Appliance Repair in 08629 · Hamilton & Ewing

Plenty of households keep the previous kitchen refrigerator running downstairs when they upgrade. It holds drinks, holiday overflow and big batches of food, and it often runs for years without anyone thinking about it, until it starts making noise, frosting up or failing to keep things cold.

Older second refrigerators have a few predictable problems. Defrost systems fail with age, so frost builds up on the freezer's back wall until airflow to the fresh-food section stops. Condenser coils underneath collect basement dust and lint from the dryer nearby. Door gaskets harden and leak cold air. And a basement that runs cool in winter can keep the thermostat from calling for cooling, letting the freezer section warm up.

Older refrigerators also use more electricity than newer ones, and that is worth weighing when a repair comes up. A defrost heater, thermostat or fan motor is usually an affordable fix. A compressor failure or refrigerant leak on an old secondary refrigerator usually is not, and we will tell you so.

Whatever the repair, the technician diagnoses first and gives you a written estimate. If you decide the old unit has earned its retirement, that is your call.

Move food to a cooler or the kitchen refrigerator, and if the freezer is packed with frost, let us know rather than chipping at it with a sharp tool. Clear space around the unit and make sure the basement is well lit.