Jackie, you bring up and interesting point. We have become a disposable society and not by choice. Back in 1985 I bought a new GE refrigerator. I had that refrigerator for 26 years and never had a service call during that time. Finally, one day the wife noticed that the refrigerator was never shutting off. I figured that it was low on freon and called the GE technician to check it out. He told me that the compressor was worn out and that trying to find one was going to be a challenge, but more importantly, the cost to replace it would be getting close to the price of a new refrigerator. Because it was 26 years old, he advised us to replace it. We bought another GE unit to replace it. I have never been one to buy an extended warranty, but for some unknown reason I did. It was only about $100.00 for 5 years - a wise decision. Within a few months we noticed a puddle of water under the freezer door. I thought that perhaps the ice maker / water dispenser had developed a leak inside the door. The GE technician came out and side that the problem was that when they manufactured the freezer doors (in Mexico), they did not fully fill the voids with insulation foam. Anywhere inside that door where there was no foam, condensation forms and freezes. Then when the unit goes on defrost, that frozen condensation melts and finds it's way out of the bottom of the door. Needless to say, he replaced the freezer door. Over the next 5 years we became good friends with Al, the GE technician, as he had to replace the freezer door 8 times before we got one that was insulated properly. Just shortly after we got a good door and the warranty expired, we noticed that the unit was not shutting off. Al came out and said that the freon line had developed a leak. He recommended not trying to fix it because once that happens, it will continue to happen. The freon lines are no longer copper like in the good old day. They are a composite plastic and after so many years of service, the plastic cracks. I asked Al how it is that the refrigerator purchased in 1985 lasted 26 years and the replacement only last about 6 years. He explained that it is engineered that way. He said that manufactures realized that if they built and item too well, they would not sell nearly as many as if they built them to only last a shorter period of time. He said that most large appliance are designed to last 5 - 8 years. The smaller appliances like toasters, microwaves, blender and mixers are designed for a 3 - 5 years life. The sad part is that we, as consumers, have come to accept this.Quote:
Originally Posted by jackiewilson
We will never be what we once were...
