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? How many different sizes do
doors come in?

For the one I've looked at so far, the picture shows it with four
finished corners.

Or should I but a universal gaskets which will be practically new, but
I have to cut out the V sections (which I could conceivably screw up)?
And I guess the corners will never be "welded" like one made
specifically for my door.




BTW, I think it interesting that several of these webpages show the
same parts with the same pictures in the same order, and the same
number of total parts for my model, 261. They must be all one company,
or they all buy the software and esp. the data from the same supplier.

P.S. Please don't try to talk me into buying a new refrigerator. This
one seems to be made of steel. It shows no sign of wearing out, and
may outlast a new one bought today.

On 10/15/2010 7:02 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?

I would think since it's in the bag and hasn't been used that it would
be in good shape. Should have most of the plasticisers left.

Do they make them in batches according to what they sell, so it might
be only as old as the last one they sold? How many different sizes do
doors come in?

For the one I've looked at so far, the picture shows it with four
finished corners.

Or should I but a universal gaskets which will be practically new, but
I have to cut out the V sections (which I could conceivably screw up)?
And I guess the corners will never be "welded" like one made
specifically for my door.


I wasn't crazy about the universal, but it does work. I'd get the
original. Surprised they would have it.

Or better, a new fridge. The efficiency of the ones made in the last
10 years or so is much better. It will eventually pay for itself and
electricity isn't getting cheaper. It's also nice having new.

Jeff




BTW, I think it interesting that several of these webpages show the
same parts with the same pictures in the same order, and the same
number of total parts for my model, 261. They must be all one company,
or they all buy the software and esp. the data from the same supplier.

P.S. Please don't try to talk me into buying a new refrigerator. This
one seems to be made of steel. It shows no sign of wearing out, and
may outlast a new one bought today.

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?
....

Probably not all that old; most have similar profiles and/or are
replacement part numbers rather than perhaps identical...

At 30+, possible the current inventory is starting to age but since
there are so many out there for any models that use a given design,
parts are made for years after an initial introduction year of the
appliance itself.

As someone else noted, that it's not been out in UV, it'll undoubtedly
be more pliable than an old one plus won't be compressed and/or torn,
etc., ...

And as they also noted, there is the thing about current efficiencies as
compared to items of that age...

--

In article ,
mm wrote:

BTW, I think it interesting that several of these webpages show the
same parts with the same pictures in the same order, and the same
number of total parts for my model, 261. They must be all one company,
or they all buy the software and esp. the data from the same supplier.

Kitchen table "businesses" that buy a pre-made website and product line,
then try to get their own branded site to the top of google somehow.
They don't buy, stock, or ship, just take orders and get a commission.

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

On Fri, 15 Oct 2010 08:04:11 -0400, Jeff Thies
wrote:


Or better, a new fridge. The efficiency of the ones made in the last
10 years or so is much better. It will eventually pay for itself and
electricity isn't getting cheaper. It's also nice having new.


Depends how you measure "efficiency."
Bought a new fridge about 5 years ago, and maybe it saves a few bucks
a month on electricity.
No choice - old one quit. It was maybe 30 years old.
But it cost about $500 bucks to buy the new one.
Long time for payback.
And it started banging (broken compressor suspension spring I'm told)
after a couple years, Don't have much confidence in it lasting long.
Also the wife is complaining about water collecting inside it, so
there's probably a drain problem to look at.
I'll wait until she bitches about that again.
Anyway, it often gets down to how long you'll shrug off the wife's
complaints with these appliances.
They always want a new one. That's pretty normal.
Only time I go in there is to get milk or beer.

Seems all these appliances are made in Mexico now, by outfits that
don't prize product longevity much.
Maybe the reviews and complaints have me fooled because it's the
folks with problems writing most of the reviews.
But my own experience with a gas range and this fridge tells me they
don't make them like they used to.

--Vic

On Oct 15, 8:04*am, Jeff Thies wrote:
On 10/15/2010 7:02 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?

I would think since it's in the bag and hasn't been used that it would
be in good shape. Should have most of the plasticisers left.



Do they make them in batches according to what they sell, so it might
be only as old as the last one they sold? *How many different sizes do
doors come in?

