A refrigerator is a fairly expensive and complex piece of equipment. Therefore, when delivering home, a thorough diagnosis of the refrigerator is required. At the time of purchase, it is difficult to verify the serviceability of the device. In addition, a sample will be on display in the store, and the device will be delivered to your home from the warehouse. Therefore, in the store you can only evaluate the appearance and technical characteristics. Before you sign for delivery of the goods to the bank, you should carefully inspect the new device. This will allow you to avoid many problems in the future. Therefore, you need to know how to properly check a refrigerator when delivered to your home.
Checking upon delivery will help avoid possible problems
Checking and diagnosing the refrigerator yourself
After delivery, the device must be checked for functionality and the presence of external defects. If a manufacturing defect is discovered, the device can be replaced within 14 days. However, if damage occurred during transportation, it will not be possible to replace it unless the damage was discovered at the time of delivery.
The check should include:
- external inspection of the device;
- thorough inspection of the compressor;
- inspection of the device inside;
- performance check.
You should also carefully study all documentation. In addition to the product passport and sales receipt, the documentation must also include a stamped warranty card.
Disadvantages of buying a used refrigerator
When you want to buy a used refrigerator, you need to look not only at the positive characteristics, but also at the negative ones. There are plenty of them, and the main ones should be noted as follows:
- Stolen equipment . When you buy a refrigerator secondhand, it may be stolen. In this case, some legal claims may be brought against you in the future.
- If the service life has expired, then at any moment you may be overtaken by some kind of breakdown . There will be no warranty service and repairs may be prohibitively expensive.
- Malfunctions . It is very difficult to detect a malfunction at the time of purchase. Those people who do not carry out inspections carefully will encounter problems with use in the future. That is why, during the purchase, it is better to examine the product from all sides and check the technical equipment.
- Irrational cost . As everyone knows, prices for used refrigerators are determined by the sellers themselves. And in most cases they want more money. That is why it is worth looking not only at the cost, but also relating it to quality.
- Buying from scammers . Nowadays there are a huge number of unscrupulous sellers operating on the Internet. You may encounter them at different stages of cooperation. Under no circumstances make an advance payment, because this can also happen. Calculation is made only after you check all the technical condition and make a conclusion.
As you can see, the purchase has both advantages and disadvantages. You need to pay close attention to them and approach the acquisition wisely.
Visual inspection
An external inspection is required first. During delivery, your device may develop cracks, scratches, or other imperfections. You should carefully inspect its outer surfaces. This will help to immediately identify the presence of damage.
After delivery of new household appliances, a careful inspection is required.
The device must be inspected in good lighting. This will allow you to find even minor damage. You should not rush to inspect the device, even if the movers are in a hurry and ask you to quickly sign the delivery document.
Attention should be paid to the fastening of doors and handles. They must not have any defects. If they are weak, then over time they can become loose and fail. But such repairs cannot be performed under warranty, so they will cost a decent amount. If defects are found, it is better to refuse the purchase. A description of the deficiencies should be provided in the appropriate form.
General information about used refrigerators
When your refrigerator breaks down and you don’t have the money to buy a new model, you can buy a used one . Among the reasons for such a purchase are moving to temporary housing, lack of funds for the purchase, the need to permanently live in the country and much more. There are even options when people are simply waiting for a new apartment, but today they want to use something simpler.
All options have their own motivation , but you need to think about whether such a purchase is reasonable. Here you need to follow a number of rules, and also look at the advantages and disadvantages. In this case, you will be able to meet all your expectations and not be disappointed.
Today, the market for used household appliances is represented in huge quantities . And there are many reasons for this. Some people sell really high-quality units, while others sell them with defects. Before purchasing, it is best to carefully inspect the purchase, check all the characteristics and only then give the money.
Inspection of the compressor block
The electric motor and compressor are the main elements of the device. In modern models they are a single compressor unit. It is difficult to independently assess the performance of a motor, compressor, posistor, capacitor and other structural parts. However, obvious visual defects can be identified visually. During transportation, some components could be damaged, which will further affect the performance of the equipment. During transportation, the integrity of the circuit may be compromised. This causes the device to malfunction.
