Jeff Flowers on March 16, 2015 49 Comments Your refrigerator is one of those household appliances you usually don’t have much trouble with. The lifespan of a quality fridge can last for many years, which is why it’s hard to tell when you need to call a repair technician and when you need to start looking into buying a new fridge. However, before your fridge completely gives out, it will usually give you a few indications that’s it’s wearing out. Let’s take a look at nine of the most obvious signs that you may need a new refrigerator in the near future. 1. Excessive Condensation If your fridge looks as though it’s sweating in the middle of a heat wave, the problem might be that it’s not cooling properly. If you notice this, you should immediately analyze the rubber sealing around the door to see if there are any water droplets or signs of mildew or mold. Depending on how bad the sealing may be, you could potentially fix it on your own. You may also notice signs of condensation inside your fridge as well. If so, this typically means your temperature setting isn’t operating as it should. If the problem persists long enough, there’s a good chance the inaccurate temperature will start ruining your food. 2. The Motor’s Running Hot Feeling a warmer temperature change whenever you put your hand to the back of your refrigerator is not uncommon. However, feeling excessive amounts of heat is an obvious sign that something is not right within your fridge. The coils in the back of your fridge are insulated, which should keep you from feeling too much heat. If you notice this in your refrigerator, it would be wise to call a repair technician to inspect your coils. Depending on the situation and the problem at hand, replacing the coils could be an option for you to consider. However, if you have an old fridge, especially one that’s showing other signs it’s fading, it may be a better investment to buy a new fridge, then to continue repairing a less-efficient one on its last legs. 3. Your Food Is Rapidly Spoiling Another indisputable sign that your fridge is about to breakdown, is when you notice your food start to smell and/or spoil days before it normally would. Or, if you put a six-pack of beer in the fridge, and notice that it’s taking longer than usual to get cold. A fridge that takes longer to cool your food or is unable to maintain the temperatures it is supposed to, is using more energy than it should. A gross waste of energy, really. This not only means you’re spending more on your energy bills than you should, but you’re also wasting money on any food you have to throw out due to your faltering refrigerator. 4. Your Freezer Has Become a Winter Wonderland One of the most common signs you may notice, is that your freezer is starting to resemble an iceberg. While you obviously want a freezer to keep your food in its intended frozen state, it’s not normal for you to have to chisel ice off just so you can reach your bag of peas. If you find yourself in this situation, the first thing you should do is defrost the freezer. Once you have done this, plug it back in and monitor how it acts. If the problem continues to arise, then it may be time to consider getting a new refrigerator. Since many newer units have an automatic defrosting feature, this problem is becoming less common. But nonetheless, it’s a problem that needs to be taken care of as soon as you possible no matter how old or new your fridge is. Another possible solution to consider, is to buy an extra freezer to store your frozen necessities. Not only will this solve your continual iceberg problem, but it can save you lots of money in the long run. 5. Your Fridge Is More Than 10 Years Old A refrigerator can last anywhere from 10 to 20 years. The older your unit is, the more it may cost to repair it. Eventually the cost of repairs will start to outweigh the cost of a replacement. If your fridge is over ten years old and in need of constant repairs, it’s not a bad idea for you to start saving up and shopping around for a new one. This is an obvious sign that its life expectancy is coming to an end and may give out at any time. You may think you’re needlessly spending money, but if you consider the cost-savings of buying a more energy-efficient fridge, as well as how much you won’t spend on repairs, you’ll quickly realize that this is a wise investment. 6. You Have a Side-by-Side Fridge The style of fridge you have can also play a big part in spotting signs that it’s time to replace it. If your side-by-side refrigerator is older than five years old and in need of constant repairs, it’s time to consider buying a new one. It’s best that bottom freezers be replaced after seven years and faulty top freezers be repaired if they are more than seven years old. 7. Your Fridge Isn’t Energy Efficient If your energy bills have been looking a bit higher lately and you’re still using the same amount of power from month to month, inefficient appliances may be the root of your problem. New Energy Star fridges are more energy efficient than older fridges. Not only is a more energy efficient refrigerator better for your wallet, it’s better for the environment as well. As you’re considering new fridges, pay attention to the specific type of fridge and the features in which they offer. Manual defrost fridges don’t use as much energy as automatic defrost units if they’re maintained well. A fridge with a freezer on top usually uses less energy than a fridge with a freezer on the bottom. 