"notbob" wrote in message
...

stuff snipped

Will you actually save money by purchasing new? My mom's last new
refrigerator lasted only 5 yrs before dying an unrepairable death.
That's jes about the time she would have started realizing some cost
savings, but then had to buy a new one. Her current one, about 5 yrs
old, jes blew a fan motor. Repairs cost over $200. Of her two chest
freezers, both less than 10 yrs old, one jes died. The other got
eaten by a bear (no kidding!).

Thanks for reminding me. A lot of people have said their new units have
needed replacement or repairs very early on in their life cycle. That, of
course, could alter the payback stats. The old A/C ran, uncovered in the
window all year long, for 17 years. The fridge for over 30. I suspect
their replacements, with the use of far more plastic parts, won't last
nearly as long.

It's a lot easier to make the decision to replace when the old ones fail. A
lot of the efficiency of new units comes from better insulation. I'd get a
Kil-a-watt and see if insulating the outside of the freezer saved any money.
It took 22 years for my Honda to reach the "can't repair it anymore" point.

--
Bobby G.