bottom. I don't like that setup but who cares what I like?

Yipsy

propman

Was that sales/install person one of those who hates anything that isn't American? LG and Samsung are foreign companies. Maybe less of a commission on LG and Samsung?

I wanted to see what was said online as to the most reliable refrigerator brand.

Par4QC

Yipsy Hisense is intriguing to me.

Several years ago our hotels all 'had to' go with Hisense TVs.
Pure f'n garbage. Troubles with nearly every one and they just had to be shitcanned, no fixing them.

Since then, I'd not pay $.25 for anything with that brand name on it.
Sorry. jmo

professor

Maytag - Spring 2017. Purposefully bought one without ice-maker. The previous two both had issues with leaky waterlines and broken ice-makers. I can manage to fill ice trays. It ain't hard. And, I use "good water" for 'rocks' in the warmer months for some sorts of beverages imported from a country in Great Britain.

Yipsy

Par4QC

I appreciate your advice. The aeshetics of Hisense appeal to me. That is the best reason to buy anything. 🤨 I kind of want to buy one now because I don't want to know that the next fridge purchase will be my last.

Spartan

The one currently in our kitchen is a Samsung that's almost 13 years old. I'm not impressed with it but it still works. The one that was in our kitchen is in our basement. I think it's a GE that's over 40 years old.

KCee

Yipsy FWIW I bought a Hisense TV 3 years ago and I wouldn't say it's garbage, but it's been a bit disappointing and I wouldn't buy another. It's the only Hisense thing I own so sample of 1, but just my $.02

Par4QC

Yipsy Forgot to mention we also 'had to' have their cube fridges in every room.
Also garbage that ended in dumpsters(recycle).
Imagine how many that entailed when ALL Holiday Inns had to have the TVs & fridges!! 😲'twas a corporate doings.

Hoping everyone understands that those old fridges/freezers use a ton more energy than the newer.
But, probably why the new stuff shits the bed so fast.

propman

Yipsy don't have answers to your questions. Just found it refreshing not to be given the salesman bs.
Hisense tvs-have 2 of them. Somewhat new-no issues. Have no wishful thoughts of them lasting more than 4-5 yrs. Tvs are not made to last long no matter who the mfg is. Why spend a boatload of money on them?

Yipsy

KCee

Sorry your TV hasn't worked out. I've never liked mine purchased about 8 years ago. Glad to hear more opinions on Hisense. I own nothing from them and I probably won't after reading this little bit of info. I was never confident in their brand. Only knew they were much less expensive and rated highly enough and nice to look at. Sad thing about reviews they are all usually made when the product is new not years down the road.

Needs to be a site with reviews that only allows reviews years later. That's a site I would visit but it would be bought and paid for like any review site so useless in the end.

Yipsy

Par4QC

Less energy efficient equals better reliability?

KCee

Yipsy It's not a bad tv especially given the price, but honestly we have some TCL tvs that were super cheap and I was hoping the Hisense would be a lot better and it's not.

We had 2 Sharp tvs for many years that were awesome. The older one finally died and the Hisense replaced it, but my daughter still uses the other one although she's young and watches stuff on her phone more than on tv. I've read the Sharp tvs are not what they once were though so I bought the Hisense after doing some research.

Par4QC

Yipsy

It's the way the U.S. has been told to operate.
(ex.)...10 speed automatic transmissions vs. 3-4 speed auto.....tell me which lasts longer.

Not a lot produced today will be around in 10-15 years. But you'll still find plenty of old fridges in garages/basements from 2000, but not many from 2025.
Vehicles and many other items will be the same.
It's already that way. Pay attention dammit.😄

Typhoon

The garage fridge is from 2001. We put it down there a couple years ago when we remodeled the upstairs. Old school Whirlpool with a top freezer.

Yipsy

KCee

Do you feel you were misled by your research as in fake reviews kind of thing?

I've never purchased the same brand of TV for the living room. I guess I wasn't impressed with any of them.

KCee

Yipsy Do you feel you were misled by your research as in fake reviews kind of thing?

Yeah I am pretty careful about sorting through reviews as I know many can be false. Many times you can tell when there are a lot of great reviews, but the most recent reviews aren't very good. The Hisense had excellent reviews at multiple places.

Sometimes you just don't get the best version of a product. Many years ago my wife had a Nissan Maxima that was rated as a fantastic car. It was basically a lemon; good thing she leased it. I own a 9 year old BMW I bought used and (knock on wood) have never had an issue with it. Best most reliable car I have ever owned and we've had Toyota, Honda, Subaru. Go figure.