Paranoia Shopping

[billroper]

Our current refrigerator is a bit over 16 years old. To some extent, this puts it in the category of accident waiting to happen. Not that there's anything wrong with the refrigerator -- it just means that I want to shop for a new one so I know what to do should the refrigerator break.

The problem is that this is one of the last "nice" side-by-side refrigerators that you could buy without an ice and water dispenser in the door. (It's a GE Profile model.) The fridge has to be a side-by-side, because otherwise the doors are blocked by the island. daisy_knotwise does not really want an ice and water dispenser, but the marketplace is saying something else. And the space isn't yet plumbed for water, but adding one coming up from the basement shouldn't be too difficult. (H.H. Gregg said they could do it for $100, which seems entirely reasonable.)

But there's that ice and water dispenser problem. An ice and water dispenser takes up almost all of the space in the top of the freezer, which is really annoying when what you really wanted was, well, a freezer. Grumble.

However, there appear to be two companies that are making refrigerators where the ice maker is in the door instead of the freezer compartment proper: Whirlpool (in their Gold line) and Samsung (some models). And I've been looking at the roughly 26 cubic foot refrigerators and saying to myself, "This looks small compared to the existing fridge."

Apparently, it is. There's a roughly 30 cubic foot Samsung. I haven't measured, but I bet it's the same size as our current (huge) fridge. Cool. (Or at least, one would hope...)

And it's on sale!

Oops. Well, not exactly. The stainless steel model that we do not want, because all of our appliances are white, is on sale. The white model is $300 more.

*sigh*

Fortunately, our refrigerator is still working.

Tick, tick, tick...

Comments

[spiritdancer]

We ended up with a french-door top/freezer drawer bottom the last time we shopped, due to the ice maker problem. With this setup, we've got decent freezer space unobstructed by the icemaker (it's in the top left corner of the fridge). I don't know how the doors would interact with your island, tho' - they are a tad bit wider than the usual side by side, IIRC? Definately measure carefully first :)

[jennlk]

Yeah, I'm starting to do the "look now so I know what's out there" thing too. The fridge was new with the house in 1995, so it's just a matter of time (I've already got it budgeted). Fortunately, I have enough room between the fridge and the island that I don't need to get a side-by-side, thus avoiding the whole ice/water dispenser issue. (and a huge upright freezer in the basement, so the size of the kitchen freezer isn't so critical.)

[grey-lady.livejournal.com]

On our last trip to the USA we took a trip through the refrigerator section of one of the bigger chains, looking longingly at *any* of the US-sized fridge-freezer combos.

But we'd have to buy it on this side of the ocean, pay the extra money for it, and that's after completely re-doing the kitchen so it would *fit*. :-)

Good luck.

[starmalachite.livejournal.com]

Our major appliances all came with the house nearly 10 years ago, so ages are unknown. The refrigerator seems fine so far. The washer though, is clearly at least 15 to 20 years old & I actually hope it craps out soon. We've always had issues with dirt redepositing on clothes & now it occasionally shuts off in the middle of a cycle for no bloody reason -- it seems to be a computer chip issue.

I'm about the least domestically inclined person imaginable, but I find myself checking out models in stores Just In Case.

[catsittingstill.livejournal.com]

I suppose it isn't possible to just have the icemaker taken out so you can use the space inside the fridge?

[joecoustic.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I went through a similar problem when shopping around for my new refrigerator a couple of months ago. It is so hard to find any models that don't come with ice makers and water dispensers, especially side by sides! Good luck in your search maybe timing with sales and all will work out in your favor when finally needed. But it's good your starting your research now so you know what to keep an eye on. :)

[rono-60103.livejournal.com]

We've had one of the Samsung models with the ice maker in the door since just before we moved into our house in 2010. I am almost positive that there is clearly more room in the freezer than we had in the GE in Bartlett (or the ??? in the rental house, where the ice maker part was broken).

As far as plumbing for water, when we got the fridge with the ice-maker/water dispenser for the house in Bartlett (2005?), I was able to run the water line with next to no problem. That house as only a crawl space under the level with the kitchen (split level) so it was just a matter of putting a saddle T on the cold water pipe and drilling a hole in the floor. An unfinished basement - or one with a drop celling should provide similar access.

When we remodeled the kitchen a year or so later, the contractor reused the saddle T (and possibly the coper tube pipe) to run the water to the new location.

[entropy12.livejournal.com]

This is what white spray paint is for.

[whl.livejournal.com]

An issue with stainless steel...

When the company I was at most recently moved to their new space, we had a different dishwasher. And I discovered the clean/dirty indicator we had been using, abandoned in a drawer.

Why?

"Refrigerator" magnets don't work on stainless steel appliances...

[judifilksign.livejournal.com]

Sears had some side-by-side, no ice maker models this past fall when I went fridge shopping. But they were $300 - $500 dollars more than equivalent cubic sized models with the dispensers.

[starmalachite.livejournal.com]

One thing to consider: if your household normally keeps a pitcher or jug of cold water in the fridge, an ice & water dispenser may well take up no more -- or even less -- room.

Our fridge doesn't have one, & in order to use less space than a jug, I fill a couple of sport bottles with water; they can even fit in the door at need.

I'd actually love ice & water on tap, but our house is on a slab & the sink is 3/4 around the room away from the fridge. Piping that would be possible, but complex.

[kizoku42.livejournal.com]

So far, I've been able to repair my refrigerator cheaply each time it's failed. One compressor and two or three adjustments. The Time-Life manuals were the best investment we ever made. Oh, and one new door seal.