8. You Notice a Good Deal on a Fridge If your current fridge is older than ten years old and you’ve got the money to afford a new fridge you see available at a good price, you should at least consider buying it. Assuming, of course, that you’ve already done the proper research and compared similar models. This may seem as though you’re throwing away good money, but remember the older your fridge gets the more repairs can cost, the less energy-efficient they are to run and the more of an inconvenience it may become. Rather than wait for your fridge to inevitably break down at the most inopportune moment and leave you at the mercy of a salesman, take advantage of a good deal when you see one. There may not be any sales or specials going on when you finally do need to replace your fridge. If you like, you can sell your current fridge for a super cheap price to recoup some of the money you spent on your new unit. Just make sure you’re honest about how old the fridge is. At the very least you may be able to sell some of the parts that are still in working order. When all else fails, at least make an effort to recycle your old fridge. This is incredibly important to do, yet many people don’t even know that it’s possible to do so. Many old refrigerators, freezers and other kitchen appliances contain materials that should be disposed of properly and not just simply tossed aside in a landfill. 9. You Can Hear Your Fridge Running No, this isn’t a prank phone call from the 90’s, but if you can indeed hear your fridge running, then it’s time to call out a technician to see what the issue may be. While fridges typically aren’t the quietest appliances, you shouldn’t really notice any noise while it’s running. An ongoing buzz or hum can be problematic if either noise persists long after you re-plug your refrigerator in or open the doors. If the excessive noise continues after a technician comes out, you only have two options. Buy a new one or try to catch it before it runs away. Takeaways: In the end if you’re unable to decide whether you should keep repairing your refrigerator for a few years longer or go ahead and buy a new one, consult a reputable and trustworthy technician. It would also be wise to check to see if your fridge is under warranty or has an extended service plan. While this is unlikely, especially for older units, it’s still worth checking into. Just remember, no matter if you have a mini-fridge or a larger fridge with a freezer, at some point, continuing to repair an aging fridge is going to cost you significantly more than just simply replacing it.
Danyel Kent says June 29, 2015 at 7:03 pm My refrigerator is seemingly going bad and I was just wondering if I could something for it without buying a new one. My freezer is acting like the refrigerator section and the refrigerator section is warm. Is there anything I can possibly do to save the refrigerator? Reply
Kirk says July 5, 2018 at 11:46 am My side by side did this exact same thing. You have to replace your freezer heating defrost elements, after your defrost the cooling coils in the back of the freezer. Change out the thermocouple at the same time, as it senses when the motor needs to stop running. Also replace the timer at the bottom of the refrigerator. Doing all of these items was easy and cost less than $40 in parts for me. The frig is 30+ years old for me and still running great now. Reply
Blakeley Southern says July 14, 2015 at 3:57 pm Thanks for sharing these tips. The same advice that you give for household refrigerators and freezers apply to commercial refrigerators as well. I agree with you that any fridge over 10 years old should seriously be considered to be replaced. This is because there has been so much technology introduced in the past 10 years that you are likely spending too much money on energy. Look for refrigerators with the energy star label so that you know they are efficient and will do the job right. Reply
Freda Huff says August 17, 2015 at 5:49 am Thank you for sharing the topic about when you need to replace a Refrigerators because my food was spoiling fast. and I could not figure outMy refrigerators was not 10 yrs old neither. thanks Reply
Lisa Engelhardt says March 15, 2016 at 5:46 pm I can not get the temperature to go down in the refrigerator every time we turn it down it keeps going back to the higher number Reply
