Noticed how fridge compressors went from bulletproof to disposable

Ive been fixing appliances for 25 years and the difference in fridge compressors is wild. Back in the late 90s, those old Copeland and Tecumseh units would run 15-20 years easy. Now we see inverter compressors start failing after 4-5 years on the same brands. Its mostly manufacturers squeezing every penny out of parts to hit lower price points. Has anyone else seen this shift in reliability over the last decade?

2 comments

2 Comments

paul2331mo ago

Wait, are you sure about those Copeland units lasting 15-20 years? I've seen plenty of them die around the 10-12 year mark, especially the ones made in the late 90s when they started cheaping out on the start relays and capacitors. The real bulletproof ones were the old R-12 units from the 70s and early 80s, those things would run 25 years easy. You're right about the inverter compressors being junk, but I think we're romanticizing the 90s stuff a bit. Those older units had simpler electronics so they could keep going, but they still had their own weak spots like the overload protectors and condenser fans that would fail all the time.

the_sam1mo ago

Buddy of mine had a late 90s Copeland die at 11 years, start relay fried and took the compressor with it lol.