# Argh! Not everybody buying a nice refrigerator has a new house! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 27, 2007, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-not-everybody-buying-a-nice-refrigerator-has-a-new-house/409660 "2007-06-27T17:57:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-not-everybody-buying-a-nice-refrigerator-has-a-new-house/409660/1 "2007-06-27T17:57:32Z")
What the hell is _wrong_ with these people? Obviously when you buy a refrigerator, no matter what options you want, the thing that comes first HAS to be,“does it fit in the space the old one left?” The old one is 33 inches wide. I could MAYBE shove 34 in there, but I’m concerned about the door opening. 33 inches. I want other things in a fridge, though. I want the freezer on the bottom. I want - nay, need! I _need_ a door ice dispenser. I remember reaching into the freezer to get ice. It _sucks_ and I’m a grown woman with money to spend and I shouldn’t have to do that anymore! So how wide are all the French door bottom freezer ice-dispenser-on-door fridges? More than 35 inches. WTF? I’d happily remove cabinets to get a taller one, but I actually _use_ the cabinets to the left of it (not to mention the load-bearing wall on the right.) I was all excited that I’d given myself permission to get a new fridge, since they’re not sending anybody out to fix the old one until Tuesday, and this is how life repays me? It’s just not _fair_, it isn’t! ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-not-everybody-buying-a-nice-refrigerator-has-a-new-house/409660/2 "2007-06-27T18:03:41Z")
Puhshaw! Why settle for just a new fridge when you can have a _whole new kitchen!!!_ Go on - get those workmen in there to tear shit out, and mess stuff up, and take over your house for 3 months. You _KNOW_ you want to! 😃 That is a real drag. However, if it were me I think I would just lose the cupboard on the left. Perhaps you could get one of those nifty replacement cupboards that has racks and stackers and things, so you won’t miss the lost storage space? ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-not-everybody-buying-a-nice-refrigerator-has-a-new-house/409660/3 "2007-06-27T18:10:43Z")
Don’t think it hasn’t occurred to me… but next week I’m closing on a home equity loan to build a garage. 😉 I’m afraid of what getting rid of the cabinet to the left will do to the floor. It’s linoleum and I’m sure it isn’t under the cabinets. Plus, that’s a lot of storage space to lose… and you know I’ve got plans for totally redoing the kitchen eventually, right? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-not-everybody-buying-a-nice-refrigerator-has-a-new-house/409660/4 "2007-06-27T18:17:15Z")
Is that the beautiful stainless one at Sears that costs about $4000 and has been coveted by me for years? I want that thing so bad it’s almost worth buying a new house to go around it. It is _SO_ not going to work in my 1890s farmhouse. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-not-everybody-buying-a-nice-refrigerator-has-a-new-house/409660/5 "2007-06-27T18:24:23Z")
It’s more like $2,100 on sale. And I just had a flash of genius - why not MOVE THE CABINETS? I mean, what are they, screwed into strips on the wall, right? I move 'em a couple inches to the left, if the floor’s a problem I slap some duct tape on it, and viola! (A stringed instrument!) Is there a major flaw in my plan I’m not seeing? ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-not-everybody-buying-a-nice-refrigerator-has-a-new-house/409660/6 "2007-06-27T18:29:05Z")
Did anyone else get that sinking feeling you get when your spouse uses the word “just” in a sentence about home improvements? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-not-everybody-buying-a-nice-refrigerator-has-a-new-house/409660/7 "2007-06-27T18:30:50Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] It’s more like $2,100 on sale. And I just had a flash of genius - why not MOVE THE CABINETS? I mean, what are they, screwed into strips on the wall, right? I move 'em a couple inches to the left, if the floor’s a problem I slap some duct tape on it, and viola! (A stringed instrument!) Is there a major flaw in my plan I’m not seeing? [/QUOTE] Well, assuming there’s not anything in the way of the move, I can’t see a huge issue. Also, if you’re planning on replacing the floor during the kitchen reno down the road, you don’t even have to worry about the duct-tape - I assume the exposed part of the floor will be covered by the new fridge, no? ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-not-everybody-buying-a-nice-refrigerator-has-a-new-house/409660/8 "2007-06-27T18:33:29Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] Don’t think it hasn’t occurred to me… but next week I’m closing on a home equity loan to build a garage. 😉 [/QUOTE] Well there you go…I am sure your new garage doors will be wider than 35 inches…just put it in there! What’s the front-to back dimension (depth)? Could you take off the doors (the doors are usually a couple inches thick) and get it through that way? Do you have a sliding door somewhere? A large bay window you wouldn’t mind replacing? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-not-everybody-buying-a-nice-refrigerator-has-a-new-house/409660/9 "2007-06-27T18:35:47Z")
35 inches? That’s not a fridge, that’s a walk-in meat locker! My fridge is about 20" wide, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-not-everybody-buying-a-nice-refrigerator-has-a-new-house/409660/10 "2007-06-27T18:37:11Z")
It’s not getting it in that’s the problem, it’s that the place where it would live is not wide enough. Until I take Mr. Screwdriver to the cabinets, that is. Well, I’m a little worried about the floor because of what’s happening right now - the freezer had a major failure event and there’s melted ice cream and thawed mixed berry all over the floor, and I don’t want it in the SUBfloor. I’m not worried about the cosmetics as much as I am the protection from massive accidents, so when I move the cabinets I’d want the floor to be patched in _some_ way. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-not-everybody-buying-a-nice-refrigerator-has-a-new-house/409660/11 "2007-06-27T18:39:04Z")