Lynn Manning says May 4, 2016 at 7:50 am There is water leakage onto the floor on the freezer side of a side by side refrigerator. It is a cyclical pattern. What could be the explanation? The unit is about twenty years old. I am concerned about how long I would have before the food in the freezer would go bad while I shop for a new refrigerator. Reply
Mity says November 7, 2018 at 2:37 am if your fridge has a water supply line running through it, the nut may have loosened up over time. this is typically found behind the unit and is easily fixable. if you are unable to tighten the but, then turning off the valve would be a priority. anything else i would have a technician look at. Reply
Amber says December 19, 2019 at 6:24 am Mine does this too. What eventually happened with your fridge? Reply
Kellie Lewis says July 13, 2020 at 6:55 pm Have someone coming to fix ours now. I am sure it has an automatic defrost feature. Our fix-it guy said the tube that drains the water can get plugged and something else in a lower panel can freeze up. He is fixing it for $90. Will help us out until we can get a new one ordered. Reply
Nash Rich says May 17, 2016 at 2:24 pm I thought it was interesting that a sign your fridge is on it’s way out, is the freezer is becoming really icy. I thought that would be a completely normal thing. I can see how your fridge not being as energy efficient would be a sign. It would be kind of hard to determine that the fridge is causing the the raise in bills. I guess you just have to really pay attention! Reply
su says August 12, 2016 at 7:01 pm not in a frost free model my 17 year old one is doing that now and so i am shopping for a replacement soon Reply
Lauren says May 27, 2016 at 8:10 pm There be a lot of water I n the first shelf of my refrigerator Reply
Alise Harper says July 29, 2016 at 1:58 pm I didn’t know that a fridge can last anywhere from 10-20 years! Thats amazing how long they can last. I have been having some minor problems with my fridge and I have noticed my energy bill has been higher than normal. I will definitely get it checked out for any repairs before I ditch it and get a new one. Thanks for the information! Reply
Danny says August 6, 2016 at 5:31 am What does it mean when I can see a red glow inside the back of my freezer. I keep hearing like drops of water are hitting something hot also my freezer button might’ve frozen or melted of I’ve only had my refrigerator for 5 years. Reply
Chrystal says August 20, 2016 at 9:59 am I just moved and don’t know how old the fridge is. I have noticed that the food in the freezer is super frozen even though there is no ice. I can’t even cool water in the fridge. It’s on the maximum setting. Does it sound like a replacement may be necessary? Reply
Jidy says April 2, 2020 at 2:49 pm It’s probably frozen up inside and needs defrosted Mine does that about every 2 months. You can’t see the frost because it’s covered by a panel.it is pnly around 6yrs old and it’s a Samsung which i have been seeing have that problem alot I’m ready to go get a new one the one i have was around 2500. Never again will i put that kind of money in one Reply
Jaki Redden says August 23, 2016 at 6:40 pm These are really great tips. Some of these tips are common problems that are neglected and eventually turn into more costly fixes. Great job. Reply
Skylar Williams says August 29, 2016 at 8:20 pm I think I’m to the point that you mentioned, where the repairs necessary will be just as expensive as a new fridge. That’s what I get for having a very old unit. It would be a good idea for me to buy a new fridge I think. Reply
Camille says November 21, 2016 at 8:09 pm My refrigerator is 25 years old. Never had any problems. I can hear it running sometimes, loudly. I am getting a new one tomorrow but am having second thoughts. I have never replaced an appliance that was still working. Having separation anxiety. New fridge will have an ice maker which I don’t really want. Reply
Cynthia D Cummings says July 17, 2018 at 5:50 pm Try not to buy a refrigerator with an ice maker. My ice maker stop working within 5 years. I had a appliance technician to look at it, the cost to repair it was ridiculous! I have been buying ice and putting it in the ice try for nearly five years. Recently, I have started seeing drips and water leakage. I suggest ice trays. It may be old fashion, however, it works. Reply
Scott says December 5, 2016 at 5:01 pm I like that you point out that if your food is spoiling quickly then something might be wrong with your fridge. I can see why this would be an easy indicator that it might need to be repaired. My sister just moved into a house and bought a fridge. I’ll have to remind her to be aware of the signs that it needs to be repaired. Reply
Pam Lassila says March 16, 2017 at 7:36 am My food is rapidly spoiling! It’s starting to get very frustrating. I think my issue has something to do with the compressor. I should call someone to get it replaced. I’m glad that we can just get parts fixed or our fridges repaired instead of having to buy a new refrigerator every time something goes wrong! Reply
