Upright Freezer

[deltaenterprizes]

My upright freezer is almost 20 years old and I think that it is time to replace it before it goes out and I loose the contents unexpectedly.
Any brand to stay away from?
I have a Frigidaire now.

[elmacgyver0]

Upright freezers are easy to organize but inefficient as they dump all the cold air when you open the door.
Just be bare footed the next time you open it, you will see what I mean.
Chest freezers are more efficient as the cold air stays in them better when opened.
With todays greenie wienie rolling blackouts that may be something to consider.

[MT Gianni]

Our old Montgomery Wards from 1977 is still going strong. I highly recommend that one.

[Dekota56]

My Frigidaire upright is 8 years old, and all I did last week is move it down and plug it in another outlet. Then the compressor stop working, I tried to reset it, no luck. Moved it back, no luck my large chest freezer works fine in that outlet. Well time to get a new one for the price for the compressor.
I don’t recommend that brand.

[Minerat]

My monkey wards chest freezer is still going strong from 1975. Knock on wood.

[GregLaROCHE]

Upright freezers are more convenient but you end up with a lot of waisted space. I don’t agree that you loose all the cold when you open them. Maybe if it was empty and only filled with air, but with a well stocked one, the cold stays in the food. Like blocks of ice.
I bought an upright a few years ago to replace our chest type. We ended up using both. The new upright died two weeks after its warranty was up. The chest type that was twenty years old fifteen years ago, when given to us is still going strong. However, I’m sure it using a lot of electricity. I’m not sure what type I will get to replace it.

[pworley1]

We have three and they are all different brands and ages. I don't think that there is a lot of difference in brands anymore. I would suggest getting a frost free one.

[NyFirefighter357]

My Frigidaire upright is 8 years old, and all I did last week is move it down and plug it in another outlet. Then the compressor stop working, I tried to reset it, no luck. Moved it back, no luck my large chest freezer works fine in that outlet. Well time to get a new one for the price for the compressor.
I don’t recommend that brand.

Today's freezers have a lifespan of up to 20 years, but they average about 11 years, according to the NAHB. Look for the defrost timer see if you can advance the dial it may have stuck.

[NyFirefighter357]

My upright freezer is almost 20 years old and I think that it is time to replace it before it goes out and I loose the contents unexpectedly.
Any brand to stay away from?
I have a Frigidaire now.

Clean off the coils & vacuum out the dust/dog hair and hope it lasts another 20yrs.

[winelover]

Stay away from Whirlpool. The upright I purchased ten years ago, lasted less than five years. Replaced it with a Frigidaire. Appliances are like TV's anymore. Engineered to last just past warranty.

Winelover

[Frosty Boolit]

My experience with all refrigeration related appliances are that they all have the same stuff with anyone who wants their name on it. As far as I'm concerned it's a crap shoot how long it will last but from what I've seen if it goes last ten it'll probably go alot longer. 90% of problems in refrigeration are electrical, not the charge or the compressor.

[MrWolf]

I have both an upright and chest freezer. With the shortages a few years ago (September 2020) I decided to cry once and buy a commercial chest freezer and got the Galaxy CF20HC Commercial Chest Freezer - 19.4 cu. ft. Cost me about $1,100 with shipping and so far I am very happy with it. Good luck.
Ron

[gwpercle]

Don't throw in the towel on your old upright just yet .
Freezers are some of the most long lived appliances in creation and they don't use a lot of electricity .
My Dad had a Fridgidaire that ran for 45 years , after he passed ( 2017) my Office Manager wanted it.
It's still running and has never been worked on or recharged with freon ... that's 53 years .
Our upright is a Montgomery Wards model and at least 25 years old and still freezes solid .
It has a lot of life left ... the way you can tell when they are wearing out is the food doesn't freeze as hard ... On our first freezer (Sears) , the tip off was ice cream ... it started staying not as hard as it normally did and lowering the temperature did not increase the hardness of the ice cream or other frozen foods .
It never just "stopped working " ... it gave signs it was slowly going out ... I didn't see about getting it repaired because we wanted a smaller freezer for a smaller space in our Laundry room , so we got the smaller Montgomery Wards model on sale .
20 years may not be end of times for your unit ... unless you just want a smaller / newer model !
Gary

[Baltimoreed]

Had a chest freezer until it died, ripped the compressor and other stuff off the bottom, put it on a custom made dolly and now it’s used for ammo storage in my shop. Stopped deer hunting so it never got replaced.

[Rapier]

Built a new house, third iteration of this house, appliance manager of the store where we bought told me not to count on the new appliances of any kind lasting like the old ones, now only about 8 years. We had two new appliances that never worked at all, right out of the box. So, new is not necessarily better, anymore.
The makers have done away with the quality control staff, too expensive with the payroll and benefits, cheaper to replace the junk on site when dealing with new. It took me six months to get replacements for brand new.
There was a time when band name meant something…., now they have sold the name to….And there all now use the same shoddy and cheap, shiny junk. Be careful. Might see better off getting a good X brand fixed.