Inspecting the compressor will reveal its defects.
In some cases, the compressor unit is covered with a special grill, and loaders may refuse to remove it. However, it only takes a few seconds to dismantle and reinstall it. To do this, simply unscrew the four screws that secure the grille to the body. If movers or other store or delivery service representatives refuse to open the compressor unit for inspection, there may be some damage to the unit.
Removing the protective decorative grille to check the compressor unit
Pros of buying used refrigerators
When it comes to buying used equipment, in particular a refrigerator, you need to consider all the advantages and disadvantages. This will allow you to avoid making any mistakes in the future and choose what you want to see. If we talk about the advantages of such a purchase, then they include the following:
- Low price for products . If you look at the used market, you will find low prices. Sometimes it reaches even 30% of the original. But you shouldn’t immediately take the cheapest one. It is best to ask about defects that may exist in this case.
- You can find a model that is currently not available in a variety of stores . It also happens that a person has wanted to purchase a particular refrigerator for a very long time, but production or sales have ceased. To do this, you can use the search for used goods and find a suitable option.
- When you want to purchase some expensive model, you can initially look at a used option . You can use it and then resell it. In this case, you look at all the technical characteristics, the behavior of the equipment, as well as everything else.
- Very often you can find a refrigerator at a low cost in the best quality . There are situations when people, for a number of reasons, are obliged to sell equipment. In this situation, it will be in perfect condition, and you can buy it for pennies.
- Very often defects . And if the owner who used it has already eliminated the defects. That is why you will not encounter such a problem, and you will already be able to use the equipment fully.
Internal surfaces
Even if the outer surfaces are intact, it does not mean that the device is working properly. You also need to take a good look at its internal surfaces. It is necessary to assess the condition of the drawers and shelves. They must be intact. Otherwise, repair or replacement of parts may be required.
You should also pay attention to the rear walls. Evaporators are installed here. They are one of the most expensive elements of the device. They should not have any defects.
Internal inspection of shelves and drawers
It is recommended to pay attention to the smell of the new refrigerator. It should only smell like plastic. However, it may smell like food or cleaning products. This may indicate that the device is being used. The refrigerator may have been defective and was returned to the store by previous customers for this reason.
How to check a refrigerator when purchasing
A refrigerator is a household electrical appliance that is purchased for more than one year and is not cheap. Therefore, when purchasing it, it is extremely important to make sure that it is fully operational and does not have any mechanical damage. So check the refrigerator when purchasing , especially if we are talking about purchasing from an online store. Buying a refrigerator is a very responsible process that requires your maximum concentration. After all, if you let your guard down and don’t notice any damage to the refrigerator when purchasing, then you yourself will be the first to suffer, since you will have to repair a completely new refrigerator, which means you will have to spend money again.
Of course, you are unlikely to be able to fully check the refrigerator when purchasing it, because you may not know (and should not) all the features of its design and operation. Nevertheless, there are a number of rules for checking a refrigerator that will help you not only choose the right model for you when purchasing, but also make sure that you are purchasing serviceable equipment that will last you a long time.
External inspection of the refrigerator
When delivered to stores or to the buyer’s home, refrigerators may be damaged due to careless handling by movers. Therefore, it is important for you to carefully inspect the outside of the refrigerator to determine if there is any damage to its surface.
It is best if you can carry out an external inspection of the refrigerator in bright daylight. In this case, you will be able to examine even small dents or scratches, if any. At the same time, try to inspect the refrigerator from different angles, feel free to spend as much time on it as you need.
When inspecting, do not forget to pay special attention to the fastenings of the handles on the doors of the refrigerator and freezer compartments, as well as to the fastenings of the chamber doors themselves. These fasteners must be strong and without signs of damage. If the fastenings are weak, then you risk getting a broken refrigerator in the near future after purchase, the repair of which will cost you a pretty penny.
