Jim Warman Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 OK... so the last time I saw my fridge and freezer, they were taped solidly shut and being placed, not so gently, into the back of a dump truck. Insurance asked for pics of the inside and I offered them a knife to cut the tape with... "please don't ask me to do something you wont....". Anyway, on the way home we picked up a 4 cubic foot bar freezer to augment the fridge/freezer in the camper for as long as it takes. Momma wanted an Electrolux 28 cubic foot fridge (I gave the ultimatum.... there's only 2 of us... we doan need no steenkeeng separate freezer....") until I started seeing consumer reviews that panned the ice maker. The question - do any of you guys have a large, french door fridge/bottom freezer with water and ice dispenser? What brand/model and is it any friggin' good? Saturday we are off to Edmonton with debit card in hand....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Browning Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Sounds like you are goin after the new modern style... which should prove to be a preference decision only. My wife likes the fridge on top with the "French door" and freezer on bottom as do I. Having only purchased one fridge in my life time so far I am not necessarily impressed as I have had to replace the starter for the compressor motor, the ice/water valve is kaput and recently the evaporator fan motor let me down. I repaired the first and latter myself and we drink bottled water so the ice maker and chilled water remain inop. I have been under the impression that as with most large appliances in North America there is but one or two manufactureres assembling for all brands so it makes little sense to make a choice by the name on the sticker in my humble opinion. If you have ever gone parts shopping you will discover the guts fit just about every brand. Sorry if this is of no help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregH Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 I agree with Keith... There is nothing new under the sun. The fridge I have is an inexpensive fridge on bottom, freezer on top model with an ice maker. I bought it 20 years ago right after we got married. The deciding factor on that model was we could afford it. Nowadays, thank God, we have a bit more disposable income. But that fridge is still chugging along. If it becomes necessary, I'll replace it with a freezer on the bottom model with a cold water dispenser through the door. There is a monthly flea market in town held at two of the furniture market buildings - Tupelo Flea Market - and there is an appliance reseller there. He's got good stuff, with manufacturer warranties, for way below list. Hurricane Katrina saw the end of both my brother's fridge and freezer and my sister's fridge. There are some things you just don't try to clean... We've had a bad month of tornadoes and strong storms around here. Smithville, MS - about 1/2 hour from here - was completely destroyed. Large swaths of Tuscaloosa and Birmingham were leveled, and there are obvious tracks visible from the road to and from work. One of these tracks took out a TVA high tension line and removed several houses about 15 miles from Oxford, MS. With cleanup slow going, I'd hate to see what is going on in their fridges..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fredsvt Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 I've got a recent Kenmore side by side, with ice and filtered water. The fridge is made by Whirlpool for Sears. It's been very good so far. It's about 3 or 4 years old. The filters are pricey, but the water is vastly better out of that than from the tap. The one thing I've noticed, is that it uses far less power than the 15 year old fridge it replaced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Warman Posted June 3, 2011 Author Share Posted June 3, 2011 Thanks for all the answers thus far... keep the opinions coming. First consideration is size... loving bride feels that 27.5 cu ft is getting too small (????) and she would prefer 28. I will admit that, for only two of us (plus whatever our son decides to steal - and he is always more than welcome to ) this should be way more than we need. Second, I want the freezer to be big enough so that we wont feel the urge to buy a separate freezer. I found that our upright Kenmore wasted more than it saved as we would often find something outdated lurking in the back. With Debbs Crohns disease, I am not about to take any chances at all with food and that includes anything that might be even a "little old" in the freezer. Ice maker is a must and water dispenser is a "well, why not?". Our last fridge was a 24 cu ft KitchenAid bottom freezer and the fridge part was always full. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Warman Posted June 5, 2011 Author Share Posted June 5, 2011 Well... that was a spendy trip to the city.... $2700 worth of KitchenAid fridge .... a thousand bucks worth of Michelins for the truck - had an 8 year old tire separate on me... and, of all the things she might want, my loving bride decided that we needed a (fake) stone fire pit for the back yard.... I would have thought that it would be a while before anyone would want to see open flames. FWIW, if you are looking for a fridge "cash and carry" in Edmonton right now... you are going to buy the ones that nobody else wanted. We'll be living out of the bar fridge and the camper fridge for the next two weeks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DwayneGorniak Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 You had waaaayyyy to much ice