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Fridge compressor swap debate - replace or rebuild?
How do you guys decide between patching a system vs. pushing for replacement when the customer is on a budget?
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mark_ward1mo ago
Roll the dice and hope the compressor ghosts don't haunt you later.
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Used to be all about patching things together to save them a few bucks. But a buddy of mine spent three weekends and a pile of cash trying to fix an old fridge before it finally died anyway. That mess of a job changed my whole thinking on it. Now I push for replacement more often, especially if the compressor is already going. Sometimes cheaper in the long run.
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xena_bailey181mo ago
Nah, I gotta disagree here. Paying for a whole new fridge is a major hit for someone on a tight budget. A compressor swap is usually a few hundred bucks max, a new fridge is easily over a grand. If the rest of the fridge is clean and the sealed system isn't rusted out, a good compressor job will buy them another 5-7 years easy. I've done it plenty of times and it holds up fine.
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Honestly I been there too, patching things up feels like the right move til you sink three weekends into a job and the thing still craps out. Ngl my buddy tried to fix his old fridge compressor and after all that work it just died on him anyway a month later. Tbh sometimes you gotta just bite the bullet and replace it, especially if the compressor's already going. I'd rather spend a grand once than waste cash on a bandaid that fails again.
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