bernie says May 20, 2017 at 11:35 am We need to purchase a new refrigerator but since we have no way to connect it to a water supply, we have no need for ice maker and dispenser. I would like a bottom freezer model perhaps with French doors. Is such a waterless model made? Reply
Denise Ford says August 10, 2017 at 9:16 pm There’s a SMELL, wondering if it’s antifreeze, every time it’s open can smell it, VERY noticable too. Seems as it’s getting into food that’s stored in containers or Ziploc bags. PLS help, I have a 7 yr old daughter plus myself. Reply
Anna Schaeffer says September 5, 2017 at 10:23 pm Came home after 5 days away to chunky milk and food that had defrosted and started to change colors…gross. Computer controls are in the door. I reset everything. Refuses to behave. Is it worth the expense to have it repaired or buy a new non-computerized one? Reply
Ridley says November 29, 2017 at 7:57 pm We definitely need a new fridge, especially after reading this. Ours is reaching 16 years old soon, and we can tell it’s just getting old. We’ll be sure to start looking and saving up for a new one, like you mentioned. Reply
Terry Harris says January 28, 2018 at 12:19 am My refrigerator has a knocking shaking noise What do you think that is? It is a 2005 Kenmore. Reply
Wendy says February 18, 2018 at 1:07 am My fridge freezer suddenly started defrosting for no reason. No doors open . It is only about 3 years old at most. Any idea what could be causing it to defrost please. Reply
Matthew says March 26, 2018 at 11:50 am What’s not in the article is that buying a new fridge comes with its own pricey problems which will cancel any energy savings. The new ones are made to fail and will most likely require a repair person servicing it very often. This has made me rethink replacing my running 25 year old whirlpool fridge. I don’t want to spend good money on something that may last 5-7 years (with repairs in between). Products need to be made better! Not made to fail! Reply
errol says April 9, 2018 at 7:19 pm my yellow one, from the 70’s is still working fine, my question is should i replace it, just because its old and will breakdown one day, its definitely made stronger the drawers arnt this cheap plastic. Reply
Tyler says August 8, 2019 at 9:10 am A lot of the energy efficiency and convenience features are just another thing that will potentially break. Older refrigerators were simpler, and relied on fewer fans, relays, and circuit boards to get the job done. Reply
Sab says July 12, 2020 at 12:08 am I live in a private house, used to hear fridge running in evening loudly, my fridge is from March 1999, today and yesterday pan in back of fridge is overflowing, there is condensation when I open door and mildew in rubber, landlady doesnt want to replace and says it’s good fridge. I beg to differ. Reply
Barb Loftus says May 21, 2018 at 1:57 pm I have a 12-year-old Frigidaire. The Freezer will not keep the ice cream cold enough. Ice cream is soft and mushy and I end up throwing away! Is it time to buy a new fridge? Or should I repaired the freezer? What kind of cost on the repair? Thank you so much Reply
Thanh Vu says June 10, 2018 at 7:13 pm I have 9 year old Kitchen Aid Refrigerator and having a problem recently. Freezer is not cold enough and caused ice cream melted. In order to keep it cooler, turn-on Max cooler and be able to manually set temperature to 6 degree instead of 0. Any suggestion in this matter will be greatly appreciated. Thanks Reply
Eric says August 26, 2018 at 9:10 pm I have an 18 year old Amana side by side. Looking at new refrigerators and trying to decide which type, side by side or French door style. Also torn about replacing it when it still works fine. Never had to service it. Clean coils occasionally and that’s it. Looking at new ones and realize what I have has many great features. Having trouble finding one I like for my price range, under 2k. One things for sure, they don’t build them like they use to, and this model is from 2000. At that time that’s what sales person said about appliances at that time. Other thing that has me concerned with new ones is the control panel that runs them. Seems like manufacturers came up with another twist to have a part to fail and what I’m hearing this, control panel is a killer. Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated. Reply
Edwin Dragwidge says October 9, 2018 at 6:34 am My fridge is about 7 years old. I can hear the buzzing sound constantly and its quite loud. It stops when the deep freeze is open then begins the loud sound again after we close the deep freeze door. Reply
Michael says September 13, 2019 at 1:24 am My refrigator has started making a loud noise. When I open the main door the noise immediately stops. But when I close the door, the loud noise starts again. What should I do ? Reply
