23-year-old Liebherr fridge dies and its owner buys an LG at 53% off
A 23-year-old Liebherr stops cooling, the repair costs €300, and its owner buys an LG with a linear compressor for €599 at an outlet, 53% off the €1,269 list price.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
A 23-year-old Liebherr fridge dies and its owner buys an LG with a linear compressor at 53% off
The fridge section of a Liebherr combi stopped cooling after 23 years of service. The freezer kept working because the unit had two independent compressors. The diagnosis pointed to a failure of the rotary compressor or a leak of R12 refrigerant gas, banned for years. The repair, including a compressor replacement and labor, was quoted at nearly 300 euros. A technician who went through the same ordeal a decade ago remembers his cost 180 euros. Nobody explains the difference between the two figures, but it marks the threshold beyond which throwing the appliance away starts to make sense.
Why repairing no longer pays off
The Liebherr's owner was clear that he was not going to pay for the repair. The interior plastics were yellowed and the appliance had more than two decades of use behind it. A sales rep from the brand itself admitted the new model would not last as long. That detail, told without drama, sums up the change of era: extreme longevity is no longer sold as a selling point.
The economic calculation doesn't encourage repairing either. A 23-year-old appliance consumes electricity with an energy label that would be unthinkable today. The investment in a new one is partly recouped through the electricity bill, although the payback depends on the price of power and on usage. Some argue the savings don't cover the outlay; the most optimistic scenario assumes several years to break even.
The outlet strategy: 1,269 euros for 599
The first visit to a big-box store left the buyer with the same feeling as many others: high prices and finishes that don't justify the difference. The Korean models from Samsung and LG stood out for their technology and finish, but he wasn't willing to pay the official price. The alternative was the outlet market, where a dent in the sheet metal means discounts of 50% or 60%.
At the Liebherr outlet in Coslada (Madrid) he found appliances with 60% discounts for hidden damage, with prices ranging from 548 to 843 euros. The conclusion was uncomfortable: the perceived quality was no longer distinguishable from a Fagor, a Zanussi, an AEG or an Electrolux. At an outlet in Aranjuez came the final purchase: an LG GM5148AERV multi-door, all stainless steel, with a linear compressor, for 599 euros against an MSRP of 1,269. Three barely perceptible dents justified the 53% cut.
What the linear compressor is and why it's sold as superior technology
The buyer checked the temperatures of the three independent compartments: they read two degrees lower than the display indicated. The declared noise level is 40 decibels. The unit doesn't have the usual rear black-tube grille; it has a small condenser next to the compressor, cooled by a silent fan, and according to the owner outside temperatures don't affect it the way they do classic rotary compressor models.
The patent for LG's linear compressor dates from 2007. The idea behind it is that these compressors consume according to cooling needs: in winter they deliver around 60% and in summer 100%. Rotary compressors, on the other hand, remain the same as always. The A+, A++ or higher energy rating depends, according to this thesis, on the thickness and density of the insulation, not on a technological leap in the compressor.
The climate class: the spec almost nobody looks at
A refrigerator is classified into four climate classes according to the ambient temperature it is designed for. Class SN covers 10 to 32 degrees; class T, 18 to 43. An SN appliance in a cold country consumes less because the outside helps cool the interior, and that allows it to carry a better energy label. The same machine with thicker insulation and a T rating uses more, because it doesn't get that help.
The LG buyer claims his Liebherr was only SN and not SN-T, and that the brand doesn't declare both categories at once. It's a technical discussion that affects the comparison of labels between countries and the fine print of spec sheets. It also explains why the same model can be sold with different specifications depending on the market.
Planned obsolescence and the myth of the eternal brand
The most repeated consensus is that today's appliances don't last as long as the old ones. A 2004 Liebherr is still running with no breakdown other than a light bulb. A 1983 Zanussi, a Kelvinator of nearly 40 years, an Edesa of 21, a Balay of 20, a 1992 General Electric still being manufactured exactly the same. The cases pile up and all point in the same direction: longevity used to be the norm, not the exception.
The response of the premium brands, according to those who defend them, is that they cannot afford to fail: if a 1,500-euro appliance lasts eight years, the customer doesn't come back. Against that, the LG buyer's experience is that Liebherr's quality has fallen until it blends in with the mid-range. His vvife, with no technical knowledge, said it before he did: the new ones had nothing to do with the old one.