For the one I've looked at so far, the picture shows it with four
finished corners.

Or should I but a universal gaskets which will be practically new, but
I have to cut out the V sections (which I could conceivably screw up)?
And I guess the corners will never be "welded" like one made
specifically for my door.

* *I wasn't crazy about the universal, but it does work. I'd get the
original. Surprised they would have it.

* *Or better, a new fridge. The efficiency of the ones made in the last
10 years or so is much better. It will eventually pay for itself and
electricity isn't getting cheaper. It's also nice having new.

* *Jeff





BTW, I think it interesting that several of these webpages show the
same parts with the same pictures in the same order, and the same
number of total parts for my model, 261. They must be all one company,
or they all buy the software and esp. the data from the same supplier.

P.S. Please don't try to talk me into buying a new refrigerator. *This
one seems to be made of steel. *It shows no sign of wearing out, and
may outlast a new one bought today.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

"Or better, a new fridge. The efficiency of the ones made in the
last
10 years or so is much better. It will eventually pay for itself and
electricity isn't getting cheaper. It's also nice having new. "

It's not just the efficiency to consider, it's the new features also.

As trivial as it may sound, here's a feature I like about my new-ish
fridge:

My model has a bottom drawer freezer, which I love, but that's not the
feature I'm talking about. The shelves on the door can handle gallon
containers - but that's not it either.

Here's what I really like: The result of the door shelves being so
deep is that the internal shelves are set back so that there is a deep
ledge at the bottom of the fridge compartment in front of the
vegetable drawers. I can take large objects off the shelves and place
them on this ledge to get to smaller items in the back.

In the old days, you had to take the big pot of soup out of the
fridge, put it on a counter, go back and get your items, go back and
get the soup, etc. Now you just place the pot on the ledge, grab your
stuff and put the pot back.

On Oct 15, 1:04*pm, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Oct 15, 8:04*am, Jeff Thies wrote:





On 10/15/2010 7:02 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?

I would think since it's in the bag and hasn't been used that it would
be in good shape. Should have most of the plasticisers left.

Do they make them in batches according to what they sell, so it might
be only as old as the last one they sold? *How many different sizes do
doors come in?

For the one I've looked at so far, the picture shows it with four
finished corners.

Or should I but a universal gaskets which will be practically new, but
I have to cut out the V sections (which I could conceivably screw up)?
And I guess the corners will never be "welded" like one made
specifically for my door.

* *I wasn't crazy about the universal, but it does work. I'd get the
original. Surprised they would have it.

* *Or better, a new fridge. The efficiency of the ones made in the last
10 years or so is much better. It will eventually pay for itself and
electricity isn't getting cheaper. It's also nice having new.

* *Jeff

BTW, I think it interesting that several of these webpages show the
same parts with the same pictures in the same order, and the same
number of total parts for my model, 261. They must be all one company,
or they all buy the software and esp. the data from the same supplier..

P.S. Please don't try to talk me into buying a new refrigerator. *This
one seems to be made of steel. *It shows no sign of wearing out, and
may outlast a new one bought today.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

"Or better, a new fridge. The efficiency of the ones made in the
last
10 years or so is much better. It will eventually pay for itself and
electricity isn't getting cheaper. It's also nice having new. "

It's not just the efficiency to consider, it's the new features also.

As trivial as it may sound, here's a feature I like about my new-ish
fridge:

My model has a bottom drawer freezer, which I love, but that's not the
feature I'm talking about. The shelves on the door can handle gallon
containers - but that's not it either.

Here's what I really like: The result of the door shelves being so
deep is that the internal shelves are set back so that there is a deep
ledge at the bottom of the fridge compartment in front of the
vegetable drawers. I can take large objects off the shelves and place
them on this ledge to get to smaller items in the back.

In the old days, you had to take the big pot of soup out of the
fridge, put it on a counter, go back and get your items, go back and
get the soup, etc. Now you just place the pot on the ledge, grab your
stuff and put the pot back.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

But will it last long enough to pay you back? I guess we won't know
for another 20 years. (or less, if the answer ends up being "no.")
At which point the then-new fridges will be completely different from
the ones being sold today and we'll still be having this discussion.

nate