What Happened to American Appliances.....Specifically Refrigerators ?

   

My parents refrigerator lasted seventeen years that I know of, possibly more. It needed occasional defrosting, and never once saw a repair man, or had maintenance done, other than my mother's vacuuming behind it and dusting it's rear grill when she did Spring cleaning.

    When I was a child , I remember that my parents bought a Frigidaire refrigerator at the Sears Scratch and Dent, which often sold completely new merchandise, when there was simply one left of something. This was the case with our large Frigidaire.  My parents bought it when I must have been about eight, and the classic solid refrigerator was still there functioning perfectly, when they sold the house, and I was by that time, grown, married and in my own house, at twenty five, with two tiny children.  I think it sold with the house and I am not sure how long the new owners kept it.
               It's funny how subtle things that happened in your childhood impact your attitudes, even when you don't realize that they do.  I held the foolish notion that I would buy a refrigerator, and that I too might enjoy a refrigerator until my own kids were grown.  Well that was disordered thinking indeed !
My first house came with a frij, and it was still there functioning when we moved, and sold it with the house. My second house came with one, which lasted about five years. Our third house had one that lasted five years.  We built our fourth home, a farm, and when I selected a new refrigerator, I thought, "Now we are starting new. This will be that longstanding frij for us".  It was pretty expensive, and it should have been.  But just like the Circuit City store it came from, its compressor was gone in five years.  For goodness sake, microwaves were holding up better than refrigerators !   About six years ago, we built this final house, the final farm.  We were obligated to spend everything we had received from the sale of the last farm or we would have to pay capital gains tax on the remainder.  For this reason, we arranged with the builder to buy upscale appliances.  Since our kids have some special food needs, and we don't eat out, it made sense to have really good appliances.  My husband selected a gorgeous professional chef's Thermador stove, complete with a griddle, and an exhaust vent system which could suck a cat through to the roof.   It was my turn to select a matching refrigerator which would be in keeping with the kitchen, and since I always decorate with an idea to being able to sell quickly and easily in the future, I wanted a solid looking stainless one.   I went to several upscale kitchen companies.  They had refrigerators for ten thousand dollars !  I finally found one that had originally been about $8,100 which not only matched the Thermador, but was extremely roomy, reliable, and had all the features I wanted. It was a top of the line Electrolux.  It was discounted by half as it had been lent for two weeks to one of their clients when their original one had not worked properly and required work within warranty.  Finally I thought, I have the refrigerator that will last as long as I will need one.
                  This was not to be.  This week, it was my husband who first noticed that the temperature read out for the refrigerator was right at forty degrees, but the one for the freezer was drifting up. At first we thought we needed to make an adjustment to the dials for the hot weather, and so we did. It made no difference. Then we moved all of the items in the freezer to our large deep freezer in another room and resolved to find a repair company that would come all the way out here (where they don't actually deliver mail.)
                  I finally found a brave and reputable soul who made the long trip. At one point he called me asking if he had missed the exit, and I told him he had another twenty minutes on the interstate to go, before finding ours.
                  He hooked a machine up to the refrigerator to do a diagnostic, and then fed the data to Electrolux who told us both that the compressor, the evaporator, and a third system I had never heard of, would require replacement.  This will be pricey.    The repair man discussed my simply buying a new frij.
I got on the internet to check prices and I found that the new Electrolux no longer has a five year warranty, only a one year variety.  I could buy another brand for several thousand dollars and then need one in five years again.   I am seriously considering simply having the work done.
                   What ever happened to a refrigerator which lasts your entire marriage, or at least as long as you have your children in your home ?   Why are the new appliances thinly made, cheap looking, and with logic boards that blow with the first outage.   It may not be the brightest thing to do, but intuitively, I think I will pay what I need to, to place a new compressor in a sealed system for a solid looking Electrolux.  Wish me luck, perhaps I should be asking for prayers.
                  There is one more consideration here. Here I am with back up systems for power outages, yet only a large working freezer for long term food.  My primary refrigerator is failing.  This is a big preparedness concern.  (Fortunately, animal vaccines and medications are stored in a small devoted frij elsewhere.)

They no longer have a picture of the one I have. Mine has an ice machine for several different types of ice and cold water on the door. Nice features, but I just need it to keep food cold.

UPDATE:   Two weeks later, we still have no refrigerator.  The man who originally came out from Richmond who said it needed a new compressor and would call to confirm installing it all day last Wednesday never called again, and didn't return our calls.  This morning a new appliance company certified in Electrolux, is scheduled to come out between noon and three, but only to do diagnostics. They will have to order whatever it needs.   Meanwhile, we limp by with a freezer in another part of the house and lettuce, ham, yogurt and everything else have to be consumed within a day. This is an expensive proposition with all the stores being so far away.



UPDATE:   June,  2014

I am happy to say that the replacement of multiple key systems of the Electrolux refrigerator occurred in late May of 2013.    The unit has behaved perfectly ever since.  The inside door readout indicates that the refrigerator is 40 degrees F and that the freezer is holding at 0.      Lets hope it will be long lived !