# Kenmore side by side refrigerator suddenly doesn't dispense water



## azeotrope (Jun 3, 2015)

NABRIL said:


> Hello
> I recently changed the water filter, and everything worked fine afterwards. Model 795.75552401
> Suddenly, the water dispenser got goofy on us. You would have to press the button up for 10 or so seconds, and eventually water got dispensed; it's a little button that you have to push UP with your glass instead of backwards like most fridges. That lasted a while, and now it doesn't dispense at all.
> 
> ...


Can you hear the clink of the valve operating when you push the button? 

Could be a failed switch, failed solenoid valve, plugged or pinched tube... 

Hard to say. If no visual or audible clues were happening then I would pull out the multimeter and start checking with that based on the wiring diagram. It’s usually hidden in behind the fridge or under it.


----------



## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

Could it be a clog in the line?


----------



## NABRIL (Apr 29, 2011)

azeotrope said:


> Can you hear the clink of the valve operating when you push the button?
> Could be a failed switch, failed solenoid valve, plugged or pinched tube...
> Hard to say. If no visual or audible clues were happening then I would pull out the multimeter and start checking with that based on the wiring diagram. It’s usually hidden in behind the fridge or under it.


THank you..This morning, when I tried to drink some water, a trickle of water came out for a few seconds. I could hear the humming of the front valve or switch or whatever that i always heard when it worked fine,



huesmann said:


> Could it be a clog in the line?


I guess it can be Hue, but how do I locate it since it's not a clear plastic line??


----------



## snic (Sep 16, 2018)

This happened with my side-by-side GE refrigerator. I'm not sure how old yours is, but mine was a circa 2002 model. At the time, GE was cheaping out on the insulation in the freezer door, which lead to a number of problems (plus a recall on some models). One of the problems is that 15 years or so later, the water line would freeze, resulting in exactly the symptoms you describe.

You can test this by warming up the door with a hair dryer. Find the parts diagram for your model, which should tell you roughly where the line runs, and warm those locations. Mine was freezing right around where the line exits to the dispenser. Ultimately I fixed it by installing a heater for the water line. Google WR49X10173 - I'm not sure if this part would work with your specific model, but there might be something like it.

If in fact the water line is frozen, it might indicate that the insulation has gotten wet (due to condensation) and is therefore no longer doing its job. When I turned off my fridge because the house was going to be empty for a few months, a few quarts of water dripped from the freezer door over the next day or two. It had condensed inside and frozen solid. And years before that, when I opened up the door to replace the insulation (the solution for the poor insulation problem was a kit that GE sent me to replace the insulation), much of it was sopping wet or frozen.

Good luck!


----------



## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

Probably not what's happening here, but our old Samsung french door fridge had the internal water tank and lines freeze up due to the condensate drain icing up because of Samsung's (or whoever's design it actually was) schitty design.


----------



## dj3 (Apr 27, 2020)

Samsung is notorious for ice buildups. Some of them have very simple solutions, yet Samsung won't make a change in their design. 
Even multiple class action suits won't change their ways, they just jam up the lawsuits in court for years, till customers replace their refrigerators and move on.


----------



## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

IDK if it's just Samsung, because our GE has an identical design. Maybe Samsung builds them and GE rebadges? Or maybe there's a 3rd party building them and they're _all _rebadging!


----------



## snic (Sep 16, 2018)

I don't think Samsung and GE source their fridges from the same manufacturer. More likely, the appliance business is intensely cost-competitive, so companies use designs that save them money and aren't necessarily the best for energy efficiency and long-term reliability. Samsung has certainly noticed that despite the notoriety of their "schitty" ice maker and water dispenser designs, _people still buy Samsung refrigerators._ And pretty much every manufacturer has a long list of complaints about their products that you discover when you poke around the online reviews, so what's a consumer to do? Buy the cheapest and hope for the best.


----------



## HotRodx10 (Aug 24, 2017)

Have you tried a different filter, or just the same one several times?


----------



## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

snic said:


> And pretty much every manufacturer has a long list of complaints about their products that you discover when you poke around the online reviews, so what's a consumer to do? Buy the cheapest and hope for the best.


Or get smart and figure out how to ameliorate the common problems yourself?


