Monday, July 21, 2008

Refers


(Yes, that title if for Lori and g)
Have you ever noticed that refrigerators seem to last forever? I really think that very few refrigerators are ever disposed of because they aren’t operational. It is more of a trade-up for beauty or more space.

I think my mother is still using the same one she had when I was ten years old. I remember her getting the new one after the latch type handle broke on the one she had for 30 years previous to that. It was functional, but inconvenient.

I can only think of one refrigerator that was actually broken and beyond repair in my entire career of owning refrigerators. It had an un-findable Freon leak.

Since then I usually leave them behind in the houses I’ve sold, and buy homes without one. I did buy one when I moved out here and gave it to a friend when I upgraded to something larger with an ice maker when the population of my house grew by three.

I’m sure that old fridge is still humming away keeping things cool in its second home. It’s just amazing to see machines that outlast many of their owners.

12 Comments:

Blogger Beth said...

Appliance repair men are NOT supposed to fix/refill fridges that use freon here. (Some do...)

5:18 AM  
Blogger Frank said...

The 30ish year old fridge that came with our house caught fire while we were on vacation a few years ago. Luckily the fire and smoke were contained inside the fridge, so we didn't even notice anything was wrong until we opened it to find that the light didn't work, it was warm inside, it smelled *terrible* and everything that wasn't actually burnt was covered with a thin layer of greasy soot.

5:26 AM  
Blogger Me. Here. Right now. said...

Refrigerators and Ford Escorts - they go forever. And, the first thing I thought when I saw the title was, no, that's not reefers, it's refers. Close enough.

7:04 AM  
Blogger weese said...

that is our next appliance to upgrade. tho its more of a downgrade. we have a big side by side which i think cost us near a grand 15 years ago. now we are going to get a smaller, way more energy effecient top freezer for under 500.
it will suit us better.

11:57 AM  
Blogger Mike S said...

Since owning these apts I've seen a lotta them die, even my really nice 2yr old one. A few years back when I had to sell my Dad's house in town I found the original refer he had bought when they got married in 1934 behind a buncha stuff in the back section of his garage. Just on a whim I plugged it in and amazingly it still worked. I remember when they came to his place when I was on the farm and rewired it from 25hz to 60hz. It's now being used in my cousin's lake cottage.

12:58 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

my fridge leaks

7:04 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

We finally had to put our 1950's "refer" out of it's misery. It simply just wouldn't work anymore.

It quit about the same time the washing machine did so sears was good enough to haul the fridge and the washer away for me.

It is amazing how much better the newer energy star compliant appliances are.

8:05 PM  
Blogger The Guy Who Writes This said...

Beth, I haven't seen that down here, but then I have no leaks.

Frank, what caused it?

LOri, but you know how well I misspell so you can never be sure.

Weese, but the old one is working fine and will serve someone for another decade or two, right?

Mike, wired for 25 hz, now that is old.

Chantel, Freon? Light? Cold air? Condensation? Blood? Urine?

g, that's 50 years of service...just sayin...

5:52 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

it was my wife's grandmas. we inherited it after she passed and it went another 8 years. it was our secondary fridge that we kept the kids pop/beverages in.

7:44 PM  
Blogger Frank said...

Probably a short in or near the motor that circulated air between the freezer and fridge sections (it was a side-by-side). We didn't look too closely, but that's the area that was the most burned.

I was surprised, because I'd never heard of a fridge failing, and my folks still use the fridge that came with *their* house, one that was already old when they bought it 35 years ago. Maybe the newer ones are getting less reliable.

8:02 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

newer frigidaire's can be beat. Just try having your kids swing from the door handle a few zillion times.

you think you will replace/rehang that door your self and make it seal correctly? You will not!

I cant stay on topic very well here I admit but there is this movie MOSQUITO COAST from quite a few years ago that had Harrison Ford dragging his wife and kids down to some equatorial zone jungle so he could live off the grid. But he starts inventing all the comforts of home just from natural ingredients and even rigs up Central Cooling in his jungle hut!
I mean it was so cold you could literally sit on Ice Blocks in his living room.

I dunno how a guy would do that. I mean really. He did it all with river water and jungle tubing and palm fronds and no electricity.

And then of course it all burned down at the end when the local villagers revolted against the family.
I was more disappointed for the Air Conditioner. I thought that part was very cee oh ell ell

anybody else see that movie?

8:44 PM  
Blogger The Guy Who Writes This said...

g, I'm always amazed that people would have two of them. I was recently at a friends house and he had five freezers in his shop.

Frank, sometimes bad things happen to good machines.

CP, no, I was already too tired of Harrison Ford's pouty face after Star Wars to invest another 90 minutes in his career.

5:30 AM  

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