Walked into a customer's house in Phoenix and their fridge was running on a 50-year-old compressor

I'm not kidding, the serial number tag was so faded I had to use a flashlight and a magnifier. Still cooling perfectly. Made me wonder if we're overcomplicating modern fridges with all these circuit boards and sensors. Has anyone else run into ancient appliances that just refuse to die?

3 comments

3 Comments

josephbailey3d ago

Whoa hold up. 50 year old compressor? I think you're off by a bit. Most fridge compressors from that era were good for maybe 20-25 years tops. You might be looking at a 30 year old unit, not 50. Those old Kelvinators and Frigidaires from the 70s are tough but even they had limits. I've seen ones from the late 80s still running strong, but a 50 year old one would be pushing it hard. Still cool you found an old workhorse though.

the_brian3d ago

You're probably right that most are toast by 25 years, but I've actually pulled a few original compressors from late 60s Philco units that were still kicking. @josephbailey the trick is checking the model number stamped on the dome (not the serial plate) to get the actual build date. I'd bet money that if that thing was serviced regularly and never ran low on freon, the motor windings could hold up way past what anyone expects. The real issue is usually the relay or start capacitor going bad, not the compressor itself.

wendy_lee483d ago

Pushing it hard" is right. My buddy Mike had an old Frigidaire from like 1972 in his garage. Ran for years. Ice cold. Then one day it just seized up. No warning. He said it sounded like a coffee grinder dying. Had to drag it out yourself, it was heavy as hell. He swore it was original but I never checked the stamp.