What to do with a half broken fridge?

Submitted by SpicyyySalsaaa t3_121yjor in rva

I've got a Samsung fridge with French doors and the pull out freezer. It's about 11 years old.

The thing works perfectly fine when it does, but it's also got it's quirks.

The fridge works 100% of the time and stays cold. The freezer on the other hand needs to be cleaned out every 2-6 months from ice build up. The ice builds up so much you have to take it apart and take a hair dryer or heat gun to it.

I saw Dominion has an appliance recycling program where you actually get a $20 rebate. They come and pick it up.

I also thought about selling it. The drawers and door inserts sell for like $60/piece online. But who would want to pay for this annoying ass fridge they have to take apart and manually defrost?

Also thought about just giving it away....but again, does anyone actually want this?

Also looked into having it hauled away, hands off.

It's a perfectly functional fridge to an extent. The freezer is just shit. Could be used for a garage fridge or for someone who needs a free/cheap fridge

I'm a newish homeowner and have never had to get rid of an appliance before, what should I do I this situation?

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gravy_boot t1_jdoauge wrote

One-time Samsung fridge owner here: Take care of your mental health and just get rid of it asap. Great if you can get $20 but if you’re in the city you can drag it to the alley and scrappers will find it pretty quick.

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RulerOfTheRest t1_jdoff73 wrote

Only downside of the scrappers is they tend to just vent the refrigerant to the atmosphere, and while the modern stuff is way better than the r12 that was used until the mid 90's, it still isn't great for the environment.

OP, there could be a million things causing it to freeze over like that, from a damper malfunction (that control how cold air flows through the refrigerator), to the defrost circuit failing, but one thing that you might try and is one of the most overlooked areas of refrigerator maintenance is cleaning the coil. Most manufactures suggest doing it at least once a year, but most people I know never do it. (The same goes for your HVAC system, the outdoor coil for your AC/Heat Pump should be cleaned annually). Enter your model number and "how to clean the coil" and you should be able to find some videos on how to do it, but with many modern refrigerators, it's accessible from the grill at the bottom of the fridge...

...Edit: actually, it might be a giant pita to clean it, I just searched some Samsung models and the coil may only be accessible from the back of the fridge. I wish you luck...

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[deleted] t1_jdog0fk wrote

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RulerOfTheRest t1_jdoj054 wrote

Oh, I agree that under normal circumstances, the condenser coil being dirty wouldn't cause ice buildup, but with how incredibly overengineered Samsung makes their brown-goods, I wouldn't put it past them to have some sort of circuit that would cause frost buildup in the freezer. They really need to stick with phones, tablets, TV's and wearables, or dramatically dumb-down the controls for their refrigerators, washers and dryers, and other appliances. But yea, my bet is the defrost board...

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SpicyyySalsaaa OP t1_jdoirbr wrote

There's a class action lawsuit with Samsung fridges right now. They're dog shit, 0/10.

If anyone is reading this looking for a new fridge, stay the hell away from Samsung. I've heard LG is horrible too.

It's a shame, I like the Samsung fridges designs alot. They look modern and they're pretty great when they work. It's just they don't work well often....and they're a pain in the ass to work on

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RulerOfTheRest t1_jdokrsz wrote

I've heard the same thing about LG's as well. The overall consensus is that they've made them far too complex to the point if a single, small, generally insignificant component fails, the whole system shuts down. I had bought an LG Inverter window AC last year to bide my time until I replaced my heat pump, and that thing had over 100 points used for its diagnosis board, ranging from probes for the temps and pressures on the high and low side, air flow, and a bunch of stuff that was redundant. While yes, it's an inverter unit, it doesn't have to be made that complex! I'll stick with my now 18-year-old Frigidaire refrigerator with its simple design that the only thing I've had to do so far is replace the water switch and motor for the ice maker...

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SpicyyySalsaaa OP t1_jdoibgd wrote

The freezer fan is whats causing the issue. Ice builds up and the freezer fan freezes up. Have to remove the ice maker and manually defrost it.

