# Refrigerators

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerators/313991>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [July 25, 2005, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerators/313991 "2005-07-25T02:43:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerators/313991/1 "2005-07-25T02:43:21Z")

</div>

My 14 year old fridge is making some ominous noises. It has made noise for a while now but this is new and it doesn’t sound good. It might be time to get a new one.

I’m not going to spend 4 grand on a Sub-Zero, so save that suggestion, but I’d like so sugestions. I like the look of the side-by-side models, but what is their inherant advantage? They occupy the same space, so what makes them better? I would like to get one with an ice and water dispenser in the door. I’m willing to spend up to $1000 or thereabouts if it is worth it.

Any help?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerators/313991/2 "2005-07-25T16:36:51Z")

</div>

[Here’s](http://www.consumersearch.com/www/kitchen/refrigerator-reviews/fastanswers.html?source=adwords) one site that rates Kenmore as two of the top units. Also, check [this site](http://products.consumerguide.com/reviews/category.epub?sectionId=12) and click on the appropriate link.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerators/313991/3 "2005-07-25T16:54:49Z")

</div>

Side by sides are not a good choice if you keep your fridge full, IMO.  
If you’re the type to have a carton of eggs and a hunk of cheese and not much else they’d probably be great, But the shelves are just so narrow that stacking is unavoidable, and once there’s more than a few things in there they quickly become lost in the clutter.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerators/313991/4 "2005-07-25T16:57:10Z")

</div>

Pull the fridge out and take a vaccum cleaner with a hose and remove the dirt on the coils.

That may stop the bad noises.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerators/313991/5 "2005-07-25T17:39:55Z")

</div>

Go to Home Depot, Lowe’s or Sears and take a look at the refrigerators. You can open up the side-by-side models and others to see the amount of interior space. Also look at the freezer on top and freezer on the bottom models (some have a freezer drawer on the bottom). There are a couple of side-by-side models where the doors are not straight, but have a wider part and a narrower part for both the refrigerator and freezer.

And icemakers and water dispensers are ubiqutious; it’s hard to find a model without them.