adventures in refrigeration

[Angelasfliver]

When we moved into our current home in 2003, we purchased a fully stocked refrigerator. We purchased a freezer that had more than enough space to meet our needs, as both boys were still living at home, and the layout of the house made it easier to access the freezer. Thus, the idea of a large space in the refrigerator and the energy efficiency of an appliance that should maintain only one temperature was attractive.

We found one made by Woods, with a room volume of about 13-plus cubic feet inside. He has served us well for 17 years, without any problems. The seal on the door began to move away, which did not bother me, but my wife is one of those who prefers to just buy a new one, rather than trying to purchase and install a new seal. So, we looked for another refrigerator of the same type. Unfortunately, during this time the Woods company went bankrupt, so we couldn't just take another one of the same model. We found another refrigerator made in Canada (to the extent that something can be "made" in Canada), which seemed to us quite decent in terms of technical characteristics. It was a little more expensive than the original, but eighteen years have passed since then. I will not mention the brand, because ours may turn out to be a complete anomaly.
My wife purchased an extended 5-year warranty. Not something I would do - especially considering that the previous refrigerator lasted much longer than 5 years without any problems - but she's a careful person, and since it was her money, I didn't mind.
After about 6-8 months, the refrigerator began to freeze. The products in the fruit and vegetable containers would freeze, decompose and spoil. We had to throw a lot away. I had to regularly disassemble the bottom of the refrigerator and melt the ice with a hair dryer. We took advantage of the warranty, and a repairman came who diagnosed a problem with a digital control panel that regulates the temperature, allows you to set the temperature in degrees C or F and perform some other actions. Excellent. Some time later, a guy came and replaced the digital control board. It was in the early autumn of last year.

The refrigerator continued to be covered with ice, so we called the customer service again. The repairman explained to me that due to the fact that I did not close the refrigerator element with a lid (I left it open to facilitate access to the hair dryer), the refrigerator could not cope with the ability to remove moisture. Good. The lid is put back on. It takes longer to re-freeze in the refrigerator, but freezing occurs.
We are making another call to the support service. The guy says that the sensor (which is at the bottom, where the ice is, and not at the top, where the control panel is) gives erroneous information to the control panel, and we need a new sensor. Good. Time passes, and another repairman comes with... a new control panel, which, of course, is not a problem. I see one faulty control panel, but two in a row is unlikely. The ice continues. Another call to the support service, and a guy with a sensor arrives... or with what he was told was a sensor. Oops, wrong part. He curses the manufacturer, saying that, in his opinion, they provide little information, and ordering spare parts for their products is a kind of dice game.


So, now we have been doing maintenance for a year, in total about 6 or 7 calls, the last 3 are from the same guy. He comes with what he thinks is the right part, and discovers that because of the refrigerator's design, it can be dismantled. "Can't you just connect a few wires?" I ask. No, obviously, the part must be supplied through some kind of sealed channel. He says that the refrigerator is beyond repair, and returns to his truck. A few minutes later, after what I think is a phone call that customers and anyone under the age of 18 should not hear, he knocks on the door and informs me that the refrigerator is physically beyond repair, and we should get a response from the company in a few days.


Today, my wife received an email informing her that within the next 4 weeks she will be issued a receipt for the purchase amount of the refrigerator, and from that moment our service contract also ends.


So, our friend has to scour the web in search of refrigerators and turn on the hair dryer every few weeks until we buy a new one. I hate doing this kind of nonsense. One might think that such a large device with chemicals that should not get into the atmosphere should be designed so that it can be repaired. Obviously not.

[Fistargine]

I was extremely lucky to find a stove, tried every appliance store in BC and AB, ended up spending much more than originally budgeted.

[Ungliovert]

Wow, what a rollercoaster of a fridge story you've got there. It's such a shame when appliances don't live up to our expectations, especially after years of faithful service from your previous fridge. If you're looking to get your current fridge repaired, you could give authorized Bosch repair services a shot. They might have the expertise to tackle the issues you're facing. Here's a link you can check out: https://fixappliances.ca/bosch-appliance-repair/. It's always worth exploring repair options before jumping into a new purchase. I totally understand your frustration with the lack of repairability in appliances nowadays. It's disappointing that something as important as a fridge isn't designed to be easily fixed.

[malanibrahim]

Man, I totally get your frustration with the whole refrigerator saga. It's crazy how appliances these days seem to have a shorter lifespan. We had a Woods fridge that was a champ for 17 years, and then when it started acting up, it turned into a never-ending cycle of repairs. First, it was freezing everything; then the control panel issues; and don't get me started on that sensor mishap. It's like they made it impossible to fix without a PhD in appliance repair. If you need some help with appliance services, you might want to check out musiccityappliance.services. They could come in handy down the road.