Whirlpool refrigerator saga

[electra225]

With respect for Rex's topic, I figured maybe you guys would be interested in an update on our busted refrigerator.

I came home last evening and the wife told me the fridge was kaput. The interior light worked, but the control panel was dead. We contacted Whirlpool, they advised to unplug the fridge, let it stand at least 60 seconds, re-connect power and observe. It came back up and is still working just fine. Whirlpool contacted us this afternoon to follow up on it. They suspect a power surge caused the computer to shut down the system to protect it. It is still working with no obvious signs of distress. They advise to keep an eye on it for the next few days. We got this thing in 2009 when we remodeled our house in Missouri. We hauled it out here when the GE that was in this house died. We got it on sale at Lowe's after the party who ordered it didn't want it when it came in. It is a Whirlpool Gold, top of the line, $3300 new. I think we paid something like $1250 for it, which I thought was plenty. My understanding is that the more upscale Whirlpool appliances have protection built in to keep from frying something. The little LED in the meat tray has been out for a couple years. I don't see a logical way to change it. You may have to buy the meat tray assembly in order to get that little bulb. I thought it was nice of Whirlpool to follow up with us. All we have ever had was Whirlpool appliances. We sold a genuine 1967 RCA Whirlpool refrigerator that we used in the garage, I had used in my business, and had been kicked and dragged around. Still worked just fine. It brought $85 at the auction. We got it used, didn't give much for it.

[Motorola minion]

I'm sorry to hear of this trouble. WP, Maytag are the only ones I would consider buying new.

Our 1996 WP with top freezer went to a dairy farm next door, I paid $500 originally. 24 years later, Lowes had a bottom freezer WP in white, scratched and reduced to $800. Wife wanted this, but not in silver/black/etc, mainly because so few in white to choose from.

Buy simple, not complex appliances with "boards" and "displays", which are potential failures that will burn you some day.

Of course the new one uses less electricity than the '96 , which probably means it will croak sooner .

[Firedome]

I'll buy only WP appliances (same as Maytag, Amana, Estate, and Jenn-Air, all of which have various prices and features), it's the only major US appliance maker left now that GE sold out to Haier (ugh!) and Frigidaire to Electrolux (who actually improved them from the previous crappy WCI versions (White Consolidated Industries) after GM sold it them). We buy BOL 20 cu ft top-freezer models, no ice maker. The fridge in VT was $500 in 2008 and the one in NY was $529 in 2015. Both top freezer minimalist models. Not one problem so far (knock on wood). We also buy BOL top-loader washers with old-school agitators, dryers, and d/ws. All have been most satisfactory. As Dave says, less is more, KISS and all that, engineering rule #1. H-Axis (front loader) washers are particularly trouble prone with drivetrains, as are piezo-electric ignitors on gas ranges, and IC chip control panels on ALL appliances. Go for rotary dials and mechanical switches when you can... not many of them left though!

[electra225]

I never understood why GM sold Frigidaire. Or Detroit Diesel Allison for that matter. My grandma used a Frigidaire refrigerator for all the time I can remember. I believe that old refrigerator went with the house when grandpa sold out after grandma died. It had the refrigeration coils on top of the cabinet. An old Bendix radio sat in front of the coils. I still have the radio. The refrigerator was little by nowdays standards. The ice cube trays had "Frigidaire" embossed in the handle. The top freezer was usually so iced up it was basically unusable. Grandma would unplug the refrigerator occasionally and let it thaw a bit.

[Firedome]

Yep you had to defrost those oldies periodically, usually by emptying the freezer and putting in pans off hot in them to sit a bit and mopping out the thawed frost. Too much frost acted as an insulator and reduced efficiency. Those old manual models will last dar near forever though Early no-defrost models were somewhat trouble prone, but are dependable now.

GM sold off their appliance division to WCI in '79, who kept the FD look outside but rapidly consolidated mechanicals with their acquired White-Westinghouse division (no longer the good Westy of old) and other crappy, now only badge-engineered brands like Kelvinator, Philco, Gibson and others. A shame as Frigidaire's 1-18 models of the'70s are acknowledged by washer aficianados as some of the best at actually washing clothes (imagine that) of all time, the unique vertical stroke Jet-Cone agitator has amazing turnover.

It was a very expensive mechanism to produce, however, WCI was a handy buyer, and GM also knew they had to make the biggest investment ever made by a US Corporation to downsize their entire model line and convert all of them to fwd (a huge mistake imo), so they began selling off non-core divisions, another mistake, imo, like Frigidaire and later to include AC Delco, Harrison, and on & on. in part to shed pension obligations as well as raise capital. They later compounded the error by all the dumb GM division consolidation and myriad stupid Roger Smith decisions, too many to enumerate.

