On Oct 15, 6:02*am, mm wrote:
When you buy a gasket for a fridge or freezer, from a place like
ApplianceParts.com, or any of the others, how old is it?

I need a new thermostat for my 31-year old Sears fridge, so while I'm
at it, I thought I'd buy a door gasket and maybe a freezer one (Have
to go downstairs and check its condition).

Will it also be 31 years old? *20? *10? *5?

Do they make them in batches according to what they sell, so it might
be only as old as the last one they sold?

snip

Years ago when I worked for a large industrial firm, I had contacts in
the rubber parts industry. My view on their technology is that they
can come up with a rubber part of most any kind on short notice and at
a most reasonable price. They may even be better at it today. Back
then we could get a few small engineering prototype parts in two days
for around $20. Of course today's prices would be higher, but the
quality may be better, too.
Bottom line, don't sweat the aging problem. What you get will work
just fine for many years, and likely outlast the appliance.

Joe