[QUOTE=Colophon] 35 inches? That’s not a fridge, that’s a walk-in meat locker! My fridge is about 20" wide, I think. [/QUOTE] People in the US go to the grocery store, like, once a week. And also we want to put pizza boxes in the fridge. That’s why I no longer want a side by side - they just barely fit! ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-not-everybody-buying-a-nice-refrigerator-has-a-new-house/409660/12 "2007-06-27T18:53:59Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] It’s more like $2,100 on sale. And I just had a flash of genius - why not MOVE THE CABINETS? I mean, what are they, screwed into strips on the wall, right? I move 'em a couple inches to the left, if the floor’s a problem I slap some duct tape on it, and viola! (A stringed instrument!) Is there a major flaw in my plan I’m not seeing? [/QUOTE] Yeah. Doing one thing to improve your house only snowballs. You move your cabinets, say, five inches to the left, which means you have to paint the wall where they were. That leads to painting the whole kitchen, and if you do that, well, you may as well redecorate. So you end up with a whole new kitchen, a project that started when you moved the cabinets five inches. That way lies madness. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-not-everybody-buying-a-nice-refrigerator-has-a-new-house/409660/13 "2007-06-27T18:56:27Z")
No, I already thought of that! I’m moving the cabinets to the left, and where they were will be a fridge. Except at the top and you can’t see that anyway. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-not-everybody-buying-a-nice-refrigerator-has-a-new-house/409660/14 "2007-06-27T19:06:39Z")
As to protecting the floor – have someone install a suitable sized chunk of vinyl flooring to cover the area under the old fridge plus the newly absorbed area plus some margin area. Or do it yourself. Yes, the new flooring probably won’t match whatever you have now, so make it distinctly different and call it a ‘decorative accent’ area. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-not-everybody-buying-a-nice-refrigerator-has-a-new-house/409660/15 "2007-06-27T19:10:01Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] And also we want to put pizza boxes in the fridge. That’s why I no longer want a side by side - they just barely fit! [/QUOTE] Huh? yes, it’s true that pizzas come in big boxes. But by the time you put the leftover slices in the fridge, haven’t you, like, well, er,…already _eaten_ most of it? Maybe there are 2 of the 8 slices left… So why put the whole freakin’ box in the fridge? That’s why God made paper plates the same size as pizza slices. And, since you’re already doomed to renovating your whole kitchen, why not add a brick-lined pizza oven, too?. Then you wouldnt need a big fridge --just bake a new pizza instead. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-not-everybody-buying-a-nice-refrigerator-has-a-new-house/409660/16 "2007-06-27T19:15:12Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] It’s not getting it in that’s the problem, it’s that the place where it would live is not wide enough. Until I take Mr. Screwdriver to the cabinets, that is. Well, I’m a little worried about the floor because of what’s happening right now - the freezer had a major failure event and there’s melted ice cream and thawed mixed berry all over the floor, and I don’t want it in the SUBfloor. I’m not worried about the cosmetics as much as I am the protection from massive accidents, so when I move the cabinets I’d want the floor to be patched in _some_ way. [/QUOTE] Ah, I thought you said your door opening was only 33 inches. If it’s linoleum, use some finish nails to hold it down and then caulk it. ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-not-everybody-buying-a-nice-refrigerator-has-a-new-house/409660/17 "2007-06-27T19:16:32Z")
[QUOTE=chappachula] Huh? yes, it’s true that pizzas come in big boxes. But by the time you put the leftover slices in the fridge, haven’t you, like, well, er,…already _eaten_ most of it? Maybe there are 2 of the 8 slices left… So why put the whole freakin’ box in the fridge? That’s why God made paper plates the same size as pizza slices. And, since you’re already doomed to renovating your whole kitchen, why not add a brick-lined pizza oven, too?. Then you wouldnt need a big fridge --just bake a new pizza instead. 🙂 [/QUOTE] Some poeple buy uncooked pizzas and cook them later, and some people buy extra pizza. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-not-everybody-buying-a-nice-refrigerator-has-a-new-house/409660/18 "2007-06-27T19:20:34Z")
And of course some people are so lazy they can’t even be bothered to take the pizza out of the box. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-not-everybody-buying-a-nice-refrigerator-has-a-new-house/409660/19 "2007-06-27T19:25:26Z")
I’d suggest talking to a store that does kitchen designs. My SO and I remodeled a kitchen about 10 years ago, and the kitchen designer we worked with had access to a lot more suppliers/models then the local Sears or appliance store did. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-not-everybody-buying-a-nice-refrigerator-has-a-new-house/409660/20 "2007-06-27T19:32:34Z")
> [@](#): > > by Zsofia _…I want other things in a fridge, though. I want the freezer on the bottom. I want - nay, need! I need a door ice dispenser._ That’s what I wanted 18 months ago. Now, I really tired of bending all the way over to find something in the freezer. Then the ice maker leaked causing quite an expensive mess. Be careful what you wish for. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-not-everybody-buying-a-nice-refrigerator-has-a-new-house/409660.md?page=2)