on your mind today. you didn't even wave passin me this morning. Went and picked up my truck. Paint was untouched and it didn't even smell like smoke inside. Had a few ashes get in under the wiper cowl and landed on the dash when I fired him up though. It was great to get Ole' Blue back home with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Warman Posted June 5, 2011 Author Share Posted June 5, 2011 Actually, I did wave but you was comed and goned too fast. I did try to call your cell but you musta been saving your batteries... FWIW, you were on your way south through Westlock when we were pulling out of Ramzi's parking lot. You had your media blaster in the box of your old truck.... Did you drive through the southeast to get a glimpse of the war zone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Browning Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 Truck's in nice shape Dwayne!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DwayneGorniak Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 Damn, Then I didn't see you on the way back. I'll be up again to get my Quad trailer and one last dirt bike. I also forgot my 20 litre pail bucket pump. I don't suppose you could set that over by your bay untill I get back up there to get it, could ya? And thanks Keith. I bought that truck in September of 97' on the way home from my cousin Dawn's funeral. Her and I were born the same year. I found it at a small private sales business and it's been a project that I've allways been working on and have never finished. It is factory equipped with the 5.8L H.O. (351 Windsor with Holley Four Barrell), C6 tranny and a 9 inch diff. I love that truck! Being that I bought it on the day of my cousin's funereral ther is also sentimental value. There isn't a day that whenever I look at it I don't think of her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Warman Posted June 5, 2011 Author Share Posted June 5, 2011 I'll try to remember... but, one of these days, you will find out what "getting older" is all about. I will say I remember some important things like birthday, anniversary and what was playing when we met (Smoke on the Water, if you absolutely need to know) - more because it's been conditioned - Google "Pavlov dog" - than anything else. Remembering a third pail of ATF and a pump? This could be a challenge. I'm sure you must have been struck by the number of northbound trucks loaded with appliances.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Browning Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 Persoanlly, I am looking forward to "not remembering" certain things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Warman Posted June 5, 2011 Author Share Posted June 5, 2011 Sadly, you do not get to choose what you recall and what you don't.... When I was a youngster, we travelled great distances often as we followed Dads Army career. I've been across Canada as many times as some folks have been across town (or so it seems). In all that travelling, I do not remember any clean bathrooms at service stations.... but I recall nearly every last dirty one. Upside... I do recall many Burma Shave signs. (If you have to ask..... it's an old folks thing). Life is like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DwayneGorniak Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 It was a refrigerator convoy all the way from Edmonton to Slave Lake! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Warman Posted June 5, 2011 Author Share Posted June 5, 2011 This fridge started out at $3400ish CAD in Alberta. All they had were already scooped save for the floor model they wouldn't part with. By the time they got through with the instant rebates and the charity discount for Slave Lake residents, we have just shy of $2800 into this technological marvel - GST included and extended warrantys included but shipping extra. Sears is also offering discounts for Slave Lake residents. The Brick in Westlock gave us a discount on the bar fridge we picked up as interim storage... The Brick in Slave Lake? No discounts... not even the offer of free delivery in and close to town. (One customer was told "You can pick it up when you're ready") In fact, they brought in a whole bunch of low end fridges. Most people I know that have surviving houses are taking their insurance cheque, adding the difference and buying upgraded appliances. My wife showed them an ad for one of her short list fridges and the store manager got cross with her stating that he wasn't going to match that price if she didn't give him a web address to check out... So much for charity begins at home. With nearly 400 homes destroyed by fire, homes that will require even the most basic of furniture and accoutriments, one has to wonder if this store hasn't embarked on a path they may well regret. We aren't looking for free shit... but we are trying to keep our money in town... in store undamaged by the fire... staffed and managed by people as lucky as we in-so-far as their property is concerned. FWIW, we spent nearly 2 weeks in the town of Westlock, Alberta... The compassion, help and open hearts of these total strangers still chokes me up when I think of it... Our mere presence turned their town upside down and they took it all in stride. There are no words to describe the emotional roller coaster we are all riding as we rejoice the good luck of some and mourn the bad luck of others. We need to ask friends and acquaintances "How did you make out".. all the while dreading what might be the answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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