[Baltimoreed]

Pretty much a pig in a poke but look at Consumer Reports. They do test and fairly rate new stuff.

[Alstep]

We got a Frigidaire upright about 10 years ago, OK so far.
Also have a GE fridge made in 1943. It's relegated to the barn now, still runs good. Never had a service call in 79 years!

[Mal Paso]

Pretty much a pig in a poke but look at Consumer Reports. They do test and fairly rate new stuff.

I have never found the exact Consumer Reports tested item in stock anywhere. I'm guessing the their testing cycle is slower than the changeover in models plus I am reading the report sometime after that.

[MaryB]

Most consumer freezer compressors are all made in China in the same factory so good luck!

[waksupi]

My old chest freezer is around 70 years old, and still works fine.

[M-Tecs]

They newer high efficiency stuff doesn't. Put an alarm on the old one and keep it. I have a chest freezer that has be in use since 1964. I built my current house in 2004. All new higher end well rated appliances. Two frigs and two freezers. All have been replaced once. The 1964 chest freezer in the garage still works as good as the day it was new.

[Geezer in NH]

Our Kenmore 12 upright bought used at an auction for $25.00 15+ years ago is great still working well. Bet it was 15 years+ old when we bought it. It hold the veggies we freeze most of the berry crop overflow from sons 10cf chest freezer (bought used at another auction) in the barn.

The upright also holds all butter, and butter substitutes wifey likes not to mention cases of Ellio's pizza! Momma wants what Momma wants eh?

Our Kelvinator model chest deep freeze may be older and works fine Still.

We have been through 3 fridges in the last 40 years. The newest bought when the Maytag got hit by the power surge of a downed tree, is a piece of junk by Frigidaire but only one available at the time delivered in 2 days by Lowes.

If the chest freezer dies we have enough jars to can it's contents with help of our family.

[.429&H110]

What to buy and avoid Chinese?
Sorry, we've been sold out.

1990's the compressors went to Bangledesh. Not good.
2000's Bangledesh figured out how to make reliable compressors
2010's the compressors went to China, because Bangledesh had to actually pay the help.

A low bid commercial upright these days is a "True".
True freezers/coolers are made in Costa Rica so by NAFTA they aren't taxed.
True freezers/coolers are entirely made of chinese parts soldered together by somebody in Costa Rica who needs more silver solder lessons. True has a parts warranty, no labor, two units showed up with no gas at all in them, True bought me two pounds of 404a, thanks a lot.
Reinstall the condenser, pressure test, evacuate, recharge, it's a job. $300 labor or so, and a little gas.

I like old chest freezers, the old Blue Bunny chests are collectible.
I can repair old freezers and old cars. Then I got old.
Beware Chinese plastic! The dump is getting full!
Making disposable appliances is just wrong.

[farmbif]

want a good freezer, get an arctic air or a true from restaurant supply store, many of them sell previously used as well as new or reconditioned ones, because they are worth fixing or overhauling. a new one will cost 3 or 4x what one from same club will cost.

[Electrod47]

Get a small chest type at Lowes/Home Depot $200-229 when on sale. Your energy savings first year will probably pay for it. When it poops out redo.

[Handloader109]

I bought a frigidaire upright in 2020, roughly 2 years ago. Only model I could find. Sam's had them. Yes, chinese made as most. So far so good.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

[NyFirefighter357]

My experience with all refrigeration related appliances are that they all have the same stuff with anyone who wants their name on it. As far as I'm concerned it's a crap shoot how long it will last but from what I've seen if it goes last ten it'll probably go alot longer. 90% of problems in refrigeration are electrical, not the charge or the compressor.

Exactly only 2or 3 companies make the components Whether it's TV's, Fridge/Freezer, Heating equipment or computers. The companies just pick & choose what parts they will build there model with. All junk.

[.429&H110]

It is true that there is nothing on a True that cannot be repaired, parts like glass and door gaskets, shelves, evaporators, are easy to get. There are a million of them out there. Restaurants will have a cooler for open condiments, like pickles, ten years of pickle fumes and cleaning? will corrode an evaporator so it leaks. The box is pushed out the back door and a shiny new unit is running ten minutes later. The old boxes make fine smokers. If you repaired the refrigeration, you would get such a power bill, you would turn it back into a smoker.

[gwpercle]

This might be one case where an older American made unit might be preferred over anything from China !

