Frostbite

A month ago, the ice cream was getting soft in the freezer and Mike and I accused each other of leaving the door ajar. Two days ago, Mike mentioned that the freezer, even with the door closed, wasn’t freezing. I suggested that the temperature knob had been inadvertently turned down. We turned it to “coldest.” Last night, I reached into the freezer and noticed that the air inside was close to room temperature. The ice cube trays held liquid water. The freezer is officially dead. The refrigerator portion of the unit is not long behind. It used to freeze our milk, now it is just barely keeping the milk from spoiling.

It’s currently only 22 degrees outside. I read about a family in Canada that turns off its refrigerator each winter and stores perishables outside. I suppose we could do that for another month of so, but spring will come eventually.

According to the home warranty brochure I found in our files, the refrigerator is covered by the policy. However, upon calling the insurance agency, I discovered that our actual policy (which I could not find this morning) does not cover this appliance. The fridge was an “option,” that we did not select.

I don’t have any great love for the refrigerator. It’s the wrong color and it is much too big. Once I’ve cleaned out the moldy leftovers, the remaining refrigerated items look lost in the space. Mike only reaches into the fridge for Kool-aid or string cheese. I need it for milk and dinner items (and hotdogs!). The condiments occupy more of the space than our consumables.

So, should we have someone come look at the refrigerator (I believe service calls alone start at $50) or just buy a new one? My wild buy-buy-buy half is warring with my more thrifty half. Fixing the existing refrigerator is the least expensive option. However, a new, smaller, white fridge will give us more kitchen space, coordinate with the décor, and possibly reduce energy consumption (although I doubt we’ll live with it long enough to realize much of a savings). Can you tell I’m in the process of talking myself into a new refrigerator?