Replacing Samsung Refer with GE model - Samy RF18 Parts Available

[NoGas]

Tired of dealing with the Samsung’s chronic defrosting issues so Santa will deliver a much higher rated GE model right after Xmas. If anyone needs any Samsung RF18 parts off the old one, I can bring them to Q and the price is unbeatable - FREE . Anything easily removable like the inside baskets, shelves, bins, rear panels OR on the outside like the doors is available. However let me know ASAP by posting here as I’ll be pulling it next week (perhaps with a Sawsall ), and Lowes will haul the carcass off on Dec 27th. Let me know here about the parts before then!

Yes, with the price difference buying another Samsung was tempting. However, I don’t think I could trust another Samsung kitchen appliance ever again .
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[Lance & Terry]

We will be doing a refrigerator swap very soon, so this info is very interesting. I thought the Samsung was the best replacement by reading all the posts. I guess I will keep looking.

[brhodes]

Looks like a bad defrost element which is an easy fix.


I had the same issue with my 26 cu ft Whirlepool freezer and after replacing the defrost element, it is like new with no more defrost issues.

[Lance & Terry]

I have until the end of February to decide on which refrigerator we will be buying. If anyone has a good or bad experience, please let me know.

[NoGas]

Originally Posted by brhodes

Looks like a bad defrost element which is an easy fix.
I had the same issue with my 26 cu ft Whirlepool freezer and after replacing the defrost element, it is like new with no more defrost issues.

With a Samsung that’d be a big WRONG!

If you look at the long WOG Samsung thread started over 4 years ago HERE, you’ll see I replaced several parts including: the defrost element, the main controller board and a couple sensors - ALL to no avail. Many others have had similar bad Samsung experiences. Reports of icing up and failure of the Samsung to defrost are mentioned many times in other HD, Lowes and Amazon online reviews. Additionally if the unit is one day beyond your warranty period, you can forget about seeing help from Samsung even though this issue is obviously a design flaw. On more recent versions Samsung supposedly fixed the issues I started having at about the 2 year point of my early model RF18 ownership. Plus, some WOGers have purchased them since I did and not had problems (so far). Am I convinced to buy another? Absolutely not! Last week my highly experienced Lowes salesperson said he’d NEVER recommend the Samsung, even at $500 more for the GE. So I purchased the GE and we shall see if it really is a better made product. Once I get it in I’ll do a writeup with pics so others realize we have two house fridge options, not just one.

[Bruce]

None of the newer fridges ( say newer than 10 years old are trouble free) We have 2 GE side by sides. One is 8 years old the other a little more. They have been almost flawless. Both need new icemakers right now. But these were when GE was owned by Mabe. Now it is a Chinese company. The Whirlppool, Jenn air, maytags from 2007 and older are good. LG is one of the worst and Samsung is also problematic. It is a crapshoot. To make matters worse most decent repair guys recommend to not put too much money into repairs as you will be spending more in a short time. Icemakers and sensors are easy to replace and not too expensive. Control boards can be as much as $200 and often become obsolete in less than 10 years. What happened to fridges that ran for 20 years??? Washing machines are no better. Everything is throway.

[susanmarycamilleri]

Sorry to hear that you have issues with your Samsung fridge. I think I was one of the first to put one in my bus, that was 6 or so years ago. I use my bus about 3 months a year, so far mine has worked well, no issues. I did wire mine to a 1000 watt PSW inverter, than only powers the fridge.
I had a bad experience with a Samsung dishwasher in the house, but that is another story.
Hope you get things sorted out.