3 minutes ago, FlorC said:

Not happy with my Toshiba.

But how to get rid of it.

No recycling places like back home.

In Bangkok there are several charities that will accept second hand home appliances. They'll send their truck to your address and take it off your hands.

4 minutes ago, FlorC said:

No recycling places like back home.

There are many here.   Maybe not like back home but they do the job 

Stay away from the less familiar brands, one never knows about warranty service, repairs or availability of parts. I would stick with Haier, Electrolux, Samsung or LG. Also I prefer buying from a big box store as the warranty and service tends to be better, once you're buy online you just never know. I bought a wine cooler online and it broke down after a few months and the seller would not offer any sort of support. Fortunely I was able to find a local guy who replaced the thermostat, that was the only issue. 

 

Is there an appliance repairman in your area? Sometimes these things break down and the repairs are relatively simple, sometimes they're not. 

If you want to get rid of an old refrigerator, just put out on the curb next to the garbage, someone will take it and make use of it, 

 

Brand wise, I think it's a crapshoot. 

If your refrigerators stop working after 4-5 years, you have to ask yourself what you're doing wrong! Just using them without maintenance just doesn't work! I've been in Thailand for 20 years, and my first fridge lasted 14 years (LG); my second (Hitachi) has been in use for 6 years now.

On 9/28/2025 at 3:13 PM, BritManToo said:

Yeah, me too, but double the price.

And the old saying is? You get what you pay for.

I have a Samsung and a Toshiba Fridge Freezer. Both are coming up to 20 years old and still going strong. As I remember they were around 18/19K Baht, each. The Samsung is in need of the door seal replacing, but unlike honey, there isn't much that lasts too long. 

5 minutes ago, Surasak said:

And the old saying is? You get what you pay for.

I have a Samsung and a Toshiba Fridge Freezer. Both are coming up to 20 years old and still going strong. As I remember they were around 18/19K Baht, each. The Samsung is in need of the door seal replacing, but unlike honey, there isn't much that lasts too long. 

Honey does not last too long. 

10 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

Honey does not last too long. 

Four thousand years plus, not long enough for you, I guess?

Just now, Surasak said:

Four thousand years plus, not long enough for you, I guess?

Is four thousand years too long? 

 

Do you think it would be better if it only lasted a year?

3 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

Is four thousand years too long? 

 

Do you think it would be better if it only lasted a year?

It matures with age if undisturbed. 

I've had very long lasting problem free Samsung/LG products in 4 countries I've lived in. Three were moderate climates. Only the ones here seem to have more issues.

We have had several fridges of different makes for many years without any problems of any kind. That suggests that your fridges, made more recently, are of poorer quality. Either that, or you are mis-treating them in some way.

9 minutes ago, Surasak said:

It matures with age if undisturbed. 

So then it can't get too old

4 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

So then it can't get too old

Exactly the point.

On 9/28/2025 at 3:05 PM, BritManToo said:

No, there's no dirt, the 'Silver effect' paper finish on the door has worn through.

If you rub it hard, more paper falls off.

I bought a Hitachi fridge freezer 20 years ago and it is still going strong, bought a TCL TV 5 years ago and it only lasted just over a year.

On 9/28/2025 at 3:36 PM, Cameroni said:

 

Samsung have some of the best microwaves money can buy.

My Samsung microwave broke down after just a year, and was told it would cost more to fix than what I paid for it.

Unless someone has owned a 20-unit plus apartment building for fifty years, they really have no way of knowing what brand of refrigerator is the most reliable. 

 

Just buy one you like and be done with it. 

On 9/28/2025 at 3:07 PM, scubascuba3 said:

My Mitsubishi Electric is 13+ years old and going strong

Same for me. No reason to replace until it breaks down and cannot be reasonably repaired.

Remember a few years ago in the US a major brand the refrigerator would fail after the 1 year warranty expired.

 

These were 45,000 converted ($1500) plus refrigerators.  Unfortunately I believe some companies are considering large appliances to be disposable now (planned obsolescence) Still remember refrigerators lasting 20, 30 years.  Usually replaced because just old, ugly and consumed to much electric.

 

As a landlord I had an estimated appliance life cycle chart.

Refrigerator was 10 - 12 years.  Replaced one after 3 years, component broke, cost to repair was withing $100 of a new one.  Does seem the less tech the longer some appliances will last.

 

 

On 9/28/2025 at 3:13 PM, BritManToo said:

Yeah, me too, but double the price.

I bought my Hitachi in 2012 and it's in great condition, the ice maker works, the freezer is great and it's never been serviced. 

Well worth the money, although I've no idea what I paid for it.