We have a '74 Frigidaire WC-2 model 1-18 (1 to 18 lb capacity... that's big!) in the basement, with enough spare parts off a '78 model to keep it supplied hopefully, right next to the 6 yr old daily driver washer, a last US made Hotpoint (GE). and 1985 Whirlpool dryer (WP made the best dryers ever.) At camp we have a new WP washer/dryer vertical stacker to save space.

[William]

Over the last three years I have had to purchase 3 new appliances. The first to die was the dishwasher. It was a Kitchen Aid but it was produced after Whirlpool bought out Kitchen Aid. I can't complain, it came with the house and was 19 years old at that point. The failing part was the circuit board/computer things. Replacement price was three hundred bucks. Nope, not happening on a 19 year old appliance. I replace it with a Maytag dishwasher. Research told me that even though Maytag was bought out by Whirlpool the Maytag dishwasher was still being built to Maytag standards which is more heavy duty.

The next two appliances that I replaced were the washer and dryer. What were here, were Fisher/Paykel. Not really all that bad, and actually not much to either of them. By weight, they were both 100 pound weaklings. The were 12 years old when the washer failed. The electric water pump failed by leaking which caused a back short to the computer board frying it. To repair, and I was doing the labor, was 500 bucks just for the parts. Nope, not doing that either. Just because, and it was working fine, I replaced the dryer as well. The new washer and dryer are Speed Queen, which is the only other genuine American built appliance company left besides Whirlpool. And, by the way, the Speed Queen washer weighs in at around 250 and the dryer 160. There is some meat in these appliances.

Bill

[Firedome]

Yes Speed Queen by Alliance Laundry Systems in the US (WI I think) is the last other US washer/dryer maker, though they're not a major appliance producer really. They concentrate mostly on commercial laundry, but even the home machines are top quality built. The top-load models are most trouble free as usual. There's been a few complaints about their IC board controls since they dropped the mechanical dial/switch models 2 years ago, but nothing major as with some others (Bosch/Miehle come to mind... avoid like the plague!) Those are the most common failure modes for appliances in general. SQ are expensive though worth it if one wants the best washer/dryer. They never made other appliances, wish they did. A SQ dishwasher would be way cool.

I have a friend back in MD who has been a dealer and appliance repair station for most brands in the Wash DC area for over 50 years who's been my ultimate go-to for advice and info. He co-wrote the Time/Life Book of Appliance Repair back when books were a thing. Incredible knowledge base, and has a "warehouse-appliance museum of over 500 vintage machines, probably the biggest collection in the US. I go to him when seeking unobtanium parts.

[electra225]

Mom had an Easy washer that she used until she got tired of looking at it. One of the first automatic washers that came out, maybe early 1950's? She did all our diapers in that old washer, plus dad's overalls and the occasional combine canvas. She probably used it 50 years.

I have this recitation on a Jerry Clower album. One of my favorites. Appropriate for a refrigerator topic, "The Old Timey Icebox".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBntsQXhKyU

Jerry Clower talked exactly like my grandfather. Every time I hear Jerry Clower, I think of grandpa. Clower was from Mississippi, grandpa's dad's side of the family came from Louisiana. Not much difference.

[Firedome]

Easy machines are quite collectible, they were made right here in Syracuse NY, going way back. Later sold to Murray Corp then Hupp (maker of Hupp cars once) and stopped production in the '60s.

[electra225]

I have the motor off that old Easy washer powering a homebuilt fan. It's a 1/2 horse, capacitor start Baldor. It may not be the original. I didn't know Baldor made washing machine motors. It looks period, not really more modern than the washer. Do you know who made the factory motors for Easy machines? This motor has a 56 frame with a resilient mount.

[William]

My Grandparents, Mom's parents, had an Easy washer that sat in the corner if the laundry room in the basement from the time I can remember. It had a copper tub, and the agitator had metal suction cup type things. It looked like it would work like a modern Frigidaire washer. Up and down as it moved around. It had a wringer, and you could see all the guts underneath. Cool looking think. It was still in the house when my Grandparents passed and it was included in the estate sale.

Bill

[Firedome]

Not sure who made Easy motors, it would depend on the approx year, as it's likely they had different motor suppliers.
If you can let me know about what year it was I'll try to find out. They had a reputation as durable machines.

Interestingly the company that eventually became Whirlpool, the Nineteen Hundred Co also started right here in Binghamton in 1899. Later merged with Upton Machine of Benton Harbor MI, and kept the Nineteen Hundred name, later changed to Whirlpool in 1950. This area was a hotbed of innovation in the early 1900s, IBM also started here, and the biggest shoemaker in the world at one time, Endicott-Johnson.

Baldor is the best. I bought a treadmill 20 yrs ago because it had a Baldor motor and it was the only treadmill with a Lifetime Guarantee on the motor.

[William]

I think my treadmill has a Balder motor. I seem to remember the salesman mention that when I bought it. It also has a 80 pound flywheel.

Bill