# Is a dorm room sized refrigerator worth repairing?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-dorm-room-sized-refrigerator-worth-repairing/311818
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [July 10, 2005, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-dorm-room-sized-refrigerator-worth-repairing/311818 "2005-07-10T04:41:26Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@aeropl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aeropl)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2005, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-dorm-room-sized-refrigerator-worth-repairing/311818/1 "2005-07-10T04:41:26Z")
My three year old refrigerator, which is a dorm room sized model, has stopped working. It is a GE model (about 4 cubic feet) that has the freezer in the same section as the fridge, with only a plastic door separation. I am hoping that someone who is reads this and knows something about refrigerators can at least determine whether or not something like this is worth getting repaired.
When left plugged in, the compressor gets hot but there is no refrigeration. The only irregularity I see while looking at the back is that there is some corrosion around a capsule. That capsule is about 2" long and connects to the compressor. I have no idea what this part is, but someone so far has suggested that the freon leaked out through the corrosion. Is that consistent with my symptoms? My problem is that these cost about $130 new and it would probably cost that much to fix it. Would it be worth even paying someone to look at it?
The compressor has a 5 year warranty, but it was a gift and therefore I have no receipt to show for it. Thank you in advance if you can help.
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2005, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-dorm-room-sized-refrigerator-worth-repairing/311818/2 "2005-07-10T04:45:19Z")
Toss it and buy a new one. The repair and transportation costs will be really near the price of a new one. Save yourself the hassle.
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### Author:  [@MissGypsy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissGypsy)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2005, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-dorm-room-sized-refrigerator-worth-repairing/311818/3 "2005-07-10T04:58:44Z")
Junk it. If you pay someone to look at it, you’re out perhaps $65 per hour.
(But please dispose of it properly. Refrigerant is not something we want leaking into the air we breathe, or leaking into the ground water that we might drink.)
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### Author:  [@Ashes\_Ashes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashes_Ashes)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2005, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-dorm-room-sized-refrigerator-worth-repairing/311818/4 "2005-07-10T05:07:41Z")
Any colleges where you are? They’re always good for slightly used mini-friges at good prices, especially at year’s end. Even new ones can be found for under a hundred.
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### Author:  [@aeropl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aeropl)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2005, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-dorm-room-sized-refrigerator-worth-repairing/311818/5 "2005-07-10T14:20:46Z")
I will just call the waste company then and see if they will pick it up. **Ashes, Ashes** , that’s a good idea about getting a used one. I live between a university with 47,000 students and a community college with about 25,000 so there should be no problem finding a used one.
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### Author:  [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2005, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-dorm-room-sized-refrigerator-worth-repairing/311818/6 "2005-07-10T21:13:28Z")
I poked a hole in the freezer compartment of our mini fridge at work while defrosting it and lost all the coolant. I called the repair shop to get an estimate and he laughed at me. Told me that just for them to look at it would cost me more than buying a brand new fridge. He was right…we got a new one at Walmart for around $50
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### Author:  [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2005, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-dorm-room-sized-refrigerator-worth-repairing/311818/7 "2005-07-11T01:45:49Z")
Since you folks are in college, you’re getting an education. Refrigerators, freezers, and any other appliance which contains pressurized gases, **and** pointy tools when used together will yield a financial loss.
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### Author:  [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2005, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-dorm-room-sized-refrigerator-worth-repairing/311818/8 "2005-07-11T03:37:00Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#):
>
> Since you folks are in college, you’re getting an education. Refrigerators, freezers, and any other appliance which contains pressurized gases, **and** pointy tools when used together will yield a financial loss.
For the record, I’m 48 and know perfectly well not to use sharp objects when defrosting. But my daughter was rushing me!
And besides, now I’m not **allowed** to defrost the new refrigerator at work…pretty smart move on my part! Someone else will just have to do it since I can’t be trusted!
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### Author:  [@Harmonix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonix)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2005, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-dorm-room-sized-refrigerator-worth-repairing/311818/9 "2005-07-11T08:04:27Z")
Call the company read them a serial number. Chances are the fridge wasn’t even Manufactured 5 years ago.
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### Author:  [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2005, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-dorm-room-sized-refrigerator-worth-repairing/311818/10 "2005-07-11T16:39:47Z")
Anyone else thought the OP had a fridge as large as a dorm room?
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### Author:  [@Foaming\_Cleanser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foaming_Cleanser)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2005, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-dorm-room-sized-refrigerator-worth-repairing/311818/11 "2005-07-11T17:02:44Z")
Yep.