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PSA: replacing a fridge compressor with a $180 aftermarket one vs the $420 OEM, my result after 6 months
Did a side by side on two Whirlpool fridges in my shop in Fort Worth back in March. The cheap one ran 15 degrees warmer on the freezer side and pulled about 20% more amps, while the OEM unit held temp right where the spec sheet said. I get that not everyone can eat the cost, but watching that aftermarket one cycle short every 8 minutes makes me think we are selling customers a countdown clock. Anyone here running the cheap ones long term and actually getting 3 plus years out of them?
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skyler_robinson214d ago
Man, this hits close to home because I'm the guy who always buys the cheap one and then acts shocked when it dies. My last aftermarket compressor made it 14 months before it started sounding like a lawn mower full of rocks, so no, I never got 3 years out of one. That 8 minute short cycle you saw is the killer, it's just beating itself to death trying to keep up. The part that gets me is the amp draw, because 20% more power over a few years quietly eats up whatever you saved on the part. Guess the $420 was the cheaper option all along and I just didn't want to do the math.
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