Dead Appliances Dang Kenmore Do Better!!

 

Now when I was a kid and mom and dad bought an appliance it lasted for years and years. The refrigerator that Crystal and I got when we married came from her mom and dad and it was 15 yrs old when we got it and it lasted us over 12 yrs. It was still working when we sold it. We got a little 5 cubic foot freezer in 1986 and it lasted us until 2010, 24 years. It is not that way anymore. I wonder at the why of it. Mom and dad had the same couch for 35 years. Try that with one of today’s couches.

What I am getting at is not that things are made less stable but I wonder if things are made less stable on purpose. Let’s say the car companies made a perfect battery, aka a battery that would last for the life of a car 30 yrs or so. Well, they wouldn’t sell many batteries now would they? I understand that in order to sell enough to keep a plant going you can’t make a perfect product that never tears up, if such a thing could be engineered at all. But, I would love to have something that just remotely would last 10 or 12 yrs.

Recently we purchased a Kenmore French Door Refrigerator. Well, maybe not recently but just 20 months ago or so. There are not many things that Crystal wants so when she told me she wanted it I would have moved heaven and earth to find it. She found the one she wanted and we bought it. Well this was during the pandemic so we had to wait on it for about 4 months. The fridge we had was working so it was not a problem.

We waited our time and they deliver the new fridge and took away our old fridge and by evening we realized it was not getting cold. Brand new fridge and it was not getting cold. So they sent us a temporary fridge till they could get a repairman out to look at it. Well, a brand new fridge not working is a bad sign so we told them we didn’t want that fridge bring a new one. Well, 3 or 4 months later we got another new fridge. We didn’t blame the local store they can’t help the manufacturing.

We did not purchase the extended warrantee. We thought hey it is a fridge it should last for years. The one they took away we had purchased for $150 used and had worked for us for 6 yrs, while we renovated the house, and was probably 15 yrs old when we got it. One of the freezers in the basement was moms and she died in 2003 so it has been working for 20 yrs at least if not more.

Not 2 months after they brought the new fridge it started smelling like airplane glue. You know the stuff we used to get as kids to put model cars together. It was so strong it would take your breath when you opened the fridge. They sent a tech out who said he had had covid so he just didn’t smell it. So he had someone with him as the sniffer and he swore he didn’t smell it either. It was obvious they were going to do nothing. They had our money. Eventually 2 months or so the smell dissipated and we went on about our lives.

Well, only 20 months in and the beautiful Kenmore Refrigerator was not cooling. Now I can work on dang near anything. But decided to call Sears to get diagnosed what was wrong. They made me give them my credit card info before they would even send a tech. I understand with the way people are in the world. The technician came, a really nice guy, and diagnosed the fridge and let us know that it would be almost half as much as the refrigerator cost new to fix it. So obviously we declined the service. He told me what part was needed. So I paid their $79 service call and decided that since it didn’t involve Freon that was a job I could tackle myself. I have been repairing electronics stuff for years.

Went to sears parts direct and went to order the part. It only gave me one option so I ordered that part but when it arrived it was wrong. So I returned the part. Then went to the website to order the correct part and this is what I was told:   

 

Refrigerator evaporator fan motor

Part #60159-0013600-00

 

The manufacturer no longer makes this part, and there's no substitute part

 

Well, I didn’t understand. I thought they had to make parts for at least 7 yrs to support the appliance. So I did a chat with a parts person and that chat is below: I took out addresses and phone #’s:

 

This chat may be recorded for quality assurance purposes.

The information provided is subject to our privacy policy. Click here to view the full policy.

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Prudens_Bot 5:41:55 PM

Hi, I’m Prudens_Bot, a digital assistant.

Prudens_Bot 5:41:57 PM

Need to order a part

Joel & 5:42:05 PM

I will be glad to connect you to a parts advisor who can help you further.

Prudens_Bot 5:42:07 PM

Your estimated wait time is less than 1 minute.

Prudens_Bot 5:42:09 PM

The live agent will receive the following chat summary details that you have provided:

• ChatId: 606e3a5a-efe1-411d-a095-1c834837511e

• Customer Phone number: ____________

• Name: Joel & Eldridge

Prudens_Bot 5:42:10 PM

Thank you for contacting Sears PartsDirect,

my name is Mina. How can I help you today?

Mina 5:42:36 PM

need an evaporator fan motor

Joel & 5:42:40 PM

Excellent! You came to the right place, I'd be happy to help you.

Mina 5:42:53 PM

To ensure I get you the correct part, may I please have the model number?

Mina 5:43:07 PM

11175039120

Joel & 5:43:25 PM

Thank you for the model number.

Mina 5:43:45 PM

Is this your full name Joel & Eldridge and phone#_____________?

Mina 5:44:06 PM

yes

Joel & 5:44:22 PM

Thank you for confirming.

Mina 5:44:42 PM

I need an evaporator fan motor

Joel & 5:45:34 PM

Sure! I'll help you.

Mina 5:45:55 PM

Is this your shipping and billing address

________________________________

Mina 5:46:43 PM

yes

Joel & 5:46:56 PM

Thank you for confirming.

Mina 5:47:31 PM

I need the evaporator fan motor

Joel & 5:51:16 PM

 

Mina has left the chat

 

Our representative has ended the chat.

Thank you for being our valued customer. We are so grateful and hope we met your expectations.

Goodbye.

Prudens_Bot 5:51:39 PM

Thank you for your recent chat.We would appreciate your feedback on

the quality of service you received.Please choose appropriate star based on

your experience.

 

So the representative just hung up on me with no explanation. This is clearly a lemon and they know it. But since the warrantee is expired it falls under no lemon laws. Thus we have no recourse except one. We will never buy another Kenmore appliance! Period! So we are on the search for a new fridge and have been without one for about 2 wks. We have a small fridge in the basement for my medicine and a few things but DANG. We lost nearly $200 in food. 

I hope this finds you well. We are okay but just a little frustrated. Trying to look on the bright side I did just get a new $2000 goat barn tool cabinet!::! Send up a prayer for us and we will send up one for you. But always remember that Life, Like Homesteading, is a Marathon Not a Sprint – Slow Down and Enjoy The Ride.

Be Certain to Visit our Homesteading Channel on Youtube at http://Youtube.com/c/collegehillfarm  as we create and live on a modern homestead like our ancestors before us. Also check out and add your name to follow our weekly blog channel at https://collegehillfarm.blogspot.com so you do not miss our weekly ponderings on the past, present and future and on our Facebook page at  https://www.facebook.com/College-Hill-Farm-295659074295747