Fridge built in 2022 with R134

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Shame it can't be fixed under warranty.

Maytag, Kenmore or Miele is all we have now. It's all over twenty years old. Still have the old Westinghouse 70 dryer resting in quiet spot. Everything is front loaders.
Kenmore is Whirlpool or Samsung, on the commercial side of things the ALI group owns most of the appliance manufacture worldwide. It's privately owned by a fellow in Italy. Whirlpool, Maytag, Amana, Hotpoint, Champion, CMA, Moyer Diebel and Aladdin are some of the ones I can remember as well as Ecolab.
 
I read a post from an environmental writer that said 1 lb of R134 has the same impact as burning 15 tons of coal or 1 barrel of oil. Whereas Isobutane is less than CO2. That seems a bit extreme, the journal seemed reliable however. In any event I had many Tbirds and Lincolns from the 1970's still holding vacuum. If I recall the R12 had a larger molecule than R134 and the construction of the newer systems was the cause of the ozone issues when the aluminum corroded and leaked. Those old copper condensers were heavy!!!
Yeah, stuff from that era was overbuilt and lasted forever, especially if kept out of road salt. I have an '86 Grand Marquis I've owned for 21 years. Bought it with 68k - has 304k on her now. Still runs like a top on the original driveline and in-tank electric fuel pump! Try that with anything built today, lol. Anyway, I completely restored the A/C on that in 2015 and charged it up with R12 (I still have 50 or so pounds of it). Still blows ice cubes. Haven't had to top it off once yet, because everything I bought was designed for 134a's higher pressures & propensity to leak. Good thing, since R12 ain't cheap these days!

As far as the ozone or "global warming" arguments on refrigerants, I don't buy any of it. It's a convenient way for the government to get what they want (Or get whoever paid them the most what THEY want), while having everyone follow along and not get mad about it. How can any of us prove there's a "hole" in the ozone layer, or that the earth is warming? Pay the right people to say this over and over and over again, and it suddenly becomes fact. Mission accomplished. When MA has several 70° days in January, I might start believing it.

China and India combined put more crap in the air in one week than America does in 20 years ... but it's always the USA that has to bear the burden of "cleaning the air".

R12 was the perfect refrigerant, and propellant - that's why it was used in everything from mobile auto A/C, and appliances to asthma inhalers. The patent ran out on R12, so now they needed another refrigerant to cash in on. There's 100 theories on this, but that's the one I've heard more often. 134a came on the scene - not as good as R12, but did the job if the system was designed for it. Now we're doing this all over again with 134a. Today we've got automotive R1234YF refrigerant. Ridiculously expensive and flammable. They'll say that kills something ... or destroys something ... in 15 - 20 years, or whenever the patent on that runs out. Mark my words. Around, and around, and around we go!
 
Back on to the frig topic, the problem with a lot of these systems are they are glued between the copper lines and the heat exchangers not soldered. Used to be the heat exchangers were copper tubes and aluminum fins but now they are all aluminum which makes connection to copper tubes a dissimilar metal joint.
If that's how they're building them now (I'm not surprised ... ), you'd have to use something like a Swagelok to make connections if your were to replace a condenser or evaporator.
 
I did not read all of this but if you got a bad fridge I would suggest you go get another one before you get food poisoning. (and read the fine print in the warranty)

It really does not matter what kind of freon it has or did have, it's just a little bit bad.
Kinda in same category as BEING JUST A LITTLE BIT PREGNANT.
 

Who owns what?​

Today’s top 5 appliance brands by volume​

Visit any showroom, and you’re sure to see that five major appliance brands dominate the mainstream market. Whirlpool, Electrolux, GE, LG, and Samsung are appliance makers everyone’s heard of. What you may not know is which company owns a particular brand.

https://academy.fredsappliance.com/news/appliance-brands-owns/

Whirlpool​

Whirlpool easily beats the competition as far as a number of acquired appliance brands is concerned. Established in 1911 as the Upton Machine Company, the Michigan-based appliance maker got their start making electrically powered wringer washing machines. In 1919, Upton merged with the Nineteen Hundred Washer Company. Not long afterward, the new corporation obtained ownership of the Seeger Refrigerator Company as well as RCA, explains Success Story magazine. RCA was reacquired by General Electric in 1986. Today, Whirlpool Corporation owns the Jenn-Air, Maytag, Amana, Roper, and KitchenAid brands.