Cosmin says November 29, 2019 at 11:22 am It seems like the deep freeze fan has a problem. Maybe its blades are touching something around, or the motor’s bearings need oiling. Reply
Alex says March 11, 2019 at 2:45 pm We bought a house a couple of years ago with a fridge in the basement that I have got to assume dates back to the ’80s, so, maybe 30 years old. It makes a loud knocking noise whenever it cycles back on, but other than that, it works fine. I’m sure it’s not as energy efficient as a new fridge, but I use it almost exclusively as a beer fridge and we don’t really have the money to buy a new one just to keep a massive stock of beer cold at all times. (Okay…fine…if it truly died we would buy a new one…but it’s not a priority). My point is, a lot of older fridges seem to have been built to last and other than the noise it sometimes makes, the thing is still working just fine. No need to replace what ain’t broke. Reply
Brooklyn Johnson says March 18, 2019 at 2:58 pm I like how you mentioned that you might need to get a new fridge if yours is older than 10 years and has a lot of issues. I have a really old fridge and am tired of paying for it to get repaired. I will definitely keep your tips in mind when deciding if I want to get a new fridge. Reply
Signs She Loves You Unconditionally says November 5, 2019 at 12:18 am Awesome blog! I like it a lot! Thanks and keep up the great work! Reply
Cosmin says November 29, 2019 at 11:15 am The only expensive parts to replace in a refrigerator are the compressor (motor) and the coils which contain the refrigerating gas. These have the largest lifespan however, provided you don’t hit or bend the tubing. If one of these fails, the coils inside the freezer won’t get cold, even if the compressor appears to work okay. The others last less, but are quite cheap and easy to replace, even by a layman. If the freezer builds excess ice, or doesn’t maintain a low enough temperature, then either the thermostat (energises the compressor according to its inside sensed temperature), the defrosting heater (melts ice, is placed under or near the cooling coil in the freezer), the bimetallic security (round, one inch in diameter attached to the coil inside the freezer – allows defrosting heater to warm up only if the ambient temperature is below 5C) or the defrosting timer (auto defrosting every 8 or 12 hours) may be faulty. If the compressor starts but often stops in seconds, that’s a faulty thermostat. If the compressor starts seconds after a power failure, but only buzzes, doesn’t stop and heats up a lot, the overload protection device attached to the compressor may be faulty. If the compressor works fine but heats up a lot, its cooling fan may not rotate fast enough. If the refrigerator side is quite warm even though the freezer is very cold, the freezer fan may not rotate fast enough to push enough cold air to the refrigerator side. If the compressor clunks when it stops, it may still work okay for some time, but it’s a sign that it suffered internal heat damage. If the condenser (coils at the back or beneath the fridge) is clogged, the temperature inside may not be low enough even though the compressor works non-stop. Generally, the mechanical thermostat is the first to fail, followed by the defrosting heater, the mechanical defrosting timer, the security bimetallic round device, the fans and the compressor. Lately, the thermostat and the defrosting timer have been replaced by digital interfaces which should last longer than their mechanical counterparts, but sometimes last less because their transformers (power supplies) are more sensitive to power spikes. These cost more to replace. Reply
sonia merritt says January 16, 2020 at 7:42 am My freezer makes ice on the outside and frothy ice on the inside. Is it time to replace? Reply
Lizzie Antoine says April 1, 2020 at 6:36 pm Hello, the whole thing is going nicely here and ofcourse every one is sharing data, that’s actually excellent, keep up writing. Reply
Debbie Adair says July 5, 2020 at 12:41 pm I bought a home that had a Kenmore side refrigerator. The divider between the freezer/refrigerator is hot to touch. Is this normal? The frig is cooling & freezing. the frig is 13 years old. Reply
Sharron Johnson says September 13, 2020 at 4:24 am Just purchased a Condo that came with a 19 year old kenmore Coldspot side by side fridge. Seems to be in good working order but water coming out of the water dispenser has “stuff” in it. It’s it possible the water supply hose needs cleaning or replacing? I worry that it could be MOLD I also have to replace the water filter as the “”replace filter ” red light is on. Reply
Shirley Downs says September 16, 2020 at 12:09 pm My 92 year old Mother purchased a new frig from Lows. She has had it only 4 years , we have had to put freeon in it 4times. It does Not cool at all we were told that it had a leak in the side wall and there is nothing that can be done. Please please can you help us?? I saw where y’all said they should last at least 10 years! Please HELP! Reply