----------



## NABRIL (Apr 29, 2011)

snic said:


> You can test this by warming up the door with a hair dryer. Find the parts diagram for your model, which should tell you roughly where the line runs, and warm those locations. Mine was freezing right around where the line exits to the dispenser. Ultimately I fixed it by installing a heater for the water line. Google WR49X10173 - I'm not sure if this part would work with your specific model, but there might be something like it.
> Good luck!





HotRodx10 said:


> Have you tried a different filter, or just the same one several times?


Yes, I have 3 different filters that I've tried.

UPDATE - i blew dried the 2 lines in the back, and the lines that coil up inside the left door compartment. I removed and reinstalled the filter 37 times, and all looks fine. I still hear humming when I depress the dispense-water button.
At Home Depot this past weekend, while looking for something else, we took a small gander, a peak, at the fridges. Wow. They look awesome, but my unit from 2005 continues to work fine-ish, and I ask what else I can try.

The ice dispenser works fine, so does that prove that the water inlet valve works fine at the bottom of the back of the fridge? What else can I test or check? Or is it time to go back to HD????


----------



## HotRodx10 (Aug 24, 2017)

Is there water coming into the ice maker to make ice? The answer to that should narrow it down to inside or outside the freezer.

The one I took apart had the water line running up through the bottom door hinge. If yours is the same, that would seem like a likely place for the line to get kinked or pinched.


----------



## NABRIL (Apr 29, 2011)

HotRodx10 said:


> Is there water coming into the ice maker to make ice? The answer to that should narrow it down to inside or outside the freezerThe one I took apart had the water line running up through the bottom door hinge. If yours is the same, that would seem like a likely place for the line to get kinked or pinched.


As far as I can tell, yes it is making ice. I took off the top left door plastic cover, where the door switch sensor is, and I saw a metallic and flexible tube that I assumed was the water line; it fed from the top, and I didnt see any water line running through the bottom.


----------



## snic (Sep 16, 2018)

Since it's a 2005 model, my bet is still on ice in the line.

One thing you can try: in my fridge, the water tube to the dispenser ran through the lower left door hinge, as HotRod said. That reminds me that there was a tube connector down there somewhere under the freezer compartment (but up front where you can get to it if you remove the grille thing that goes between the floor and the fridge). See if you can find that connector and disconnect it. If water comes out when you operate the dispenser, then at least you know the blockage is after the connector and therefore in the door somewhere.

And if it's in the door, it's probably ice. Try the hair dryer on the water dispenser alcove and just above it, on high heat for a good 5 or 10 minutes. Keep trying to operate the dispenser and eventually you'll see water come out. (A few days later it will freeze again, so you'd have to install the heater kit I mentioned above.)


----------



## snic (Sep 16, 2018)

huesmann said:


> Or get smart and figure out how to ameliorate the common problems yourself?


Yes, I spent _hours_ debugging and fixing problems with that early 2000's fridge over the 13 years I owned it. I fixed every one of them, but that doesn't mean I can't wish that the build quality were better and these problems happened less often.

I moved to a house with a Sub-Zero extra large fridge that I think is even older. I have no idea whether this high-end brand is any better (certainly they are 10x more expensive than regular fridges), but for the last year at least it's been problem free. (Well, except for torn-up door seals that I need to get around to replacing.)


----------



## HotRodx10 (Aug 24, 2017)

If you have someplace else to put your frozen food for a little while, you could just leave the door open for a few hours. If you use the hair dryer, be careful not to melt any plastic - some types of plastic start to get soft at lower temperatures than you might think.


----------



## NABRIL (Apr 29, 2011)

snic said:


> Since it's a 2005 model, my bet is still on ice in the line.
> 
> One thing you can try: in my fridge, the water tube to the dispenser ran through the lower left door hinge, as HotRod said. That reminds me that there was a tube connector down there somewhere under the freezer compartment (but up front where you can get to it if you remove the grille thing that goes between the floor and the fridge). See if you can find that connector and disconnect it. If water comes out when you operate the dispenser, then at least you know the blockage is after the connector and therefore in the door somewhere.


thank you snic and @HotRodx10 . Truly
I looked at the left door hinge, and I don't see any kind of tube or hosing or even a space for anything like that. In looking at several parts diagrams for my fridge, all of them seem to confirm that the tube comes through the top of the left door.
I looked at the bottom of the fridge and I don't have the standard grille.

