Jazan

My second refrigerator which I run in the cellar is a 1962 18cf Whirlpool.
It is still running perfectly and has never, ever, had a service call.

Friends have told me it is costing me too much to run, and I should get a new one which uses less energy. Since it is opened only once every two weeks or so, unlike a kitchen refrigerator, I'm wondering whether it uses enough to make it worth the money to replace it.

Some estimates I've seen from power companies seem to say that getting rid of an old model will save about 100 dollars per year. If that is correct, it would take about nine years to pay back a $900 new refrigerator and start saving money. If that's seems correct, is there any reason to replace an old one that still does the job?

ConstantChange

I honestly have no idea how much it's costing you to run, but like you said, it's highly unlikely that it would be cheaper to buy a new one.

Factor in the time/cost to remove the old one from the cellar and get the new one down there. If it's me...I'm keeping the 1962.

ConstantChange

Well, it looks like I'm probably wrong...
http://michaelbluejay.com/electricit...igerators.html

I didn't realize you can buy a decent new refrigerator for around $500. It looks like you could get a full return on your investment in 3-5 years.

Have you checked out Craigslist? You might be able to find a fairly new one for around $250 and really save some money.

Red Squirrel

Sometimes the old stuff is worth keeping. My grandparants had this old wooden RCA TV. The ones with the dials, and it was probably one of the first color TVs. STILL WORKS! Not sure what they did with it. They only replaced it because someone bought them a bigger, LCD TV.

spark plug

Yes. But from the point of view of saving vs. wasting energy, it would be worthwhile to replace the old refrigerator with a new, "Energy Star" model. Who knows. Maybe one day we will have Government regulations (and enforcement) to replace older appliances. Eliminate confusion Through Education; Don't Drink and Drive, Ever!!!

chrisn

Maybe one day we will have Government regulations (and enforcement) to replace older appliances. Eliminate confusion


Be time for revolution in my mind.

ccarlisle

Up here, where 99% of the electricity we consume comes from renewable sources (hydroelectric dams ie flowing water versus burning coal - or nuclear) - so is comparatively cheap - but still we have a program that gives you a $60 rebate to pick up your old fridge, and they come and pick it up for free.

They have established that over-25 yr old refrigerators consume 3 times more energy than the new ones and that by replacing the old one you would save 1.5 kilowatts per year. We pay a marginal rate of 4-6 cents a kilowatt/hour so you would save about $100 a year on your electricity bill.

But I wouldn't spend $900 on a second refrigerator...that doesn't make sense.

I'd pick up a smaller one for under $500 and maximize the ROI to 5 years. But then I wouldn't just blow that $100 a year on booze or Big Macs - I'd make that money pay me back even more.

Scuba_Dave

We upgraded from a 18 cu ft to a 26 cu ft
The new one uses 10% less power then the old fridge
We kept the old fridge as a 2nd fridge
But its out in the pool cabana & only used maybe 4 weeks out of the year

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WaldenL

Buy something like a kill-a-watt and actually measure the electricity usage of the old refrigerator. Then you'll know.

But I warn you, buy one and you'll start plugging everything into it just to find out what it costs you to run something.

Yoyizit

The old one costs you 1400 kwh/yr.

A new one costs some kwh/yr plus what you could have made investing that $500 in an interest bearing account plus the new ones may fail often.

FLGarageDoors

It could be worth testing this Refrigerator Retirement Savings Calculator so you can decide if your fridge should retire or not.

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?...rig.calculator

n0c7

Appliances and electronics are so poorly made today I wouldn't let go of it especially if its worked that long. I just bought a new fridge that lasted 3 months before the starter relay died.

Jazan

The responses to my original question about replacing my 47 year old refrigerator were mixed, but I thank all who tried to help me decide.
One of you gave me a link to a savings calculator. This indicated that I would save $1000 over five years. Of course the calculator did not take certain information into account, nor could it possibly do so.

For example, the cost of removing money from somewhere else to buy the replacement. That money will now earn nothing. or, if I bought it on credit, there is the interest, which is steep.

Also, the environment in which the old one is used: in the cooler basement, not opened many times each day as the main refrigerator in the kitchen is, and the absence of repair costs. (My newer one, five years old, has already had three service calls.)

The repairman said "they don't make them like that anymore" when I told him of 40+ box down stairs with zero repairs to date. He added that the useful life of my new one is nearly half over at five years!

So, all in all, I will take the advice of the responders who suggested that I keep the old one until it passes away. Again, thank you to all who gave this dilemma some thought and passed along their suggestions on it.
That's what makes this chat-site so great.

Yoyizit

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opportunity_cost