# Fridge won't fit out the door -- what to do? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 6, 2003, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-wont-fit-out-the-door-what-to-do/193248 "2003-08-06T02:15:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Little\_Bear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d07c76/32.png) [@Little\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Bear)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-wont-fit-out-the-door-what-to-do/193248/81 "2003-08-10T16:24:19Z")
Have a refrigerator bashing party! Lay the thing down, hand out the beer, give everyone a sledgehammer, and shout, “GO”! I’ll bet those pesky extra three inches disappear in no time. ---
**Author:** ![Parallax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbce88/32.png) [@Parallax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Parallax)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-wont-fit-out-the-door-what-to-do/193248/82 "2003-08-10T16:31:43Z")
I’d charge for it - $1 a whack. You could probably make a nice bit of cash this way. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-wont-fit-out-the-door-what-to-do/193248/83 "2003-08-10T17:10:18Z")
> [@](#): > > _ **Hari Seldon** said:_ > …if you wait maybe 10^10^googleplex of years you will find that the fridge will be on the outside of the house at least once on account of quantum indeterminacy (the tunnel effect). Then get it out of your neighborhood before it goes back to your basement. If you’re gonna wait that long, the entire _house_ will be on the outside of the house at least once. Then you can take your pick of places to remove the fridge from. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-wont-fit-out-the-door-what-to-do/193248/84 "2003-08-10T20:23:56Z")
Just 1/2 inch you say? Look, if your house is older than 20 years, there is a very high likelyhood that the interior door way jamb has a profiled stop just under 1/2 inch thick (perhaps 1 inch wide) running up and down and across the top. Its removal will gain you at least 3/4 of an inch. There is a very high likelyhood as well that this stop has been secured by 3 or 4 finishing nails on each side. These nails are probably buried under the paint. Run a utility knife edge to cut the paint at the inside corners of the jamb/stop joint. With a stiff putty knife, (table knife will do if the wife isn’t looking) start gently prying the stop from the bottom, slowly increasing the height of the putty knife until you dead end at a nail . If the stop can not pull off the finishing nail easily, pry the claw of a hammer into and around the nail. Carry on till you get to the top when you wiggle the stop a little to get free of the top stop. Do both sides, pull nails, remove fridge, renail stops etc. The removal and renailing shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-wont-fit-out-the-door-what-to-do/193248/85 "2003-08-10T21:20:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Emilio Lizardo \* > \*\*Let me try to clarify somewhat. I have already removed as much extraneous material from the fridge as I can; it is as narrow as I can make it. The fridge resides in the basement of my house, which is below grade, so the windows are quite narrow. The only ways out are up the stairs, through a door which is 3" too small, or out the basement door, which, alas, has a steel frame mounted in brick and cement block, so widening it is not an option. > > As I mentioned, the door is somewhat out of plumb, as a result of the foundation settling, so I’m guessing the fridge fit when the frame was straight. \*\* 3" on one door frame. Metal on the other. Good idea tho, it’s just already been addressed. ---
**Author:** ![yessirrebob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/d26b3c/32.png) [@yessirrebob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yessirrebob)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-wont-fit-out-the-door-what-to-do/193248/86 "2003-08-10T22:21:37Z")
Don’t know if you thought of it, but, old fridges make great barbecue pits, once you remove all the non-metal stuff. Since you have to destroy it, take 4" off all around the door opening, take it out to the back-yard, put a grate in the bottom, charcoal briquettes, cooking grate on top and you have the biggest grill in the hood. Master the possibilities, such as a rotissirie for a pig or some chickens and beef ribs. Save the door, it’s a good lid w/hinges and poke some air holes top and bottom for venting purposes. Now you got it out, but still can get some use out of it. ---
**Author:** ![Emilio\_Lizardo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Emilio\_Lizardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emilio_Lizardo)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-wont-fit-out-the-door-what-to-do/193248/87 "2003-08-10T23:35:12Z")
Wow, 3 people have de-lurked to offer me advice! Welcome **nargha** , **alohadisc** and **yessirrebob**. The fridge hasn’t killed me yet, nor I it. I’ve just been too busy to do anything with it, and bulk trash removal isn’t until wednsday. Rest assured, the battery to my digital camera is charging and my wife has been enlisted as the official photographer for the **Fridge Death Match '03.** Monday night I’m going at it with the Sawzall and the PortaBand, and pictures will soon follow. Thanks to all of you for the advice, both helpful and humorous. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-wont-fit-out-the-door-what-to-do/193248/88 "2003-08-11T00:08:31Z")
You have two options: Host a Doper party complete with a keg or three, sledgehammers and excellent music. or Move and leave the thing there for the next sucker. ---
**Author:** ![imthjckaz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/imthjckaz/32/3223_2.png) [@imthjckaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imthjckaz)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-wont-fit-out-the-door-what-to-do/193248/89 "2003-08-11T00:26:20Z")
As mentioned before, recover the freon and cunt the hell out of it. Remember to wear gloves the edges will be jagged and will cut. ---
**Author:** ![imthjckaz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/imthjckaz/32/3223_2.png) [@imthjckaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imthjckaz)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-wont-fit-out-the-door-what-to-do/193248/90 "2003-08-11T00:27:47Z")
Er, **cut**. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Satisfying\_Andy\_Licious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Satisfying\_Andy\_Licious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satisfying_Andy_Licious)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-wont-fit-out-the-door-what-to-do/193248/91 "2003-08-11T01:23:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by imthjckaz \* > \*\*Er, **cut**. > > :smack: \*\* I’m glad you clarified that! ---