At the moment, if I press on the water dispenser button, a slow trickle of water comes out for 3 to 4 seconds. Meaning that water is coming through, or melting I guess.
What else can I isolate or test or disconnect so as to try to locate whatever might be clogging the water line?

EDIT - I've been blow drying the left door where I think the water line is but I don't think that I accomplish anything by blowing on the door panel itself. I would have to take it apart to see the hose and then blow on it, no? Doors are usually insulated a bit.


----------



## snic (Sep 16, 2018)

I just looked at your parts diagram. Is this it?






Kenmore Elite 79575552401 bottom-mount refrigerator parts | Sears PartsDirect


Kenmore Elite 79575552401 bottom-mount refrigerator parts - manufacturer-approved parts for a proper fit every time! We also have installation guides, diagrams and manuals to help you along the way!




www.searspartsdirect.com





I didn't realize you had a bottom freezer. Are both the left and right doors for the refrigerator comartment? If so, then it's unlikely that the water line is freezing!

Look for part 615A in the "door parts" diagram. It's the water tank. It looks like it's in the bottom of the left door. It also looks like there's a simple panel that covers it, with one screw holding it in place. Remove that, and you have access to the water tank. From there, you can start taking it apart. Find the incoming and outgoing hoses, disconnect them, and see what happens when you engage the water dispenser.


----------



## NABRIL (Apr 29, 2011)

snic said:


> I just looked at your parts diagram. Is this it?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


thanks again
Yes, that is it with its double refrigerator compartment doors.
I took that 615a cover off yesterday, and I found a long strand of water line coiled up and zip tied; there was no tank, and it comes out of the door and goes back in as a single piece of hose. It almost looks like a lot of slack cable left behind a wall. I heated that hose as well yesterday, and since it's a single piece, I have no option for disconnecting anything to help isolate.


----------



## snic (Sep 16, 2018)

That is bizarre. I guess at some point whoever made this fridge replaced the tank with an extra long hose, and didn't bother updating the parts diagram...??

But what I wrote above is still true: the hose HAS to come into the door somewhere, and there is likely to be a disconnect somewhere near there.


----------



## snic (Sep 16, 2018)

Part #207A, left door hinge cover. What do you see when you remove that? Any tube?

Also, part 619B is the valve that controls that water flow to the dispenser. That should be in that compartment where the tank is supposed to be. You should be able to see the tube coming out of that, and it should be possible to just pull it off. Could you take a picture of what's inside that compartment and post it? Actually a few pictures, at different angles.


----------



## NABRIL (Apr 29, 2011)

Here is the left door hinge. That metallic tube looks like the hose that feeds into the door and dispenser. 









Here is the compartment at the bottom of the left door with no bottle.


----------



## NABRIL (Apr 29, 2011)

To get to 619A will require pulling it out and more time, I will try to play with that tonight.
But I can test that valve for continuity, and disconnecting the water line, won't feed the dispenser, no?


----------



## NABRIL (Apr 29, 2011)

@snic A month or so ago I started a whole other thread dealing with random beeps by this same refrigerator, so perhaps it might be time to replace this relic from 2005. I replaced the control board and a relay in the back, and the beeping stopped. But, every week or 2, it acts up, beeps, and it feels warmer. I reset the breaker, and it returns to normal operation.

Unfortunately, I see that a lot of stores have refrigerators on back order, so getting one quick looks almost impossible.


----------



## snic (Sep 16, 2018)

Yup, that metallic tube has got to be the water line. I suspect that the disconnect is right under where it goes into the top of the fridge. That's probably accessible by unscrewing those two (more more?) screws you exposed by pulling up the hinge cover. If you disconnect it, water should flow uninterrupted IF the blockage is somewhere in the door. So it might be a good idea to cut the water supply before you do this.

But I think getting access to the valve will be more important. It's not immediately obvious how to do that from your second picture, but there has got to be a way.

Hm, random beeps - well, that might indicate that there's no blockage, and instead it's the control board failing! I.e., not delivering enough voltage to the valve, so it doesn't open fully.

