|
The DRSNews
April 2010
Happy Spring!
(Sorry there was no March issue this year - the
month totally got away from me!)
Published by subscription only, by Dave's Repair Service
(c)2010 All Rights Reserved
WELCOME to all of our new subscribers this month! I
truly appreciate you!
DRSNews Subscribers are THE BEST!
WHO ELSE WOULD LIKE THIS NEWSLETTER?
If you enjoy this issue, you're welcome to forward its link
to any friends or
associates who might find it useful.
***************************************
In this issue:
1) Who Made Your Sears Appliance?
2) Vintage Refrigerators - They Really Look Cool, But...
|
"When the government fears the people,
there is Liberty."
- Thomas Jefferson
|
1) When looking at a Kenmore appliance model number, the first
3 digits before the
decimal point indicate the actual manufacturer of the product (Sears
doesn't manufacture
anything to my knowledge, but retails products from hundreds of
different companies)
Here's a handy little chart posted over on my friend Dan O's
website that'll tell you
who made your particular Sears appliance by
checking those first 3 digits of its model
number:
Kenmore Model Numbers
2) I get a lot of questions on using an old 'retro' refrigerator,
along with
other 40's-60's
appliances, when remodeling a kitchen. Before
'diving
in', you'll want to be be aware of
some issues with these
cool-looking
vintage boxes that have become so popular of late:
* They're typically very small compared to what we're used
to. A 10 cubic foot model
was considered *huge* back in the day. And
don't let their outside dimensions fool you.
Their walls are
usually twice as thick as modern ones, because modern urethane
insulation is
so much more efficient than earlier types like fiberglass (some
really old
ones even used cardboard!) Refrig walls are made much thinner
today, providing much
more interior space in the same footprint.
* During the summer months, they need to be defrosted every
2-3
weeks, unless you
buy an early ('60 or so) frost-free one, which
I don't recommend doing (too many issues,
especially with their
insulation).
We set up housekeeping in 1972 with my
Grandma's 'conventional' single-door (the
price was right for a pair of green kids <grin>), and every two
weeks during the summer
we went through the normal hot water
defrosting procedure.
* They don't have 'zero freezers', so aren't practical for
storing ice cream. A small issue
for some, but it was a pretty big one
for us. We
like to eat our ice cream with a spoon -
not a straw. <g> Their freezer temps typically run around
12-15
degrees F, which is OK
for making ice and short term storage of most frozen foods, but
not for frozen dairy products
like ice cream.
'Thought we'd 'arrived' when we got our frost-free in 1980 or
so - and
which we're still
using today as a backup in the garage (The 'Harvest Gold' color *really*
got hard to look
at, but it still works
great!). Which brings me to
another issue, one we've covered before:
when buying a new
refrig
today,
budget for another one in 5 years. It may 'live' 7 or 8
years (max),
but plan
on
replacing it within that time so not you're caught by surprise.
- Update early 2022: We STILL use that 40+ yo old Gibson
Harvest Gold frost-free
refrigerator in the garage every summer, and it runs great! That
won't happen with a newer
one, guaranteed!
***
Once again, thanks for allowing me into your inbox. I
never take that privilege lightly.
God bless you and yours,
Dave Harnish
Dave's Repair Service
New Albany, PA
drs@sosbbs.com
www.DavesRepair.com
Live your life in such a way that in the morning, when
your feet hit the floor, Satan says "Oh no, he's awake!"
Copyright
www.DavesRepair.com All Rights Reserved
This information may be reprinted and distributed freely, but
only in its entirety, including this message
|
