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Showerthought: Should we fix old appliances or push for new ones?
I had a customer's 15 year old refrigerator compressor fail on me last week in Austin. I spent 3 hours trying to source a replacement part but the cost was almost as much as a new budget fridge. Do you guys lean towards repairing older units to keep them out of landfills or is it smarter to recommend upgrades?
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spencer_park2629d ago
elliho37's comment about "these things being designed to be disposable" really hits home, but here's the thing nobody's talking about... the refrigerants are changing too. That old 15 year old fridge might use R134a, but newer models use R600a that's way more efficient and better for the environment. So even if you do find a cheap compressor, you're still running an older system that's costing you more in electricity every month. I've seen people fix their old fridge only to pay $50 extra on their power bill during the summer months... sometimes it's not just about the repair cost, it's about the hidden costs you don't see coming.
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ellioth3729d ago
A 15 year old compressor and you couldn't find a part for a reasonable price? That's insane. I know Austin's a big city but come on, a major brand fridge from 15 years ago should still have parts floating around. Are we really at the point where a basic compressor is a specialty item? I swear, it's like they design these things to be disposable now. A fridge should last 20 years easy if you take care of it.
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