In general, keep in mind that mechanical damage resulting from careless handling of the refrigerator upon delivery is not grounds for warranty repair or replacement of the refrigerator at the expense of the manufacturer. Therefore, if you nevertheless find any damage during an external inspection, you can either refuse to purchase or demand a corresponding reduction in the price of the refrigerator.
Inspection of the refrigerator compressor unit
Even a specialist would probably not be able to determine by just looking at the compressor unit whether the refrigeration unit will work well. But still, when buying a refrigerator, it will be very useful to at least visually check the compressor unit for mechanical damage. After all, it may well turn out that during delivery some parts of this extremely important unit for the operation of the entire refrigerator were damaged. For example, there are known cases when the integrity of the refrigeration circuit was damaged during delivery, which is why the refrigerator, of course, could no longer work properly.
Please note that in some refrigerator models the compressor unit may be covered with a decorative grille. A good store should not refuse your request to remove this grille, because this operation takes a matter of minutes: you just need to unscrew the 4 screws securing this grille to the body. If the store refuses to remove the grille and show you the compressor unit, this may be a signal for you to refuse the purchase: perhaps the sellers have something to hide from you.
Internal inspection of the refrigerator
Unfortunately, even if the outside of the refrigerator is intact, this does not mean at all that everything is fine inside. Therefore, when purchasing, it doesn’t hurt to check the refrigerator from the inside as well. Carefully inspect all shelves and drawers, check the fastenings of decorative panels, if any. Everything should be intact, unless, of course, you want to have to go to a workshop in the near future to replace certain parts.
When inspecting the refrigerator internally, be sure to pay attention to inspecting the rear walls of the refrigerator and freezer compartments. This is where the evaporators are located, which are one of the key parts of the refrigeration system. In a working refrigerator, there should be no damage to the evaporators.
By the way, don’t forget to take a sniff when examining the “insides” of the refrigerator. A new, working refrigerator may only smell like plastic, but if you smell foreign odors, for example, the smell of cleaning products or food, be wary: it is very likely that they are trying to sell you a refrigerator that has already been used.
Checking the functionality of the refrigerator
After completing the inspection of the refrigerator outside and inside, you just need to check how it works. Of course, you won’t be able to fully evaluate the performance of the refrigerator right in the store, because it must work for at least a day so that the operating temperature is established in the refrigerator and freezer compartments, and all parts and components begin to work within operating limits. Nevertheless, it’s worth plugging in the refrigerator for at least half an hour when purchasing.
In a good store, the buyer’s request to check the functionality of the refrigerator should not cause any complaints or questions from the sellers, because this is completely legal. Moreover, ideally, sellers should be the first to offer you such a check, because without it you will not even know whether the refrigerator’s power cord is working, whether the light in the refrigerator compartment turns on, etc.
If, when you turn on the refrigerator, the power indicator lights up, the light works, and the compressor starts, then all this is a sign that the refrigerator is working. Now all that remains is to wait about half an hour to assess whether the process of lowering the temperature in the refrigerator compartment has begun. If you have a thermometer, you can put it in the chamber and then check its readings. The temperature, of course, should eventually be lower than the original one.
If there is no thermometer, you can assess whether the compressor has begun to cool the air in the refrigerator chamber by touching the back wall of the chamber (evaporator). After the first cycle of compressor operation, frost should begin to form on it (a snow “coat”). If the evaporator is warm, you can wait another 20 minutes and check again. If in this case the evaporator does not begin to cool, this clearly indicates that there is a malfunction in the refrigerator. Buying a refrigerator in this case is highly not recommended.
When you have completely checked the refrigerator and made sure that everything is in order with it, when purchasing it, all you have to do is make sure that all the documents accompanying the refrigerator are also in order: registration certificate, instructions, warranty card. And only after that you can safely take the refrigerator home and start using it: now the risk that you purchased a faulty refrigerator is minimal.
