A question about old fridges

[Telecolor 3007]

There was one day when I was a teen and like old refrigerators. Mostly because they where old plus thery look. Onto another forum, some one talked about old fridges and I got the interest on them. Nowdays, knowing more, I can observe more things abouth them. Well, there any of the old ones that at you could move the shelfs with this system (see bellow), but in the same way you could (partially) pull them outside like at a '50's "Kelvinator" Foodrama.

Admiral Side by Side Refrigerator - 5779

65.75” T x 33” W x 30” DRefrigerator and Freezer are in good working condition. Water and Ice Maker is unknown and sold as is.Please note in the pictures for any staining/discoloration or scuffs/scratches.30 day warranty (does not apply to the water or ice maker)**everything is first come first...

shortiesappliances.com

And the one from the image (click on it for large image) did had a steel interior in stad of plastic?



I've seen an add... a "G.E." fridge that look classic, having curved shapes, looking like having door handles, but in fact, it had magntes into the gasket. The fridge door (it had separate freezer, beeing a 2 door one) could still be opened with the foot handle too. Did you ever seen any of them? I heared that they where built to last.
Talking about things to last... you don't see any promos like that nowdays.

 

[electronjohn]

My Mom & Dad used wedding money to buy their 1st fridge back in 1949...an International Harvester. It's still icy-cold as a beer/pop cooler at my sister's house.

 

[Omegaman]

The BOHN corporation envisioned the refrigerator of the future

 

[gadget73]

I knew someone who had an old Admiral fridge with what I can best describe as a lazy Susan built in. The shelves were semi-circles and would rotate out to get stuff in the back. Of course the inside of the fridge was round to accomodate this, so it had less available interior space than a shelf that was rectangular. It was still pretty cool though.

That unit also had a bottom drawer freezer with a foot pedal to pop it open. I'd guess that refrigerator was made in the 1950s, and suddenly the bottom drawer freezer is a new-ish idea again. This was mid1990s and it was still in use. The lady that owned it has long since passed, no idea what became of the refrigerator.

There is an old refrigerator in my great aunt's basement, one of those old kind with the big metal latch handle on the front. I could probably have it if I asked, but I have no place to put it, and no use for it. Too many things in my life already that fall into that category, and none of them require hauling an old refrigerator up a set of basement stairs.

 

[Omegaman]

I have an old Crosley shelvador up at my run-down, neglected country estate. It worked the last time I fired it up and got cold real fast
I was going to cover it with STP, Edelbrock, and Thrush muffler stickers

 

[Telecolor 3007]

The "Crolsley" Shalvador is intresting. You could put the shelf at different levels at some models, but could you pull them without bend in front and the containt of them to fell? Seen one at you could pull the shelfs on the outside, but you could put them where you want? Anyway, intresting company... dind't know they made such intresting thing. Heared the name in the past, radios and tv sets.
@ gadget73 : "G.E." made some fridges that way. That "Bohn" fridge had them too and it did look nice... but glass isn't a good insulator.
@ Omegaman : back then things where made to last. But they where expensive. Expensvie, but it did guarantee you help for a long time.

 

[motorstereo]

I had an ancient and very heavy fridge I used for a kegerator for many years. During the last kitchen remodel I was updating the kitchen fridge which was new in 2001 but still working well. Checking them both with my killawatt was an eye opener on just how much of a power hog the old fridge was so away it went. Yes those old fridges last and last but there's a price to be paid for that longevity.

 

[hpm40]

I don't recall seeing a gas fridge as a child, ours were electric. One day I ran across a gas fridge many, many years later (late 80s or early 90s) in an old service station and the soda inside was ice-cold. Our camper has a fridge that can use 12v, propane, or 110v. Incredibly convenient especially when you are dry camping in the boondocks. Very interesting concept of cooling coming from heat.