**Author:** ![ChoosyChipsAndCeilingWhacks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c77e96/32.png) [@ChoosyChipsAndCeilingWhacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChoosyChipsAndCeilingWhacks)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-wont-fit-out-the-door-what-to-do/193248/92 "2003-08-11T01:31:26Z")
Whoa! I thought this was all just appliance-smashing fun and here we have the infamous “C Word.” Holy ecosystem-destroying coolant system, Batman! L ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-wont-fit-out-the-door-what-to-do/193248/93 "2003-08-11T03:46:44Z")
Is he ever going to come back and tell us what he decided? ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-wont-fit-out-the-door-what-to-do/193248/94 "2003-08-11T04:32:54Z")
Oooo, I’m so excited. I’m waiting with bated breath until Monday… ---
**Author:** ![Reepicheep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@Reepicheep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reepicheep)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-wont-fit-out-the-door-what-to-do/193248/95 "2003-08-11T06:16:04Z")
I used to live in Laurel, and I will happily drive down from NY to help you Monday (I have had such fun reading the posts). Email me and I second **dantheman’s** offer to come over and help. ---
**Author:** ![JoeNotCharles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/977dab/32.png) [@JoeNotCharles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeNotCharles)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-wont-fit-out-the-door-what-to-do/193248/96 "2003-08-11T06:28:45Z")
Ah, freon. Freon’s fun stuff. Strangely enough, I encountered it in almost exactly this context. (Note: some of this is hearsay. I didn’t arrive until the fridge was gone.) A few years ago some roommates and I got a great deal on a student house for rent. The only problem was the people before us had left it kind of a mess, so we had to haul out tons of garbage and clean. One roommate arrived on the scene a day or two before the rest of us, and he and his father set to work. They decided, as you may have guessed from the surrounding thread, to get rid of the 20 year old fridge that was sitting in the basement. First they took the door off, and it took the two of them just to carry it upstairs. It was obvious that the rest was far too heavy to get out in one piece. But, they thought, the compressor on the back looked heavy - if they could get that off and haul it upstairs, the rest of the frame might be manageable. Now, they weren’t stupid. Um, let me rephrase that. They didn’t rip it off blindly. Instead, they traced some of the pipes down and reasoned that if they could clamp them off, none of the stuff inside would escape. So they took a big pair of pliers and applied them. This didn’t work at all as expected. (I note that somebody already suggested pinching the tubing. If you want to try this, be careful. Here’s why.) I wasn’t actually there to see this next part, but the way I heard it told is priceless. As soon as the pipes collapsed gas started boiling out, and my friend and his father stared at each other in horror. “What is that? Is that freon? Is it poisonous? I don’t know! RUN!” So they dashed up the stairs and stared down at the compressor spewed freon all over the basement. I’m not sure how long it took them to work up the courage to brave the terrible gas, but it couldn’t have been too long because there was still some left when they ran downstairs holding their breath, hauled the compressor back up, and tossed it on the ground to spurt black liquid all over the driveway. This is the first cool thing about freon. When it comes out of the compressor it’s a gas, but it turns to liquid almost immediately. When I got there a day or two later, nothing was left of the fridge, but they showed me the black oil-spot stains where the freon had dripped all over the ground, and then they showed me the drops of freon still clinging to the walls and counters in the basement. This is the second cool thing about freon. If it liquifies indoors, where it can’t evaporate, it stays around forever. It’s like a dry liquid. You can try to wipe it up with a cloth, and it spreads it around but the cloth stays dry. You can shove the drops around with your finger, and they will stay as perfect beads and your finger will stay dry. Months later when we were trying to persuade some other friends to sublet from us, we told them the freon story and I noticed some still clinging to the wall by my head, so I said, “Look - here’s some here,” and played with the droplet for a bit. It’s a miracle substance! (Telling them the story was not bright. They got it in their head that freon is cancer causing, declared the place unlivable, and went off to live elsewhere. We ended up subletting to a bunch of guys we didn’t know who stiffed us for $600 worth of bills.) Normally when I tell the freon story, I follow up with some other choice environmental damage stories from the same house, like when we tried to clean the water in the pool and ended up poisoning a skunk. But that story doesn’t really work without the hand gestures, so I think I’ll stop there. ---
**Author:** ![Emilio\_Lizardo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Emilio\_Lizardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emilio_Lizardo)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-wont-fit-out-the-door-what-to-do/193248/97 "2003-08-12T13:32:22Z")
It is done. The fridge was a tough old bastard, but nothing withstands a SawzAll! The fridge was dismantled without incident, and was declared dead at 9:30 PM eastern standard time. You can see preliminary photos on my web site. ---
**Author:** ![Parallax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbce88/32.png) [@Parallax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Parallax)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-wont-fit-out-the-door-what-to-do/193248/98 "2003-08-12T13:45:57Z")
Cool! One question - what’s with the USA Today newspaper box? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-wont-fit-out-the-door-what-to-do/193248/99 "2003-08-12T16:24:18Z")
Outstanding! And tidy too! Good show, Mr. & Mrs. **Emilio Lizardo**. ---
**Author:** ![Wyatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b19c9b/32.png) [@Wyatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wyatt)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-wont-fit-out-the-door-what-to-do/193248/100 "2003-08-12T21:19:41Z")
I’ll bet that was LOUD!!! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-wont-fit-out-the-door-what-to-do/193248.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-wont-fit-out-the-door-what-to-do/193248.md?page=6)