Man… where to start? I started writing this post a few days before I left for vacation, but did not have a chance to finish it. Yes, this is one of those drafts that I have been hoarding. 🙂
Being a homeowner means that there will be things to fix at some point. Things are bound to break down at some point. But enough already!! My home is only 8 years old last month. Apparently things are not made the way they used to be. Things have been breaking and falling apart left and right.
Recently as I stood in my bathroom brushing my teeth my light flickered off and on about 3 times. In my room the cable box turned off. But it all came back. I said to myself “Oh, it’s just a power surge. I’m glad that it did not last long.” About an hour later I went to my kitchen and opened my refrigerator. It was off. I thought “Oh, the power surge must has tripped the circuit breaker.” Long story short, there were no power surges reported in my area. The surge was caused by the refrigerator itself which just decided to give up. I found this out after some testing, unplugging, moving around, flipping the circuit back and forth, etc. Sigh… This is the 2nd time in the short 8 year life of this fridge that it was gone out. The first time it was only a few months old. It was the circuit board. At that time it was still under warranty and it was repaired. It was also the middle of winter so I was able to put my stuff in a cooler and sit it on the deck in the snow to keep cold.
This time it appears to be a short within the refrigerator itself. If I plug it into any outlet it just flashes off and on and off and on, or immediately trips the breaker. Unlike before, this time it was the middle of summer and 80-90 degrees outside. I put everything that I could into my deep freezer.
I cooked some. I threw some out. And I hauled a few things to Grandma’s house. Since it was only a few days until we left on a week long trip I decided to just deal with it at a later date. Unfortunately, the unit is no longer under warranty. And frankly? I would rather have a new one anyway. At this rate I will have to get this one repaired again in a couple of years.
Now I usually do not mention brands in my blog when it comes to negative feedback. However, I am going to do it this time. I have all GE Profile appliances in my kitchen. They were purchased when the home was built in July 2006. I thought that I was doing good by upgrading my appliances when my home was built instead of going with the builder grade. Apparently I should have stayed with the builder grade! Since 2006 the fridge has died twice, the built-in microwave died, and one of the heating elements in my double electric oven had to be replaced. The only thing that has not yet needed service is the dishwasher. However, it does have wheels falling off the rolling trays. I’m sure it is only a matter of time before it breaks down. That is a lot going on in one kitchen. The sad thing is that I have heard from others that GE appliances are unreliable. Even a former employee of GE told me to stay away from their appliances. Wow!
Speaking of the deep freezer… My former mother-in-law gave me that deep freezer in 1998. I recently asked her if she remembers when she bought it. She bought it in 1980!!! That means that freezer is 34 years old and it is still working perfectly. It is an Admiral. Are they still around and do they make refrigerators??
It is not just the kitchen appliances in the house that are having problems. I recently repaired all three toilets in the house. The powder room toilet on the 1st floor was running constantly. Both toilets upstairs were leaking and/or running. About 2 months ago I had to have one of my sump pumps replaced. The 2 electrical outlets on the outside of my home no longer work. The water faucet on the front of my home is leaking. And I just discovered that some of the tiles on my shower ledge are coming loose. I’m sure if I thought about it I would remember a couple of other issues.
ENOUGH ALREADY!! I don’t mind doing some work around the house. And I know that things happen over time. But do they have to all happen at once???
Sigh… Anyone want to give me a new fridge?
Oh that is awful! So hard when it all comes at once! They sure do not make things like they used to! That is for sure!
I know my dryer, fridge, feezer, and double oven are ancient from Sears Kenmore! They are old and were built well! I think I have only had service on the fridge once, and the dryer once…and they are about 20-25 years old ….at least! I purchase my home back in 1999….and they were all existing…so not even sure exactly how old they are. I had to buy a new dishwasher about 5 years ago…and its already having problems! I so wish companies would make quality products again!
You have my sympathies! 2013 was the year of vehicles and appliances breaking down. This year it’s all about leaks – kitchen sink, master bathroom’s tub, etc.
Oh, and on the appliance front, we too have GE appliances, and last year our 6 year old GE washer broke (after a $300 repair three years before!), the GE dryer required $70 in parts, and our GE oven needed a new ignitor – and now one of the range burners needs replacing. Erghhh. I too have been told to stay away from GE, which is a shame because they used to be awesome!
God bless deep chest freezers…we too have one that belonged to my grandparents. That thing is massive and ugly and must be a good 40 years old at this point, but bless its ugly, ancient heart, because it works perfectly LOL.
Oy Jenn! Yes, that is a lot. And I have not even written about my car troubles yet. I just got a new car about 2 months ago because my van was on its last leg.
I’ll give you a new fridge if you can get me a completely new kitchen! I am talking we probably have to build onto my pos house! As for brands I would have a complete Jenn-Aire kitchen if I could, with all small appliances being Kitchen-Aid. Kitchen-Aid has an amazing stove though, it has a built in bread proofer, something this baker would love to have!
Jenn-Aire, Bosch, or Samsung appliances would be amazing! I don’t think I have checked out Kitchen Aid appliances yet. Hmmm…