Electrolux​

Electrolux brand appliances have been making housework easier for more than a century. Established in Sweden, the Electrolux company currently owns Frigidaire, Tappan, Kelvinator and Gibson appliance brands.

In 2014, Electrolux tried to purchase the General Electric appliances division at a cost of more than $3 billion in cash. The deal was quashed by the United States Department of Justice on the grounds that the merger of the two companies would create an unfair monopoly in the American household appliances market.

GE​

General Electric (GE) is a multinational conglomerate that manufactures products to serve many industries, including renewable energy, aviation, healthcare, and appliances. The appliances division of GE was purchased by the Chinese-owned Haier company in 2016.

Four years prior, the same company acquired the New Zealand appliance maker, Fisher & Paykel. When the Haier company acquired GE, they wisely retained the right to use GE brand names through 2056. Today, Haier manufactures GE, Hotpoint, Cafe, Profile, and Monogram branded household appliances.

Samsung​

Samsung Electronics may be best known as the maker of Galaxy cell phones, but the Korean company also makes a number of Samsung branded ‘smart’ household appliances, including cooktops, refrigerators, wall ovens, microwave ovens, and laundry machines, as well.

In the summer of 2016, Samsung acquired the Dacor brand of American-made luxury appliances. Dacor is the only appliance brand to be endorsed by chefs at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu culinary institute in Paris, France. High-end appliances that are made by Dacor in California include refrigeration units, cooktops, and wine preservation systems. According to Investopedia, Dacor became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics at a cost of around $150 million.

LG​

LG is a multinational appliance manufacturing conglomerate that began as the Rak-Hui (pronounced “Lucky”) Chemical Industrial Corporation in 1947. Today, LG manufactures a variety of appliances for the kitchen, laundry, and other household uses. Air conditioners, vacuum cleaners, and LED lighting solutions are also part of the LG repertoire of products.

(source Fredsappliance; url above)
*************************************************************************
GE is Chinese
LG is Chinese, they claim "multi-" but those behind the curtain are Pake'
Electrolux is Swedes
Samsung is Korean
Whirlypool...Used to be American but now billed as "Multi-"

Right now I would trust samsung or electrolux the most, but that is only an opinion, not based on anything other then ownership country. I try to avoid LG and GE. But that is just trying to not give money to the cc party.
 
I did not read all of this but if you got a bad fridge I would suggest you go get another one before you get food poisoning. (and read the fine print in the warranty)

It really does not matter what kind of freon it has or did have, it's just a little bit bad.
Kinda in same category as BEING JUST A LITTLE BIT PREGNANT.
Freon is a very specific name for the type of refrigerant that is not in this. What I am trying to establish is the working pressures and if the incorrect coolant is what caused the failure. Someone will chime in on this but I read that automotive R134 was designed to run at different temps with the condenser being behind the rad. I found the fan in this fridge but not the condenser yet.
There is no food left in it, we thought the milk going bad was because we had it in the door and from the grocery store.
 

Who owns what?​

Today’s top 5 appliance brands by volume​

Visit any showroom, and you’re sure to see that five major appliance brands dominate the mainstream market. Whirlpool, Electrolux, GE, LG, and Samsung are appliance makers everyone’s heard of. What you may not know is which company owns a particular brand.

https://academy.fredsappliance.com/news/appliance-brands-owns/

Whirlpool​

Whirlpool easily beats the competition as far as a number of acquired appliance brands is concerned. Established in 1911 as the Upton Machine Company, the Michigan-based appliance maker got their start making electrically powered wringer washing machines. In 1919, Upton merged with the Nineteen Hundred Washer Company. Not long afterward, the new corporation obtained ownership of the Seeger Refrigerator Company as well as RCA, explains Success Story magazine. RCA was reacquired by General Electric in 1986. Today, Whirlpool Corporation owns the Jenn-Air, Maytag, Amana, Roper, and KitchenAid brands.

