OK

Only owned for 3 weeks but here's my thoughts. I am not a fan of the can dispenser in door, but it is well worth it to live with that minor layout dislike because the rest of the refrigerator is of good quality. The compressor mechanicals in the back are tucked within the back plane of the refrigerator frame, unlike a competitor's I tried. The rear framing that the mechanicals are attached to is one piece and looks like better quality than competitor's. A competitor's compressor was definitely quiet to their credit, but to my surprise this one is even quieter. Once in a while upon cycling off there is a little shaking as the compressor turns off. Other than that there is no other shaking or vibrating when running or when cycling on and off. There is no loud clicking noise when cycling on and off. Sometimes, not all the time, there is some swishing noise from the refrigerant flowing, I guess it depends on the temperature and what you set the thermostat for. I think it would be annoying if you were very close to the refrigerator, such as in a dorm room, but other than that there are no other gurgling noises. The swishing noise is more of a white noise without any repetitive pattern or "pulsing", it sort of sounds like a waterfall or rain hitting a room, the competitor's refrigerator I tried made more of a repetitive "pulsing" noise which I found very annoying. I live in an efficiency apartment, so the refrigerator is basically in the same room as my bed, but I was able to put the refrigerator around a corner. Doing so made the compressor noise even less (it already is quiet as far as compressors go, but noise is noise and I don't like any noise when I am sleeping), so it doesn't bother me too much. I guess you just never know exactly what you are getting with refrigerators until you try them out, I wish refrigerators came with detailed noise ratings about things like this, especially for ones that are meant to be used in a confined space like a dorm or small apartment. FYI, I noticed that compact refrigerators in general seem to cycle more often than full-size refrigerators do, the two I tried recently have about a 2 minute on cycle and a 8-10 minute off cycle, which in my opinion makes any noise they make more annoying since it is frequent. The condenser coils are hidden inside the sides of the refrigerator, which I suppose most people would think is more upscale, I expected them to be exposed at the back, which seems like it would be slightly more efficient but what do I care, this refrigerator is still more efficient than a competitor's 3.9 cubic foot model I tried. There is no fan, so there is no fan noise. The refrigerator was packed very well as if they actually wanted it to arrive undamaged, again, unlike a competitor's I tried. The adjustable front legs are nice looking sturdy plastic rather than the basic bolt type ones that come standard on other refrigerators, and the adjustable bracket for the bottom of the door looks new and nice compared to others. The door and seal worked perfectly right out of the box, one of the problems I had with a competitor's. There is actually a packing note inside telling you how to inspect the door to make sure it seals properly and doesn't stick. The shelves are stronger than a competitior's. Even the plastic trim piece that covers the top of the door hinge has a bevel to it so it looks nicer. I am happy with it, but sometimes I wish it didn't make any swishing noises at all. The only real negative things I can say is that one of the bolts holding the compressor to the frame looks like it isn't seated 100%, but it doesn't appear to be loose, so I guess wouldn't have ever known if I hadn't looked at it closely, although I wish that they paid more attention to quality like this, and there is no freezer drip tray for when you defrost, there looks to be a slot for it though. I would say the GE Spacemaker 3.1 cubic foot compact refrigerator is pretty decent for this price range. I would assume GE's other refrigerators are similarly well built.

[Sunday, April 27, 2008]