On 9/28/2025 at 9:35 PM, Patong2021 said:

LG supposedly has a good reputation, but the number of chronic defects reported suggests otherwise. At the prices cited, the refrigerators are disposable consumer items. They are not intended to last and if you can get 3-5 years from them, then they  met their purpose. For comparison sake, a small freestanding Miele refrigerator retails for ฿ 600,000. I believe the basic built in models can be purchased for ฿ 200,000.   They have a 2 year warranty, and are considered the most reliable equipment in the  industry. 

As far as I know, Miele is not available in LOS.

On 9/28/2025 at 3:11 PM, fredwiggy said:

I've had my Samsung over 7 years and still okay. The weather here, especially if you don't have AC in the kitchen, has refrigerators working harder. 

I bought a second fridger freezer very recently (we now have 'his' and 'hers'...).  Looking through the manual, the manufacturer (LG) stated that they provide four different versions of this worldwide, depending on the region.  The part number on my one showed that it was the 'Tropical climate' model, the most powerful of the four, which was nice.  I presume all manufacturers probably do the same.
 

4 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

Honey does not last too long. 

Honey's low water content, relatively high acidity and traces of hydrogen peroxide prevent any bacterial growth.  Archeologists have taken honey out of pyramids in Egypt and it was edible.
 

22 minutes ago, IsaanT said:

Honey's low water content, relatively high acidity and traces of hydrogen peroxide prevent any bacterial growth.  Archeologists have taken honey out of pyramids in Egypt and it was edible.
 

Exactly. But how long is too long for honey to last?

Still waiting for my Hisense fridge.

Flash Express are the worst delivery company ever.

12 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Still waiting for my Hisense fridge.

Flash Express are the worst delivery company ever.

They stopped giving detailed info on were your package is.

14 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Still waiting for my Hisense fridge.

Probably  just leaving the factory in China so at least a few more days  😋

 

Well in the 60ties, you still had mechanical controllers.

Nowadays they put in electronic.

Very possible your compressor(s) is(are) still good, but it is in the electronics.

It can be even a tiny fuse or reset button on the board. The print got loose from its socket or bad connection (factory fault)

Sometimes you are amazed.

Have a Samsung washing machine, stood idle (3 months) for a while, vacation.

Came back and refused to work. Placed it some forward , opened all to see something wrong and I could fix.

Saw nothing weird and closed again, put it backwards again and tada, it was working again ! And up till now still working !

Knock on wood. The only thing I did was shaking it !

 

My fridge is now 25 years old. When it was about 5 years, flashing of leds of controller.

Still kept working. Tried to find the cause, but not successfully.  So left it and ever since then, it pops, irregular. up with blinking leds, but keeps on working. It comes and goes, but cooling.

Still thinking to replace the electronic system by another controller, have to make quit some adjustments then.

And have a separate controller then put somehow on top fridge, but still working and feel lazy not to execute.

Besides all will not work and machine has to be empty.

Maybe after 25 years buy a new one. Though the compressors are still working well. It is in the electronics. Brand AEG.

The freezer controller is working just fine. Maybe some connection of temperature measuring. Not real clue about it.

It seems to happen with lots of AEG coolers, as i tried to find on internet. 

 

In Thailand bought a Panasonic, and that is already 8 years ago. Was 12000 baht then, but the only one could find with big freezer and drawers. Also electronic controller, so hope all still wil go one.

 

On 9/28/2025 at 10:00 AM, BritManToo said:

Is it just me with the dodgy fridges, I remember back in the UK in the 1960s the fridge lasted 20 years before it broke.

Fridges and freezers back home i UK – and my Danish home country – probably didn't work as hard in heat as here, and might also have had a little higher relative price when compared to today's level and made from heavier/stronger materials. I also remember that vthe lasted almost for ever.

My experience is that a fridge/freezer lasts for around 7 years in Land of Smiles. If you have a 10-year compressoir warranty, you might likely get it repaired for free, but you might be a month without fridge/freeze and end up with two working – talking from experience – however, then you have a back-up next time, just like me...

I recently moved into a "new" house with two old "Thames" brand air conditioners. The seller said they did not work. I think they are the oldest mini-splits I have ever seen. I never heard of the brand, but they looked like high quality units. Neither of them was working, both just blowing hot air. 

 

The first one sounded like the condenser was running, but no cooling. I checked the outside unit, and there was a piece of thin plywood stuck to the back of it. Pulled it off, and it started blowing cold in a few minutes, 

 

The second one sounded like condenser was not running. I checked the outside unit, and it was dead. Got a local repair guy out and he pulled it apart. The starter capacitor was burned up. He pulled the fan out and took it back to his shop. Brought it back the next day the fan motor was all cleaned up, and the blade was buffed back to a shine. He reinstalled the fan, replaced the capacitor, powered it up and it started blowing cold in a few minutes. Pressure washed the inside and outside coils and filter and it was good to go, B1,200, 

 

Had him pressure wash the coils in the first unit at the same time, B400.