New Refrigerator

Our refrigerator died.  I opened up the freezer to get ice and found most of the ice had melted.  It's at least 15 years old, and was on our list to replace, so it was not unexpected.  It did mean we had to throw out almost everything in the refrigerator and freezer, but there certainly could have been worse times for it to die.

 So Monday night we went out looking for a new refrigerator.  Using Consumer Reports evaluation, we were looking for either a Whirlpool or Kenmore.  Our first stop was at Fry's Electronics, and we soon narrowed our choice to a Whirlpool refrigerator with the freezer on the bottom, and French doors with an ice-maker in the door.  We ended up with model WRF989SDAM00.

We arranged for it to be delivered on Wednesday.  Tuesday night I emptied out the old refrigerator -- luckily Wednesday morning was also our garbage pick up day.

First the installers took out the old refrigerator.

To get the new one in, they had to take the front door off it's hinges.  The new fridge came in the front door, thru the living room and into the kitchen.  To get around the kitchen island, they took it between the island and the dishwasher.  I took the dishwasher handle off.

Once the new fridge was in place, they hooked up the water supply for the ice maker, slid it back into place and plugged it in.

I spent the next hour or so taking off all the protective tape and plastic wrap, then washed out all the drawers and bins and shelves.
 

 But by the end of the day, we have a new refrigerator.  

 

 This replaces everything but the cabinets and the microwave from the original construction.

Trying to use the new refrigerator, they say to throw out the first 3 bins of ice and to flush 3 gallons of water thru the water dispenser.  It takes time for the ice, but I can do the water dispenser now.  When I start to use it, I find water on the floor.  Tracking it back, it's flowing down the side of the door gasket, and coming from the hinge at the top of the refrigerator.

Using a Phillips screw driver to remove the hinge cover, we find both wiring and a clear plastic tube to carry the water.

And the clear plastic tube has a hole in it.  Looks like it has been bent too much or too often.

Since this is a brand new refrigerator, I call Fry's.  They say to call Whirlpool.  Calling Whirlpool customer service, I get Kitchenaid, who says they are also Whirlpool.  Customer service wants to identify the specific part  that needs to be replaced, to decide if this needs a technician, or can be done by the customer (me).  So they transfer me to a separate company who handles all their parts (Marcone Supply), but they can't determine exactly what part it is, and transfer me back to Whirlpool/Kitchenaid.  This time they greet me as Amana, and says they also are Maytag.

In any case, they set up for someone from A & E Factory Service to come out on Friday morning (8 to 12).

On Friday, a technician shows up, agrees on the problem, but does not have the part on his truck.  He orders the part --  will be shipped UPS directly to my house --  and schedules for someone else to come out next Thursday to do the replacement repair work.  In the meantime, "don't use the water".