I agree that it might be time to just junk it - it all depends on your budget and your time and your determination.


----------



## NABRIL (Apr 29, 2011)

snic said:


> Yup, that metallic tube has got to be the water line. I suspect that the disconnect is right under where it goes into the top of the fridge. That's probably accessible by unscrewing those two (more more?) screws you exposed by pulling up the hinge cover. If you disconnect it, water should flow uninterrupted IF the blockage is somewhere in the door. So it might be a good idea to cut the water supply before you do this.
> 
> But I think getting access to the valve will be more important. It's not immediately obvious how to do that from your second picture, but there has got to be a way.
> 
> ...


thanks again
I will remove those 2 other screws and hope to find a disconnect in there somewhere.
The second picture is of the compartment on the inside of the door, and as you can see, it is one long coiled hose.

In looking at the parts list, Ive always been intrigued by the 3 hoses on the back right side. I visually confirmed that 2 of them go into the filter assembly. But there is one line, connected to part 623B that goes into the refrigerator up high. What does that line feed?


----------



## BayouRunner (Feb 5, 2016)

The metallic tube is definitely your water line. Your refrigerator is actually an LG refrigerator and we are very familiar with it. Several things to look for. Where the water line comes out the back of the fridge there will be a connector. You can take that apart and have someone push the button to call for water. If water comes out you have two possibilities. Either the line is frozen in the door or there is a second solenoid in the door that has issues. It (second solenoid) would be in the bottom of the left door if it’s s French door model. If the water does not come out there it’s either a bad valve in the back or the water line is kinked right by the filter head. Another fairly easy test at this point would be to disconnect the water line at the at the solenoid valve. If the water comes out then check for kinked line at filter head. If water doesn’t come out check for voltage 120 volts while someone is pressing the cal for water button. It would only take a few minutes to test like this and the only tool you would need would be a meter. Also be extremely careful when checking for power on the water line. Those early refrigerators are wired differently then they are in the US. One wire is hot all the time and the switch breaks the neutral. So it could easily shock you. Be glad to help if you have any further questions. Having surgery in the morning so I may be late in my response


----------



## BayouRunner (Feb 5, 2016)

Just looked at your picture. I don’t feel like rewriting my first post. Your refrigerator does not have a second solenoid in the door. It will have a double solenoid in the back. One which goes to your icemaker and one for cold water. Also it doesn’t sound like it but if your refrigerator is in a default mode you will not be able to make any of the buttons work on the front of the fridge.


----------



## snic (Sep 16, 2018)

NABRIL said:


> In looking at the parts list, Ive always been intrigued by the 3 hoses on the back right side. I visually confirmed that 2 of them go into the filter assembly. But there is one line, connected to part 623B that goes into the refrigerator up high. What does that line feed?


Well, 623B is a "*Refrigerator ice maker water fill tube grommet*", which would suggest that the tube goes to the ice maker. Odd that it doesn't seem to be connected to the filter - you'd expect that water used to make ice should be filtered.


----------



## NABRIL (Apr 29, 2011)

@BayouRunner Firstly, I hope that your surgery goes well and that you're back home soon. Secondly, thank you for the detailed details.

Last night, at 3am, the random beeping began, so I'm one debate closer to just buying a new one. Between the water dispensing issue which might easily be fixed with some troubleshooting, and the beeping, perhaps the time has come to upgrade. The beeping usually gets accompanied by a slight warming of both compartments. After a reset of the breaker, it returns to normal operation for X days. I replaced the main board recently, but the weird beeping will continue after X days.

What do you mean by the fridge "being in default mode"?

@snic - your last comments make total sense.You'd expect the ice cubes to be filtered as well.


----------



## NABRIL (Apr 29, 2011)

@BayouRunner and @snic 
Every hour or so, I'm able to dispense about 3 or 4 seconds of water, and eventually nothing more will fall. It is cold 

Does that tell us anything?


----------



## BayouRunner (Feb 5, 2016)

NABRIL said:


> @BayouRunner Firstly, I hope that your surgery goes well and that you're back home soon. Secondly, thank you for the detailed details.
> 
> Last night, at 3am, the random beeping began, so I'm one debate closer to just buying a new one. Between the water dispensing issue which might easily be fixed with some troubleshooting, and the beeping, perhaps the time has come to upgrade. The beeping usually gets accompanied by a slight warming of both compartments. After a reset of the breaker, it returns to normal operation for X days. I replaced the main board recently, but the weird beeping will continue after X days.
> 
> ...


