<p>I have a refrigerator under a service contract (Federal Warranty Service Corp; General Electric Service Protection Plus). There is a problem with fluctuating temperatures in the freezer, and this morning a repairman came out. He said that he would order a part and come back, but that the part had to be installed from the back, and I would have to arrange to have the refrigerator rolled out before he came. He was not able to roll it out himself, because it is heavy. The service contract states that the appliance must be accessible. My refrigerator is not built in, and is on rollers. I guess this hinges on what the meaning of “accessible” is. </p>
<p>I got nowhere with the service company. They say that they will not send an additional person, and I am responsible for getting the refrigerator out of its place (between a wall and some cabinets. </p>
<p>If I’d known that I would have the expense and aggravation of having the thing moved for service, I would never had bought the extended contract. </p>
<p>Any neighbors have a couple of teenage boys? A couple of neighbor dads? Husbands, offspring of relatives or friends?</p>
<p>Do you have a landscaper, or handyman?</p>
<p>These are the typical resources for “schlepping” aid. </p>
<p>Payment can be some pizza, beer, or cash at their hourly rate for a service/tradesman. </p>
<p>Just make sure if you have an automatic icemaker or water dispenser, that whoever helps roll it out is not overzealous. There is a water connection for the icemaker or dispenser either through the floor to the basement, or to through the cabinets to an undersink connection. There is normally enough waterline to roll the unit out freely, but rolling too far risks breaking a connection. Lines are of braided vinyl tubing, or of copper. The copper is more fragile, and prone to kinks. If you can locate a shut-off valve to the supply line prior to moving, it pays to close it down.</p>
<p>Just pull the thing out! Grab it by each side of the door and just wiggle it as you pull it towards you out of its cubby hole. It’s not that hard. Once you get it rolling, it will roll right out.</p>
<p>If it fights you, it’s because somebody has screwed down the leveler feet in the front to keep it from rolling. Pop the vent grill off the front at the bottom (it should come right off with a tug) and look for adjuster screws and “feet” at the two corners. I never use these, because I want to be able to easily pull the fridge out when the ice maker line springs a leak and has to be replaced (about every five years).</p>
<p>There will be enough slack on the power cord and ice maker line because somebody had to reach behind it to plug them in.</p>
<p>Your repairman is being a jerk, BTW. I’m sure that he has wrestled many a fridge out from the wall – unless there is something unusual about this installation.</p>
<p>What usually breaks on these things is the thermostat and/or heating element in the defrost system that melts accumulated iced build up on the cooling coils every few hours (you might have heard what sounds like water dripping on a hot stove burner (a drip/hiss). That’s these heater coils working as they should. If the thermostat or coils go, the ice builds up and the cooling gets progressively worse. It’s usually a five dollar part.</p>
<p>I’m not impressed with the repair person. Usually a fridge is pretty easy to roll out as the previous two dads said. Actually, it’s something that’s worth doing every now and then to vacuum the dust out anyway. You can probably do it yourself but if not ask someone for a hand. It takes about 5 seconds.</p>
<p>If you have hardwood floors, you might want to put something down before rolling the fridge out. Due to the weight, the wheels tend to dig into the floor. My service guy keeps a piece of linoleum flooring in his truck and puts that down in front of the wheels before pulling the fridge out. </p>
<p>I have never heard of having to move the fridge yourself; that is just plan nuts!!</p>
<p>Pretty easily, UNTIL
the wheels break
the sheetmetal that attaches the wheel bends and makes the wheel unusable
If there is carpeting.
If you use the refrig as kegger</p>
<p>The fridge may very well be easy to move (I’ve slid mine…full of food…in and out a few times) but my guess is the service tech doesn’t want the responsibility if any damage occurs to the flooring during that process. He wants the owner of the fridge to take that responsibility.</p>
<p>I had my built i.n repaired by a GE service contract co… TWICE. And both times they pulled out the unit. It was tough to do and they needed two guys, but they did it.
I would call GE and complain.</p>
<p>I would call and complain too. I have a largish stainless fridge and by the method outlined below have moved it by myself. I am by no means as strong as the average adult male. This guy is a jerk!</p>