My problem:
I have a dead refrigerator (RIP) in a pantry space with a narrow door way.
29 1/4 inches for the doorway.
The fridge went in there umpteen years ago with the doors off of it. With doors off it is 27 inches (plus whatever is in back)
Over the years it appears that the size of fridges have kept growing and finding anything that will fit through the doorway is a pain. My dead frig is 24 cubit feet and now I can’t get anything close to that.
Found a smaller replacement that says it is 28.5 inches with doors off. (20.5 cf )
How much space is really needed to get it through the doorway? Think it’ll work?
And when you tell delivery guys to take the doors off are they gonna look cross-eyed at me?
Anybody out there done this?
It’s a second fridge so I don’t HAVE to have a lot of space but do like the extra freezer space. Store a lot of drinks and love having it for parties/holidays when regular fridge is overloaded.
Additional feedback requested:
If you have an extra fridge that works great for you–how big is it?
My problem is even when I look at smaller size fridges they still are pretty wide to get through the door.
Any reasonably priced options you know of?
I think the sears website allows you to search by dimension. Suspect that the others may as well. Also maybe consumer reports website. Could be a great place to start…
Btw, I had a fridge delivered 2 years ago and the first thing the delivery guys did was take all the doors (including the outdoor one!) off the hinges, so that is clearly an option!
Thanks for the help! Think I just need to switch brands to get the right size. I took my handy measuring tape and spent the morning doing field research. Might downsize my plans also. Still gotta take the doors off but it’ll fit.
I actually did find a skinny, large capacity but just not reasonably priced! Cost twice the amount of my main fridge!
Beyond that though…now I’m thinking no matter the age of my current fridge (and it’s OLD–18-20 years) maybe I should see if I can get it fixed. I cannot believe how cheap new fridges look in comparison. My old GE has metal, super versatility with adjustable height door bins, ice maker, great glass shelves. Good sturdy plastic bins and not the cheap *** that is in all the new ones. Yeah, it’s wearing down big time but might be worth the fix.
Hard to decide. Ugh. Cost 90 bucks for someone just to come decide if it’s really dead.
What @GRITS80 said. Go to https://www.ajmadison.com/refrigerators/ and use their “size finder” feature to find a list of models that fit your needs. Once you’ve made a selection, purchase it wherever you choose.
In my opinion, $90 paid to have someone diagnose a 20 year old nonfunctioning refrigerator is $90 thrown away.
Thanks sherpa! And Grit! Now I have a better idea of what brands will work. No matter what I do the doors have to come off so actually measuring them and not relying on some of the questionable “size” dimensions was necessary.
Wait! This is NOT your main fridge? It’s a second one? That being the case…really just get a smaller one. And even though they don’t make em like they used to…your electric bill will definitely go down. The new ones are so much more energy efficient. I would not keep an 18-20 year old. As my husband says…that’s the other side of the bell curve.
I thought this was your main fridge. And you were having trouble replacing it. But for a second fridge…I’d compromise down the size.
As you’re learning, high quality small refrigerators are expensive. But if you’re on a budget, there are a few that are pretty good buys. For example, a little over a year ago we bought a 24 inch wide counter depth Magic Chef model in stainless steel as a “special buy” from Home Depot for, as I recall, $199. A similar size high end model will run well over $1000.
@thumper - Yes, I’m pretty sure it was $199, but I might be confused. Definitely no more than $299.
And yes, I definitely agree that a secondary fridge should be purchased on the cheap. In our case, the $200 fridge is upstairs in the “view room” so we can enjoy a cold beverage while watching the sunset over Whidbey Island. But for the small auxiliary refrigerator in the kitchen, we splurged on an $1800 Liebherr with nearly identical dimensions as the $200 model, which decision, while painful, I haven’t regretted.
Well, that’s where the cheap comes in because it is a second fridge (was my main one for most of those years) and I’m going smaller. Just gotten used to the convenience factor. Went down to big box store sale with my handy tape measure (good thing!) and finally figured out (until I change my mind again) what I want. Like my sister would say “It’s a game of inches.”
Got a fridge!
Learned a couple things I didn’t know but the old(er) gem of a sales guy who worked over 30 years for HD and for GE selling appliances had some advice.
One of my questions was “will it fit through my door?” How much clearance do I actually need?
Answer: Not much. The delivery guys are pretty good at getting through very tight spaces. He even showed me some tricks they use. But inches are inches.
If it’ll fit with doors off, you’re fine. They have to take doors off to reverse them anyway. Don’t worry about hinges.
BUT if it doesn’t fit and there is discussion about it for any reason–RETURN it–do NOT accept delivery. Re-buy it later if necessary. You’ll get a refund. Don’t let them leave it with you outside of where you want it or not installed correctly.
You’ll be stuck once you accept delivery.
And ice makers–whether you buy an added kit or get a machine with one factory installed requires purchase of a water line or it won’t get installed (or hooked up) by the delivery guys… Doesn’t matter if you already have a water line–buy one anyways–it’s a signal to delivery guys that they need to put it in (the rules are very strict). If it doesn’t get used–just return the water line to the store for a refund.
“And ice makers–whether you buy an added kit or get a machine with one factory installed requires purchase of a water line or it won’t get installed (or hooked up) by the delivery guys… Doesn’t matter if you already have a water line–buy one anyways–it’s a signal to delivery guys that they need to put it in (the rules are very strict). If it doesn’t get used–just return the water line to the store for a refund.”
Interesting. Our local appliance store includes a new water line into the free delivery/installation. They usually monitor competitors’ sales and will match appliance prices of the big box stores, so it is not like they massage it into their pricing.