Cheap new Fridge Freezer or Quality secondhand?

[Elizabeth Smith]

Well my fridgefreezer has died in the same month as the shed collapsed and the dog needed an emergency op! I’ve a budget of around £280, got a space of 182×58 and want 30/70 or 40/60 with the fridge the larger and I’ve seen Fridgemaster or Essentials, then read the feedback Can’t increase my income so I’m wondering about secondhand. How old is too old? Which brands are the most affordable to repair? Am I right in assuming that the fewer bells and whistles the less there is to breakdown? How long does it take to train your dog to find truffles and keep you in the manner you would like to be accustomed to?

[don]

All refrigeration is in very short supply across the industry. Most manufacturers are quoting 6 weeks plus at the moment and we can’t see it getting any better until the new year!!

If you want new and a branded machine you will need to put one on backorder. Fridgemaster and Currys Essentials are not the best granted but if that’s all there is…….

If you go down the reconditioned route I would try and get a Hotpoint, Bosch or Beko and try and get as long a guarantee as is possible, 12 months would be the best.

Don

[Daveinsomerset]

We had a fridgemaster chest freezer delivered last week.
Fridgemaster MCF306_WH Chest Freezer in White from AO.
I have just been to get some food out of it and it is all defrosted. Orange light is on but it is not working. Gutted that hundreds of pounds of food has been ruined. Anyone know if I can claim from them as I’d rather not claim from my household insurance and have the premiums bumped up?

[don]

The orange light only indicates that power is going through the unit. If everything has defrosted and the temperature raised inside then the red alarm light would be on.

When you had the freezer delivered was it left to stand for five hours before plugging in?

Once switched on and running cold was it only frozen food that was put in or was everything fresh?

What setting is the temperature control set at?

If indeed the appliance is faulty your first point of contact is the retailer as your contract is with them. You will need to have photographic evidence of the spoilt food along with costings.

Don

[Daveinsomerset]

Thanks for your reply.

Red light is not on – just the orange one. Yes we left it for at least 4 hours, possibly longer. I

t was all frozen food put back in. Old freezer, which they took away, was still getting down to -8 degrees so food was still hard (just).

I set the temperature at a middle range and the insides got frosted very quickly.

I’ve just tried to get through to AO to try to sort it, but very long wait and I need to go out so have emailed them. Their website says to contact the manufacturer but I will try to sort it with them first as they have my money.

Thanks for the advice.

[electrofix]

if your old freezer was only down to -8 then be careful as the safe storage time is much reduced at those temperatures

Dave

[Daveinsomerset]

Thanks for the advice. We lost everything in the new freezer. No idea what to do with 4 bin bags of stinking, gone-off food. Think they’ll love us us (not) at the recycling centre.

[electrofix]

make sure you take a photographic record of what you have lost as if your able to claim you will need to quantify your loss

Dave

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