It's still a pain in my ass.

I never knew you were supposed to clean coils once per year tho. Will definitely be doing that with my new whirlpool I just got, hoping to squeeze 10+ years out of it and want to take care of it.

Fridges are expensive as hell these days, much like everything else. $1100 for a basic ass whirlpool fridge and my wallet is not happy with me, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

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RulerOfTheRest t1_jdolfea wrote

The good thing about Whirlpools is that they've been making fridges forever, parts are easy to come by, and they're simple compared to the Samsungs and LGs. I'm running an 18-year-old Frigidaire that's still running like a champ that I picked up from Lowes scratch-and-dent section, fortunately the scratches and dents are on the side that isn't visible where I put the fridge...

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Derigiberble t1_jdolyis wrote

Appliances in general are fucking nuts now.

Source: just had to get a new fridge and am shopping to replace my slide-in range. Solidly in "goddamn" territory cost-wise.

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SpicyyySalsaaa OP t1_jdoi1rs wrote

Believe me, I'm well aware. Samsung fridge has been nothing but frustration. Never again.

I bought a whirlpool and hope to have it for 10+ years with little to no issues...

Unfortunately just moved out of the city last year so can't just alley dump it and let the scrappers have at it.

At this point I'm angry just looking at it, ready to have it gone ASAP lmao

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Hiltson87 t1_jdoenu4 wrote

Craiglist for cheap, someone will come get it for beer fridge or rental.

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Charlesinrichmond t1_jdoil9y wrote

things might have changed but the last free fridge I tried to give away was a nightmare.

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Hiltson87 t1_jdokgk1 wrote

Trying to give anything away for free tends to be more hassle than it's worth. I've had way better luck listing stuff for a $100 and just not giving a shit about how much I actually get. The people who browse for free stuff all day long are delusional. The people willing to pay $100 generally are less hassle to deal with.

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Charlesinrichmond t1_jdp3msy wrote

yeah totally agree. Though I went for $20 not 100, since I just wanted to get them moved.

Reminds me I have a rigid jobbox I need to sell, time to interact with crazy people...

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Derigiberble t1_jdomlc8 wrote

The trick on Craigslist is to list it for some amount, even if you'd be willing to give it away. That weeds out all the opportunistic people who don't really want a <whatever> and are only messaging because they want free shit.

There's also a funny phenomenon where if you list something for way too much it will sell faster and easier than if you priced it low. If you price low people will assume something is wrong with it, price it high and give a sizable price cut during negotiation and they think they got a fantastic deal.

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SpicyyySalsaaa OP t1_jdoidsh wrote

Cheers I'll post it on FB and craigslist for $100 or so. If someone wants it for that cool, if someone just wants it for free....that's cool too.

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[deleted] t1_jdoctzj wrote

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SpicyyySalsaaa OP t1_jdoii6t wrote

I will take you up on that. Should have new fridge in place tomorrow, I can leave the old Samsung out by my curb and send you a message with my address and you can come grab it whenever.

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[deleted] t1_jdokwi8 wrote

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SpicyyySalsaaa OP t1_jdsbw24 wrote

I've got it outside sitting by my curb right now, still interested in taking it? Going to post it on FB and craigslist if you don't want it anymore.

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Charlesinrichmond t1_jdoih47 wrote

garbage. Part it out if you want some money. Give the rest to dominion

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10698 t1_jdolemm wrote

If you're in the city, they'll haul it away for a $50 fee. (Fee applies to appliances only. Other bulky items like furniture are removed for free.) Leave it at the curb/alley with your trash, the day of your trash pickup on the same week as your recycling collection. For an additional $100 they'll do an expedited pickup within 24 hours. Dial 311 or use RVA311.com to submit a request.

https://www.rva.gov/public-works/bulk-and-brush

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WontArnett t1_jdolko5 wrote

Turn it into a smoker

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