As long as I could get American made auto parts for my 1968 Chevelle things were great and I could keep it running .... then the shift to Made in China and all electrical parts were a nightmare .
We had to order 3 of anything to maybe find one that worked then return the other 2 ...
Windshield wiper switch ... none of 3 worked ... called parts guy ...he checked his inventory ...every switch didn't work ... he said too costly to return to China so they were stuck and I bet they sold them to unsuspecting buyers ... but I got my money back !

Whatever you do avoid the China Syndrome !!!
Gary
Chinese make JUNK

[MaryB]

Those old freezers are tanks, they are also huge power hogs and if you haven't checked your electric rate I suggest doing it. They are climbing, FAST! A new chest freezer will use 1/2kwh a day, 15kwh a month. Those old ones? I measured one at 4kwh a day, 120kwh a month...

[thxmrgarand]

Every time I replace an appliance I am buying something new from China to replace something made in the USA at least 40 years ago. The Chinese stuff sometimes lasts only two or three years, and there is no repair to it. BTW, last week the Wall St. Journal had an amazing story about China; two medical researchers had carefully documented that China routinely harvest organs like hearts from live patients. The donor patients are people who have been sentenced to death.

[Froogal]

Brand names mean very little anymore. Even MAYTAG is just a name that was bought and then sold to another company. Your best bet is to find a mom and pop type of appliance store that is capable of service after the sale and go with what they recommend. Might be a brand name that you thought was long gone, such as CROSLEY.

[blackthorn]

Every time I replace an appliance I am buying something new from China to replace something made in the USA at least 40 years ago. The Chinese stuff sometimes lasts only two or three years, and there is no repair to it. BTW, last week the Wall St. Journal had an amazing story about China; two medical researchers had carefully documented that China routinely harvest organs like hearts from live patients. The donor patients are people who have been sentenced to death.

FINALLY! Something China does that I agree with!

[.429&H110]

The death of the old freezers was their insulation would lose its vapor barrier (if it ever had one)and get frosty. The wet insulation is equivalent to maybe a half inch of styrofoam. Two inches of blown closed cell foam in a modern freezer makes the difference in weight and powerbill. The compressor will be smaller with a better box, cheaper to buy, cheaper to run.

Keep your freezer full!
Keep the air space in it to a minimum with back issues of Handloader and Guns&Ammo, the less air exchanged when you open the door, the less frost and heat comes with it; on power fail, the mass stays colder longer. Good place for Guns&Ammo.

A belt drive R12 compressor from the fifties belongs in a museum, but they still work. They are like a two stroke engine with no carb. Flywheel-crank-rod-piston and two check valves are the moving parts. Their weakness is the shaft seal will leak and R12 was hoaxed out of service.

Other gases will work, what do we do when the R-4xx interim refrigerants are banned in 2030, and 134a is already banned in europe? R-52 and 1234yf are flammable. If we don't mind flammable we might as well use propane/butane or ammonia because they're not greenhouse gasses. Soon the senator from dupont will make a law that we can use flammable refrigerants; ironic that dupont banned them in the first place so by law we had to use R-22 because it was safe.
Then the R-22 patent expired. The hoax was on.
Re-elect nobody.

[jonp]

Whirlpool. I'll never own another of their appliances.

Take a look at refrigerators. Several brands may look identical because they are. All built by the same company and rebranded. We did just get a LG. Very nice. Got it dented at the box store for half price. Magnets can hide the dents. As for freezers, we have 2 small chest freezers of the chinese variety. Both work fine and are pretty energy efficient. Our electric bill last month was $45

[Froogal]

I personally know two people who bought brand new refrigerators within the last 2 to 3 years. One failed the very next day after being installed and needed a new mother board. The other one was good for about one week before it failed for the same reason. I do not know what brand name was on either one, but it makes no difference as they both probably came from the same factory.

[GregLaROCHE]

The upright freezer I had that died after two years was a Whirlpool. In general, I’ve had the best luck with appliances made by LG. I think they’re South Korean.

[gc45]

We have LG appliances and so far, they have been great. After 40 years had to replace everything, Maytag, Kitchen aid and sears stuff. it was all old and failing so no choice but to buy new. Have three older frost free freezers all upright models and still work fine. All three were garage sale items from the 1990 era..

[jonp]

Forgot to point out our LG fridge is made in mexico not china

[MaryB]

Forgot to point out our LG fridge is made in mexico not china

assembled in MX from parts made in China...

[gc45]

LG is korean, at least that is what I was told...

[Mal Paso]

The upright freezer I had that died after two years was a Whirlpool. In general, I’ve had the best luck with appliances made by LG. I think they’re South Korean.

Does anyone remember what LG stands for? Lucky Goldstar! Remember the plastic guitars? Same Company!

[deltaenterprizes]

I found a adjustable dial on the back down by the compressor and moved it a little bit and it is working better!
The owners manual online says that it is inside!

[jonp]

assembled in MX from parts made in China...

Assembled in USA from Global Parts.