Joe-46er wrote in message . ..

Hi,

When is it time to toss away a refrigerator?

When the cost of repair is more than 50% of the cost to replace the
item.

My 9 year old
side-by-side GE 21 cf was doing fine, then all of a sudden it began to
fail. Not completely (yet).

Some common things to check for...
http://www.applianceaid.com/frig_notcold.html

Right now the freezer section works as follows: 22 degrees at the
bottom and 32 degrees at the top. (I don't know why the discrepancy.)
The non-freezer section maintains a 52 degree temp. These are when set
at max cold.

Put the controls back on a mid point setting.

The fins are dust-free. I've turned the controls on and off several
times.

Have you tried an over night defrosting?

Is it worth calling in a repairman?

If the rest of the refrigerator ( gaskets, plastic panals/parts ) is
still in good shape, for sure call!

I figure that the worst problem I
could have is a bad compressor. So what might that cost?

Approx 350-400 to replace a compressor.

Is it
cost-effective to repair or should I just go get a new one? The
original was $900 at the time. I can get an equivalent today for
around $700.

Depends on what is wrong and what is required to correct the problem.

This brings up another issue...finding an honest repairman. I recall
seeing a TV consumer special about how unscrupulous some are.

Ask some nieghbours/friends/relatives who they use.

jeff.
Appliance Repair Aid
http://www.applianceaid.com/