My 12-Year-Old Roper Fridge Has Dyspepsia: Will It Last Much Longer?

 

 

I have a basic Roper Fridge, purchased around 1999, that for the last 6 months makes a loud gurgling noise every time the thermostat control is triggered. Is it on its final breaths? Should I start saving for a replacement?

Comments

[Keith]

The gurgling noise indicates there there is no longer adequate refrigerant in the system. Some may have leaked out over time. It is probably not worth repairing. The efficiency of refrigerators has improved since 1999. You will save the cost of repair on your electric bill. Insulation is king. The better the insulation the more efficient the box.

[Huesby]

"It is probably not worth repairing"...buy, buy , buy, buy !.... To continue with this trend, soon there won´t be any repairmen left to do anything but to cut grass and unemployed people to ask for welfare. Go on America, you are doing very well... to doom your existence.

[Jeffrey McMahon]

I think keeping a fridge for 12 years is antithetical to the consumer frenzy you describe, Hugo.

Keith, sounds like I'll be taking my children to Sears. Thanks.

[Huesby]

Yep that´s the spirit !...Be sure to buy a good Korean fridge like Samsung, they are the best !....(Sarcasm:ON)

[Brandon]

I'm with Jeff on this one. I understand your sentiment, Hugo, but from a consumer's perspective, what is the incentive to spend more in repairs + low efficiency over time than to just replace it with a brand new appliance?

Some things just aren't economically worth fixing - as is often the case with kitchen appliances.

[Jason]

It amazes me that people (like Huesby) think we should repair and repair. Instead of saying we're crappy consumers, I say these companies are crappy manufacturers.

You should get a medal for keeping a Roper going for 12 years. My parents still have a brown Frigidaire they bought in '69 or '70. It has never broken down. A Roper is not a Frigidaire. And, Frigidaire now is not the same brand it was back then (I have a Frigidaire I bought in 2003 and so far, so good. I still doubt I will get 40 years out of it).

I've repaired mowers, dryers, you name it - rather than buy new. But, I draw the line when an item could, I don't know, burn down my house. Once something internal is compromised beyond repair, it has to go. I'd rather be a crappy consumer than a crispy one!

[Paul]

I recommend the GE Adora line. These are GE units made for and sold only in Home Depot stores. Prices are reasonable, quality is good, ... we've had one for 6 years now, no issues.

[Bill Bush]

I've had good and bad GE, good and bad Whirlpool. My aunt just replaced a 1953 fridge in her pantry last year. Who knows what she had paid to run that thing all those years. New ones are more efficient. You should at least come out even if you don't go overboard and get a Gucci model encrusted with Swarovski crystals. I have found ice and water through the door are sort of "meh" but the icemaker is completely necessary. With little kids, though, you may teach them to make use of the through the door feature and have good use of it. Top freezer is supposed to be the best compromise, if I remember my Consumer Reports reading correctly, but the eliminates the through the door feature for cold water and ice. My local Sears guy (Reidsville, NC) is great on price and has a super installer.

[Angelo]

Roper? You mean Helen and Stanley Roper of Three's Company stopped being landlords and started an appliance company?
Congrats on the new Kenmore. My fridge is a Kitchen-Aid. I'm sort of locked into a cabinet depth design for my kitchen, which limits my choices. My range is a GE. The best appliance I have? My Bosch dishwasher. That's the only one I would replace with the same exact model (or closest available). I do like my LG washer and dryer but haven't had them long enough to know for sure if I'd buy the same.