Default mode the refrigerator will only cool to a certain temperature. Normally there will be an error code displayed when it’s in default. But the refrigerator without a digital display just the bars will not show a code. There’s a way to tell from how many bars are displayed but I don’t know that offhand. The beeping noise is normally when the door is left open. Now a defective switch would cause that. Or if one of those covers you displayed was left off it would do it as well. But when it’s beeping the fan motor for the evap coil shuts off which would cause the cooling to diminish. I don’t think you have a serious problem. Just have to diagnose it. And surgery went well. Thanks for mentioning it


----------



## NABRIL (Apr 29, 2011)

BayouRunner said:


> Default mode the refrigerator will only cool to a certain temperature. Normally there will be an error code displayed when it’s in default. But the refrigerator without a digital display just the bars will not show a code. There’s a way to tell from how many bars are displayed but I don’t know that offhand. The beeping noise is normally when the door is left open. Now a defective switch would cause that. Or if one of those covers you displayed was left off it would do it as well. But when it’s beeping the fan motor for the evap coil shuts off which would cause the cooling to diminish. I don’t think you have a serious problem. Just have to diagnose it. And surgery went well. Thanks for mentioning it


I'm glad about the surgery. 
The beeping is not in a constant pattern and its random and a slightly different tone that is loud as hell at 3am. The front display will flash 88 thrn 00 maybe, thrn the temperatures will flash. 
It's annoying. And we know that it warms up because one of those cans of compressed Pillsbury croissants popped open on its own


----------



## NABRIL (Apr 29, 2011)

@BayouRunner ..it just hit me that perhaps I don't have a water bottle in that lower compartment of the left door, so I have 6 feet of hose coiled up acting as a "bottle"???

We bought an LG fridge at Lowe's, but read some horrible reviews about LG's service AFTER the purchase. I'm trying to cancel or perhaps change to a GE model depending on the availability; they're taking up to 2 months to fulfill orders because of covid slowdowns and their domino effect.

Any advice or brand suggestions?


----------



## snic (Sep 16, 2018)

I think that's exactly why you have 6 ft of hose in there. I'm astonished that it works - is the volume of that much hose really big enough to fill more than a glass of water or so?

My only experience with LG after-sales service was with some LG solar panels. A couple of them went bad and it took 4 to 6 months for LG to send new ones. Truly ridiculous, but very much in line with what I've read about LG's other businesses. For that reason, I've resolved not to buy LG products again.

In my experience, GE is good for the DIYer because they tend to have those nice parts diagrams online, and for a while after purchase, parts will be readily available from multiple online distributors. Which means there's some competition, which keeps the price slightly more reasonable than if the only place you can get the part is directly from the manufacturer.


----------



## HotRodx10 (Aug 24, 2017)

snic said:


> I think that's exactly why you have 6 ft of hose in there. I'm astonished that it works - is the volume of that much hose really big enough to fill more than a glass of water or so?


If my scaling from the picture is close (coil is about 7" long and 4" tall), and my estimate of the number loops there are (25?) is close, there's at least 30' of tubing. That's still only about 2 1/2 ounces of water, though.


----------



## BayouRunner (Feb 5, 2016)

NABRIL said:


> @BayouRunner ..it just hit me that perhaps I don't have a water bottle in that lower compartment of the left door, so I have 6 feet of hose coiled up acting as a "bottle"???
> 
> We bought an LG fridge at Lowe's, but read some horrible reviews about LG's service AFTER the purchase. I'm trying to cancel or perhaps change to a GE model depending on the availability; they're taking up to 2 months to fulfill orders because of covid slowdowns and their domino effect.
> 
> Any advice or brand suggestions?


Service just really depends on who you get. Just like ac work. One company can be great while another just doesn’t have a clue. Lg had a huge sealed system issue with their linear compressors. I believe they are passed that now. Just the ones produced in a certain era will continually produce the bad reviews. I hate to recommend any as the mindset of companies don’t appear to be in it for quality and long life. Just the most features that the customers want at the cheapest price. Until the consumer pushes for just that we won’t get it.


