They're also so much more energy efficient now: > New fridges aren't just a little more efficient, they're incredibly more efficient. A 1986-era 18 c.f. fridg

They're also so much more energy efficient now: > New fridges aren't just a little more efficient, they're incredibly more efficient. A 1986-era 18 c.f. fridge uses 1400 kWh a year, while a modern energy-efficient model uses only 350 kWh — a whopping 75% reduction. At 15¢ kWh, trading in a pre-1986 fridge for a new efficient one would save about $158 a year in electricity costs. And some older fridges are even worse than the average. One reader estimates her savings to be $238 per year for trading in her 1979 fridge for a 2004 model. There's not some great conspiracy of appliance manufacturers. All those difficult-to-repair parts have been added to make the appliances cheaper, or more energy efficient, or quieter, or speedier and more effective (compare how dishwashers and washing machines and dryers from a few decades ago work to how they do now). http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/refrigerators.html http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/refrigerators.html