The reasonable prediction is that the LG bought at the outlet will last less than the Liebherr it replaces. The unknown is how much less, and whether the energy savings and the entry price make up for the difference. With the linear compressor patent still in force, the technological advantage holds. When it expires, the question will be a different one.
The fridge section of a Liebherr combi stopped cooling after 23 years of service. The freezer kept working because the unit had two independent compressors. The diagnosis pointed to a failure of the rotary compressor or a leak of R12 refrigerant gas, banned for years. The repair, including a compressor replacement and labor, was quoted at nearly 300 euros. A technician who went through the same ordeal a decade ago remembers his cost 180 euros. Nobody explains the difference between the two figures, but it marks the threshold beyond which throwing the appliance away starts to make sense.
Why repairing no longer pays off
The Liebherr's owner was clear that he was not going to pay for the repair. The interior plastics were yellowed and the appliance had more than two decades of use behind it. A sales rep from the brand itself admitted the new model would not last as long. That detail, told without drama, sums up the change of era: extreme longevity is no longer sold as a selling point.
The economic calculation doesn't encourage repairing either. A 23-year-old appliance consumes electricity with an energy label that would be unthinkable today. The investment in a new one is partly recouped through the electricity bill, although the payback depends on the price of power and on usage. Some argue the savings don't cover the outlay; the most optimistic scenario assumes several years to break even.
The outlet strategy: 1,269 euros for 599
The first visit to a big-box store left the buyer with the same feeling as many others: high prices and finishes that don't justify the difference. The Korean models from Samsung and LG stood out for their technology and finish, but he wasn't willing to pay the official price. The alternative was the outlet market, where a dent in the sheet metal means discounts of 50% or 60%.
At the Liebherr outlet in Coslada (Madrid) he found appliances with 60% discounts for hidden damage, with prices ranging from 548 to 843 euros. The conclusion was uncomfortable: the perceived quality was no longer distinguishable from a Fagor, a Zanussi, an AEG or an Electrolux. At an outlet in Aranjuez came the final purchase: an LG GM5148AERV multi-door, all stainless steel, with a linear compressor, for 599 euros against an MSRP of 1,269. Three barely perceptible dents justified the 53% cut.
What the linear compressor is and why it's sold as superior technology
The buyer checked the temperatures of the three independent compartments: they read two degrees lower than the display indicated. The declared noise level is 40 decibels. The unit doesn't have the usual rear black-tube grille; it has a small condenser next to the compressor, cooled by a silent fan, and according to the owner outside temperatures don't affect it the way they do classic rotary compressor models.
The patent for LG's linear compressor dates from 2007. The idea behind it is that these compressors consume according to cooling needs: in winter they deliver around 60% and in summer 100%. Rotary compressors, on the other hand, remain the same as always. The A+, A++ or higher energy rating depends, according to this thesis, on the thickness and density of the insulation, not on a technological leap in the compressor.
The climate class: the spec almost nobody looks at
A refrigerator is classified into four climate classes according to the ambient temperature it is designed for. Class SN covers 10 to 32 degrees; class T, 18 to 43. An SN appliance in a cold country consumes less because the outside helps cool the interior, and that allows it to carry a better energy label. The same machine with thicker insulation and a T rating uses more, because it doesn't get that help.
The LG buyer claims his Liebherr was only SN and not SN-T, and that the brand doesn't declare both categories at once. It's a technical discussion that affects the comparison of labels between countries and the fine print of spec sheets. It also explains why the same model can be sold with different specifications depending on the market.
Planned obsolescence and the myth of the eternal brand
The most repeated consensus is that today's appliances don't last as long as the old ones. A 2004 Liebherr is still running with no breakdown other than a light bulb. A 1983 Zanussi, a Kelvinator of nearly 40 years, an Edesa of 21, a Balay of 20, a 1992 General Electric still being manufactured exactly the same. The cases pile up and all point in the same direction: longevity used to be the norm, not the exception.
The response of the premium brands, according to those who defend them, is that they cannot afford to fail: if a 1,500-euro appliance lasts eight years, the customer doesn't come back. Against that, the LG buyer's experience is that Liebherr's quality has fallen until it blends in with the mid-range. His vvife, with no technical knowledge, said it before he did: the new ones had nothing to do with the old one.
The reasonable prediction is that the LG bought at the outlet will last less than the Liebherr it replaces. The unknown is how much less, and whether the energy savings and the entry price make up for the difference. With the linear compressor patent still in force, the technological advantage holds. When it expires, the question will be a different one.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (79 replies).
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