----------



## azeotrope (Jun 3, 2015)

BayouRunner said:


> Service just really depends on who you get. Just like ac work. One company can be great while another just doesn’t have a clue. Lg had a huge sealed system issue with their linear compressors. I believe they are passed that now. Just the ones produced in a certain era will continually produce the bad reviews. I hate to recommend any as the mindset of companies don’t appear to be in it for quality and long life. Just the most features that the customers want at the cheapest price. Until the consumer pushes for just that we won’t get it.


That won’t happen. Everyone is pushing for energy efficiency and that is counterproductive towards long life. Good luck changing peoples minds on that one.


----------



## NABRIL (Apr 29, 2011)

All the previous points are valid and well taken. It pains me to have this worry about my new and modern LG fridge that will get delivered this Sunday with its DUAL icemakers, in-door recessed ice storage, and that oh-so-necessary WIFI. And it will replace a 15 year-old Kenmore that has worked fine since we bought the house in 2011. Sure, it's been acting up lately, and I don't know if the previous owner had issues with it, but it's 15 years old.
I contemplated getting another Kenmore, but I'm not too confident in Sears at the time with their economic woes.

Yesterday, my wife went back to Lowe's to attempt the change to a comparable GE model, but it is no longer in stock.
So. We will take a leap (of the roof..) of faith and trust that Life is Good, LG, will work fine. We bought the extended warranty, so we shall wait and hope for the best just like we all will next Tuesday at the polls.


----------



## azeotrope (Jun 3, 2015)

NABRIL said:


> All the previous points are valid and well taken. It pains me to have this worry about my new and modern LG fridge that will get delivered this Sunday with its DUAL icemakers, in-door recessed ice storage, and that oh-so-necessary WIFI. And it will replace a 15 year-old Kenmore that has worked fine since we bought the house in 2011. Sure, it's been acting up lately, and I don't know if the previous owner had issues with it, but it's 15 years old.
> I contemplated getting another Kenmore, but I'm not too confident in Sears at the time with their economic woes.
> 
> Yesterday, my wife went back to Lowe's to attempt the change to a comparable GE model, but it is no longer in stock.
> So. We will take a leap (of the roof..) of faith and trust that Life is Good, LG, will work fine. We bought the extended warranty, so we shall wait and hope for the best just like we all will next Tuesday at the polls.


You might want to do a quick google search about LG and their after purchase support (for any of their products). I’ve never heard positive comments from anyone who has had to deal with them after purchasing and hear too many bad things about their quality. If you have the ability to stop order I suggest you strongly reconsider this decision or at least do your own research on it first.


----------



## snic (Sep 16, 2018)

BayouRunner said:


> Service just really depends on who you get. Just like ac work. One company can be great while another just doesn’t have a clue.


The issue really isn't "service" but availability of parts. Some of the complaints I've read are that even certified repair companies can't get ahold of LG parts because they aren't in stock. A warranty is worthless if it takes months to get your fridge repaired because LG doesn't keep the parts in stock. What are you supposed to do with your food for even a week, much less a month?


----------



## Mike Milam (Mar 3, 2017)

This might sound simple, but I'm a simple guy. Mine was dispensing water way too slow to wait on. After checking around I discovered the saddle valve on the water line that fed the fridge was clogged up. Replaced it and it worked as good as any do.


----------



## BayouRunner (Feb 5, 2016)

snic said:


> The issue really isn't "service" but availability of parts. Some of the complaints I've read are that even certified repair companies can't get ahold of LG parts because they aren't in stock. A warranty is worthless if it takes months to get your fridge repaired because LG doesn't keep the parts in stock. What are you supposed to do with your food for even a week, much less a month?