 

[Pio1980]

Monitor Tops

Monitor Top Refrigerators History of the General Electric Monitor Top Refrigerator The most recognized of vintage refrigerators The GE Monitor top refrigerator is perhaps the most recognized of vintage refrigerators. Built on the principal of a French industrialist concept for a hermetically...

www.antiqueappliances.com

The IcyBall – Crosley Radio Corporation’s Refrigerator for Non-Electrified Rural America

“For Farms! For homes where ice supply is uncertain! For camps! For roadside stores!. . . For anyone who wants the pleasure, safety, convenience of a constant ice supply for 2 cents a day.” &#82…

prairieyesteryear.com

 

[BradV]

My grand parents told me about the ice man delivering ice blocks in their era before there were gas or electric fridges.

We have in the Goldfields here where I live a thing called a Coolgardie Safe. It's an open cabinet with heavy Hessian cloth that is kept in a pool water. With a breeze blowing it is rather amazing how well it works particularly in hot dry climates.

I now have my grandparents refrigerator It's a 42 year old Kelvinator doing duty as an outdoor drinks fridge. Still works perfectly. Some surface rust only.

 

[ernieb1536]

I had an ancient and very heavy fridge I used for a kegerator for many years. During the last kitchen remodel I was updating the kitchen fridge which was new in 2001 but still working well. Checking them both with my killawatt was an eye opener on just how much of a power hog the old fridge was so away it went. Yes those old fridges last and last but there's a price to be paid for that longevity.

My wife had a late 80s deep freezer when it finally died we replaced it with a larger new one the electric bill dropped by $25 a month ! And that was 10 yrs ago !

 

[OBMG74]

They kept and still keep things cold with a simple mechanical thermostat vs a $400 circuit board which you can count on replacing.

 

[Ross6860]

My freezer is from the late 60s... My folks bought it new. Never been serviced.

The only moving parts are the door switch, the thermostat, and the compressor. No fans, no circuit boards, no auto-defrost.

Uses R12, so if it ever dies, that's it (unless you are in the industry and can get R12...).

We have replaced our kitchen fridge three times since 2000. So we are on #4, and it is a complete POS. Two years old and don't think it will last another 5.

 

[OBMG74]

Excellent on the old freezer.
Unfortunately, typical of the newer fridges.
More unnecessary (to reasonable people who are not infatuated with it) technology, unreasonably high prices, expensive to fix and a race to the bottom on quality.

 

[Ross6860]

Excellent on the old freezer.
Unfortunately, typical of the newer fridges.
More unnecessary (to reasonable people who are not infatuated with it) technology, unreasonably high prices, expensive to fix and a race to the bottom on quality.

I would gladly trade my 2018 Silverado for my 2004 Silverado, or my '95 F150.

I've made some dumb decisions, but buying a new truck was certainly one of them... Why does my "truck" need eight computers and a TV screen?

 

[OBMG74]

That's why I still drive my '07 HHR.
The other day, I adjusted the analog heat and radio volume controls by touch without taking my eyes off of the road.

 

[ernieb1536]

My freezer is from the late 60s... My folks bought it new. Never been serviced.

The only moving parts are the door switch, the thermostat, and the compressor. No fans, no circuit boards, no auto-defrost.

Uses R12, so if it ever dies, that's it (unless you are in the industry and can get R12...).

We have replaced our kitchen fridge three times since 2000. So we are on #4, and it is a complete POS. Two years old and don't think it will last another 5.

R-12 and R-22 were good refrigerant ! The days of 30 yr old ac units and fridges are gone forever !

 

[Pio1980]

Propane is an effective refrigerant, except for-----.

 

[Ross6860]

Propane is an effective refrigerant, except for-----.

So is CO2, only it doesn't go boom! Pressures are kind of high

Ammonia works well. too. Environmentally friendly except for the initial release kind of kills you.

R-12 and R-22 were good refrigerant ! The days of 30 yr old ac units and fridges are gone forever !

I'm old enough that R-11 was still being used in centrifugal machines when I started.

When I worked at a major brewery for 2.5 years, we had R-11, R-12, Ammonia (vapor compression), CO2, and Ammonia (absorption) all in use.

Learned a heck of a lot in 30 months.

 

[egellings]

My old fridge was a Servel model back in the 1950's. It used a gas flame to do the cooling and was dead silent and never failed. I could look through the vent on the bottom of the fridge and see the blue flame at work.