Electrolux​

Electrolux brand appliances have been making housework easier for more than a century. Established in Sweden, the Electrolux company currently owns Frigidaire, Tappan, Kelvinator and Gibson appliance brands.

In 2014, Electrolux tried to purchase the General Electric appliances division at a cost of more than $3 billion in cash. The deal was quashed by the United States Department of Justice on the grounds that the merger of the two companies would create an unfair monopoly in the American household appliances market.

GE​

General Electric (GE) is a multinational conglomerate that manufactures products to serve many industries, including renewable energy, aviation, healthcare, and appliances. The appliances division of GE was purchased by the Chinese-owned Haier company in 2016.

Four years prior, the same company acquired the New Zealand appliance maker, Fisher & Paykel. When the Haier company acquired GE, they wisely retained the right to use GE brand names through 2056. Today, Haier manufactures GE, Hotpoint, Cafe, Profile, and Monogram branded household appliances.

Samsung​

Samsung Electronics may be best known as the maker of Galaxy cell phones, but the Korean company also makes a number of Samsung branded ‘smart’ household appliances, including cooktops, refrigerators, wall ovens, microwave ovens, and laundry machines, as well.

In the summer of 2016, Samsung acquired the Dacor brand of American-made luxury appliances. Dacor is the only appliance brand to be endorsed by chefs at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu culinary institute in Paris, France. High-end appliances that are made by Dacor in California include refrigeration units, cooktops, and wine preservation systems. According to Investopedia, Dacor became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics at a cost of around $150 million.

LG​

LG is a multinational appliance manufacturing conglomerate that began as the Rak-Hui (pronounced “Lucky”) Chemical Industrial Corporation in 1947. Today, LG manufactures a variety of appliances for the kitchen, laundry, and other household uses. Air conditioners, vacuum cleaners, and LED lighting solutions are also part of the LG repertoire of products.

(source Fredsappliance; url above)
*************************************************************************
GE is Chinese
LG is Chinese, they claim "multi-" but those behind the curtain are Pake'
Electrolux is Swedes
Samsung is Korean
Whirlypool...Used to be American but now billed as "Multi-"

Right now I would trust samsung or electrolux the most, but that is only an opinion, not based on anything other then ownership country. I try to avoid LG and GE. But that is just trying to not give money to the cc party.
I was employed by the ALI Group many years back (never did refrigeration) with restaurant equipment and what was interesting to me is how many of the companies were owned by ALI on the commercial side. I see Maytag is now owned by Whirlpool (I thought at the time ALI owned Maytag) and ALI now definitely owns Amana who was purchased by Maytag, Moffat Hotpoint etc. and it was privately owned and not publicly traded. It was around the time they figured out how to make stainless tanks not last more than 5 years.
 
Condenser is frequently under the outer skin of the fridge. Feel if it's getting warm while the fridge is running.
It's not plugged in. There is no gas in it. Whirlpool who was supposed to be here at 8 am tomorrow called and said between 12 and 5 pm and the fridge which they have the model and serial number for that was built in 2021 is now a 2016 model. Maybe that's why they are charging me for a service call on a 5 year "full warranty" which includes food loss".
I haven't heard from the warranty provider where we purchased this turd.
 
Well it costs a bunch of money but if you want appliances you can buy American basically never have to buy again look at the American made lines. Refrigerator look at a sub zero. Stove look at wolf dishwasher look at cove. Laundry speed queen.
the sub zero techs tell me they get warranty calls within 3 years being placed in service on most or many of their new units. i have a sub zero. bought it in 1979. under $1,000.00. i take very good care of it. no dust etc up on condsr! only repairs: 2 timers, 1 compressor, 1 condsr fan motor and i swapped the freezer door closed switch to refer side. refer side well used. i made a repair to it. both work fine.

so does the sub zero unit! 🤞
 

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