We’ve been an lg dealer for well over 25 years. We don’t have any issues getting parts. Unless they are older models. As far as what are you supposed to do with your food. Here’s the way I see it. The manufacturers keep updating designs and can have many different models every year introduced. The consumers want the French door refrigerators, but then they want ice and water in the doors, manufacturer puts ice and water in door. But since the icemaker is too small in the door they add another in the freezer. In the meantime let’s throw in two evaporator coils, so then we’ve added 3 more fan motors and controls and so on. It’s shoots the price up, parts are custom for that refrigerator only. So now there are no universal parts so people like us can’t stock them. Almost every part has to be ordered. What I’m getting at is I think every home should have a backup refrigerator. Because we keep adding all these items and the more we add the more likely a failure will occur. Throw in the federal government with their energy efficiency requirements and it’s not a good mix for the consumer. Personally I would like to go back to more simple, more reliable products. Across the board with all manufacturers we’ve been seeing repair costs increase along with more repairs. Remember the old flex ice trays? I do. Don’t think I’ve ever seen one in for repair


----------



## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

Then there's this: https://www.washingtonpost.com/road-to-recovery/2020/10/22/appliance-repair-services-pandemic/



BayouRunner said:


> Remember the old flex ice trays? I do. Don’t think I’ve ever seen one in for repair


That's because they broke and you just bought a new one because it was inherently non-repairable. Or you just filled the non-cracked pockets, or just let the water drip out of the cracked ones.


----------



## NABRIL (Apr 29, 2011)

BayouRunner said:


> We’ve been an lg dealer for well over 25 years. We don’t have any issues getting parts. Unless they are older models. As far as what are you supposed to do with your food. Here’s the way I see it. The manufacturers keep updating designs and can have many different models every year introduced. The consumers want the French door refrigerators, but then they want ice and water in the doors, manufacturer puts ice and water in door. But since the icemaker is too small in the door they add another in the freezer. In the meantime let’s throw in two evaporator coils, so then we’ve added 3 more fan motors and controls and so on. It’s shoots the price up, parts are custom for that refrigerator only. So now there are no universal parts so people like us can’t stock them. Almost every part has to be ordered. What I’m getting at is I think every home should have a backup refrigerator. Because we keep adding all these items and the more we add the more likely a failure will occur. Throw in the federal government with their energy efficiency requirements and it’s not a good mix for the consumer. Personally I would like to go back to more simple, more reliable products. Across the board with all manufacturers we’ve been seeing repair costs increase along with more repairs. Remember the old flex ice trays? I do. Don’t think I’ve ever seen one in for repair


This is a good reply and state of things. In looking for our new model, we looked for all those things you mentioned, and now we'll have 2 ice makers, one of which will be hidden inside the left door. Isshhh. Perhaps the newer, French-door fridges are no longer diy repairable.

The new fridge should arrive today or Friday, and just for funsies and because it's easy, I will replace the power outlet for the fridge which looks to be the original from 1979.

Does it make sense to plug a fridge into a surge protector or some other protective device? With the sensitive boards and compressors in a fridge, it would make sense to add a surge protector, no? Could the usual surge protector used in desks and offices be used? Or some sort of specialized outlet that has surge protection??

EDIT - disregard. I got my answer to never plug high-power appliances into a power strip.


----------



## snic (Sep 16, 2018)

BayouRunner said:


> So now there are no universal parts so people like us can’t stock them. Almost every part has to be ordered. What I’m getting at is I think every home should have a backup refrigerator.


I see. That explanation makes sense. On the other hand, I had two LG solar panels go out, and it took 4 to 6 months to replace each one. Presumably LG had a solar panel they could have gotten to me quicker than that; there's just no excuse for that poor level of service. That's my own experience with LG; maybe the appliance division is better.

As for a backup fridge - great idea, if you have space. Simple fridges are pretty cheap. But I still wouldn't want to buy one for the sole reason that I'm likely to need to wait for service for my main fridge.


----------



## NABRIL (Apr 29, 2011)

snic said:


> I see. That explanation makes sense. On the other hand, I had two LG solar panels go out, and it took 4 to 6 months to replace each one. Presumably LG had a solar panel they could have gotten to me quicker than that; there's just no excuse for that poor level of service. That's my own experience with LG; maybe the appliance division is better.
> 
> As for a backup fridge - great idea, if you have space. Simple fridges are pretty cheap. But I still wouldn't want to buy one for the sole reason that I'm likely to need to wait for service for my main fridge.


We just bought solar panels that are not LG, and they'll be installed soon. Hopefully, we won't have your fate thanks to their ironclad 25 year guarantee.

We have a small and simple 2 door, top freezer fridge in the garage that kicks butt.


----------