Functionality check
The most important stage of testing the equipment being diagnosed is assessing the quality of work. Therefore, after examining the inside and outside, you should plug the unit into the network. However, doing this immediately after delivery is prohibited. You must wait at least half an hour.
If the purchase was made from a reputable store, the delivery service employees should offer such verification themselves. If this does not happen, you must insist on your legal rights to check the functionality of the delivered equipment. Without this check, it will not be possible to diagnose a malfunction of the power cord, light bulbs, motor and other elements of the device.
When you turn on the unit, the power indicator and lights should light up, and the compressor should start, making a characteristic sound. After which the doors must be closed for half an hour, so that after this time you can find out whether the temperature in the chamber decreases. To do this, it is best to use a thermometer, but you can simply check with your hand by placing it on the back inner wall of the device. The temperature should be several degrees lower than the original one. In addition, frost should form on the back wall.
If after half an hour the back wall continues to be warm, you need to close the door for another half hour and measure the temperature again. If the cooling process has not started, this indicates a possible malfunction.
How to choose a discounted refrigerator
An option for an inexpensive refrigerator can also be a discounted model. Such devices are substandard due to minor decorative damage or manufacturing defects. If your goal is simply a functioning refrigerator, markdowns due to scratches, dents, or unsalable packaging are essentially irrelevant to you. The main thing is that the device fulfills its direct duties, despite existing external shortcomings.
We do not recommend that you buy a refrigerator at a discount due to faults in the refrigeration generator system, since there are no guarantees that you will be able to repair the breakdown yourself and continue to use the device for many years. Most likely, it will serve you no more than six months, despite the fact that sales consultants will convince you otherwise.
When buying a refrigerator at a discount, you must understand that the store declines all responsibility for its condition and does not provide a warranty, even if the reason for the price reduction is just a scratch or a torn handle. That is why you must be firmly confident that it is in good condition when purchasing, since it will not be possible to return it back.
Thus, used refrigerators and discounted refrigerators are a good option for families on a limited budget, as well as for summer residents and landlords. When choosing such a device, you must carefully check its operating condition and make sure that there are no critical faults. Enjoy the shopping.
We continue the topic of checking household appliances. Today we will talk about how to check a refrigerator when purchasing or upon delivery.
A refrigerator is a rather expensive piece of equipment that is purchased for more than one year, and you need to take the purchase of a refrigerator seriously. Now I will not develop the topic of how to choose the best and most suitable refrigerator for you. We will assume that you have already decided on the model and all that remains is to pay the seller and take your new assistant home. And before you take this important step, you must check your new acquisition.
A refrigerator is a type of household appliance whose performance simply cannot be fully verified at the time of purchase. Why, I hope, is clear. And the sellers will convince you of the same. But! You can still check some things.
Let me start with the fact that most often it is not possible to check the refrigerator at the time of purchase due to the fact that you will only see a sample on the display window, and your refrigerator will be delivered from the warehouse. Thus, you will only see it at the time of delivery. This is fine. The main thing is not to rush to sign the form that store representatives will intrusively push on you, rudely hinting that they are in a hurry. Don't believe what they say you have 15 days to check your refrigerator. Of course, they exist - these are 15 days, according to the law, but you can return or exchange the refrigerator within this period only if you discover a defect that arose through the fault of the manufacturer. That is, any mechanical damage will not be considered such a defect. Therefore, before confirming with your signature that you have no complaints about the product, you must carefully and without haste inspect your new item.
But let's talk in more detail about how to inspect the refrigerator.
First: inspect the external walls of the refrigerator.
It is necessary to inspect the external walls of the refrigerator in good lighting. Under no circumstances do this in the dim darkness of the entrance or in the corridor, where the lighting often leaves much to be desired. Only in good, preferably daylight, lighting.
Why? – you may ask.
Yes, because not all flaws can be seen in poor lighting. Moreover, on the front wall, that is, on the doors of the refrigerator, there may be small dents that are noticeable only at a certain angle and with a certain incidence of light rays.
