The Curse of Modern Technology.

[Sean Regan]

Back in the day we had a Hotpoint "Iced Diamond" fridge/freezer. It was actually two separate units bolted together, each with a compressor and one set of controls between the two. We had it for 25 years with never a problem. But it was eventually, "considered, by the powers that be," not big enough.

So it was replaced by a larger Bosch around which the new kitchen was built. After about seven years, about twice a year it would lose temperature as it would ice up. This was probably because "someone" filled the drawers too full. This usually happened around midnight on a Sunday.
I had a routine for this. By then, I'd bought an under the counter freezer and a table-top one that sat on top of it, situated in the room in the back of the garage. This was for "stuff" my wife occasionally ordered on-line. It was easy enough to shift everything out of the Bosch and put it in these freezers. It's amazing how much I could get in the under the counter freezer, if I just left one drawer in it and piled everything on top.

It was then a case of removing the inside back of the Bosch and "attacking" the elements with a hairdryer. Once done and everything replaced, I'd turn it back on and we'd go to bed. By morning, it would be back to normal and could be re-filled.

But about six years ago it gave up the ghost, so I had to replace it. Nothing I could find would fill the "gap" left by the Bosch, they were either too short or about at least an inch too tall. So we bought a much taller Miele which meant I had to remove a cupboard which was over the Bosch and make a shorter fillet out of the door to fill the gap.

After six months this had to be replaced under guarantee, as that one packed up.

Last night around 6.00pm I must have left the freezer door slightly open as when I went in the kitchen about 7.00pm the alarm was going, although the door was shut. The freezer was down to -9c though the fridge was as should be, at +5.

This fridge/freezer has "touch controls" there's even one which will give you its model and serial number.
So I set the"boost" on the freezer and left it for an hour. This control, there's one for each, turns on a fan. An hour later I checked and the freezer had gone down to -12 but the fridge up to +10. It probably meant the fridge was being starved of cold air. I tried several of the many settings available, including "sabbath." But that made no difference, perhaps it's not religious.
I checked it several times in the early hours of the morning and there'd been no improvement.
In the end, I put it back to factory settings, reprogrammed it and put both on "Party mode." This is for occasions when you are likely to be "in and out" of both a lot. I did the usual chore of shifting the contents of the freezer into the other two in the garage, this would have been around 4.00am.

This morning, I checked it around 8.00am. The freezer was at -24c and the fridge +2c. So I took it off party mode and by 10.00am it was back to what it should be, -18c and +5c. I gave it three hours, then refilled it. We're back to normal now.

I had visions last night of having to call out Miele. With a bank holiday in two days time, there was no guarantee of when they'd come. Fortunately, I've my little Budweiser fridge in the tea-house, so I could put that on the counter top in the kitchen if it was required.

Miele have a repair service, not that I'd use them. They'll come out and repair your fridge/freezer and give you a 12 month guarantee, for a fixed price of £280.
If they can't repair it, they give you that much off a replacement.
No thanks!

Something similar to what we've got, is now well over £1000.

What I find disappointing is that they are very stingy with the amount of paint they use. It's worn off on the very edge of the door next to the handle.

 

[PGB1]

I like your title, Sean: "The Curse of Modern Technology". Amen to that!
When we buy something, my always wife says to "Watch out for the 'E' word". E as in Electronics.

Our previous refrigerator was built in 1965. Our previous upright freezer was made in 1961. We got them second hand. For all the years we owned the refrigerator, all I did was change the condensing fan bladed once when it fell off. The freezer? Never a repair until we passed them along in 2010- both still working perfectly.

How much electronics? None. (The only reason we passed them along was to have a smaller upright freezer and when re-doing the kitchen, the refrigerator wasn't going to fit.) That's 45 years for the refrigerator and 48 for the freezer.

The dishwasher is 32 years old. No electronics and one door spring was replaced. No other repairs. Ever.

The previous clothes washing machine was who knows how old and never needed repairs until the transmission gave out & I could not buy parts. The clothes dryer was from 1956. Yes- fifty six. All I did for that was replace one element by making one from a license plate & a commercial toaster heating element. And the UV light burned out once. Electronics? Again none in either.

Boiler = 1948. No electronics. No repairs ever. Just normal maintenance.

Our current upright freezer was made in 1994.
Repairs? Once I had to repair a refrigerant leak when something stored behind it rubbed against the capillary tube. (My fault) Electronics? None.

Our spiffy, new in 2010 Maytag refrigerator, clothes washer and clothes dryer all were purchased brand new, but all were broken out of the box. It took 4 months for the washer to be fixed. All three break down regularly. (Refrigerator at least 5 times a year. Washer, 6 or more. Dryer- perhaps 2 times a year. Refrigerator only at dinner or bed time, of course!)
Every, single repair has been electronics related.

In my work, lighting timers, heating controls, motor starters, energy systems and more used to be relays, contactors and mechanical switches. Very few problems. New stuff = Electronic. So many failures! (I guess, in a way electronics are good. My guys and I got lots of call-in pay.)

So, I agree with you about the curse. Perhaps we should get a priest to exorcise our electronic devices!

Paul