Therefore, first carefully inspect the side walls of the refrigerator. After this, if the product was delivered to your home, place it in the place where it will be used in the future and look at it from different points in the room. If you pick up the refrigerator from the store yourself, then find a brightly lit place in the sales area, place the refrigerator there and also carefully look at all the walls from different angles.
Be sure to carefully inspect the handles on the refrigerator and freezer doors, especially at the fastening points.
There should be no cracks, otherwise the handle will not last long, and a new one will be expensive.
Second: inspection of the compressor unit.
I would like to clarify right away that in many modern refrigerators the compressor installation location is hidden by the manufacturer behind a special decorative grille. Of course, you can remove it, but whether to do it or not is up to you. The grille is usually attached to several self-tapping screws.
I understand perfectly well that for the vast majority of buyers, inspecting the compressor block will not yield anything. Clearly, we are not experts. And a specialist in appearance is unlikely to be able to determine the functionality of the refrigerator cooling system. So why bother looking then? Yes, then, to identify mechanical damage, if any.
For example, after an impact during transportation, a compressor may fly off its mounts or become warped. This can lead either to its failure or to more noisy operation during operation. Do you need it?
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For clarity, I would like to show a photo taken in our sales area on a BOSCH refrigerator.
Pay attention to the circled area. With a quick and inattentive inspection, you most likely will not notice anything.
But let's take a closer look.
Now the torn tube is clearly visible. The cooling circuit is broken and the first time you turn it on you will hear freon whistling out. Therefore, the refrigerator will not perform its functions. And the saddest thing is that this defect is mechanical damage, and, therefore, is not covered under warranty. Repairs will cost you a tidy sum, at least 1000 rubles.
Believe me, such mechanical damage is not an exceptional case or even a rarity. You just haven’t had to watch how new refrigerators are loaded, unloaded and transported...
Checking a used refrigerator upon purchase
While a new refrigerator can be repaired under warranty in the event of breakdowns or manufacturing defects, this cannot be done with a used one. Therefore, it must be examined carefully. The advantage of choosing such a device is that it is a single copy. Therefore, you can assess its condition before purchase and delivery.
In addition to inspecting the appearance, you should carefully examine the compressor unit, checking for visible damage to parts. If they are not there, the refrigerator should be plugged in. You can immediately evaluate its serviceability, and after time, the rate at which the temperature in the chambers decreases. If everything is fine, you can agree on its delivery. Record verbally or on paper all cracks, scratches and other damage. You can take several photos. This will allow you to prove that new damage has occurred if loading and delivery is handled by a third party.
It is best to evaluate its performance before purchasing such a refrigerator by visiting an experienced technician. It will help make the correct diagnosis, minimizing the risk of detecting damage after delivery. Once the device is put into use, it will not be possible to repair it at a service center under warranty. Therefore, checking its performance is especially important.
How to buy a used refrigerator
There are some simple but important rules when purchasing used equipment that must be followed in order to avoid purchasing a faulty device. Expert advice is as follows:
- You should only buy used equipment from trusted companies or services. Only this will guarantee that it is of high quality, since serious organizations value their own reputation, which means that the risk of problems with the device’s performance will be minimized.
- The seller must provide a guarantee of at least two months. During this time of use, the refrigerator may demonstrate possible problems, so the buyer should have the opportunity to exchange or repair the purchased equipment.
- You can’t buy a “pig in a poke.” Even if the refrigerator was delivered to your home, you should definitely conduct a visual inspection and check the operation in each mode. Keep in mind that this process is not quick, it usually takes about an hour.
- When purchasing used equipment, be sure to ask the seller to turn it on to make sure of its main function - the ability to freeze.
- After arriving at the place of sale of a used unit, write down the serial number of the refrigerator you choose. When it is delivered to your address, you need to make sure that the number matches.
Experts recommend that when buying a used refrigerator, give preference to simpler models. Only in this case will there be at least minimal confidence in its practicality. Appearance is a secondary matter, and the main task of such equipment is to ensure optimal temperature conditions for storing food. This is what you need to consider when choosing a used refrigerator.
