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| Old Fridge/Freezer |
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| New Fridge/Freezer |
I had requested and paid $25 to have the old fridge/freezer hauled away. So I had to empty it before the delivery guys came to deliver the new appliance and take away the old. I did a little bit of cleaning and tossing of old, expired condiments, etc., yesterday. I did the rest of the emptying out of the fridge and freezer, this morning.
The smart thing to have done would have been to eat from the freezer last month and reduce the amount of stuff I had in there. But, while I had recognized the fact that I needed to replace the fridge/freezer, I hadn't quite decided when to do it. So, the freezer was rather packed full.
So, this morning, I brought in the cooler from the garage and cleaned it, a bit. Then, I filled it up with stuff from the freezer until the lid barely closed. The rest of the freezer items and some of the items from the fridge were put in the sink, along with two partial bags of ice and some frozen lemon juice to keep them cold.
I had measured the opening where the fridge/freezer would go before I shopped for one. My daughter, too, had measured the opening. The new fridge/freezer measurements were just within those measurements. My only worry was if the doorways would be wide enough for them to bring the new fridge in. So, I pushed and pulled the living room furniture to make more room and clear a wide path from the front door to the kitchen. Then, I cleared the family room, just in case they decided the back door was better. The delivery guys decided the front door was better. First, they took the old fridge out I quickly swept and mopped the area where the old fridge had been before the new fridge went in. The guys brought the new fridge in, they plugged it in, and tried to push it into the space. And tried. And tried some more! It was too wide!
Oh, no! How could that have happened?
There are strips of molding on the bottom of the walls, where they meet the floor, put as a finishing touch. Each molding is about 1/4 inch thick. When we measured the space, we forgot to account for those moldings. The space was about one centimeter too small. The molding had to be removed! The delivery guy told me that he is not supposed to do that, but, if I was OK with it, he could remove it for me. I asked him if he would please do it and he removed the molding on one side, along the side wall. It gave him just enough room to push the fridge in! There is barely enough room to slide a sheet of paper between the fridge and the wall and the fridge and the pantry cabinet on the side! Whew! I measured the space again this evening (34" wide) and the new fridge (33" wide) to see what the actual measurements are! Technically, it should have fitted with room to spare! I don't understand it, at all.
If it hadn't fitted in there, then, I would have emptied out the china cabinet and given the guys something to move the china cabinet for me and put the fridge there. It would be in the dining area, but it would be close enough to the kitchen. Not ideal, since it could be seen from the living room, but that wouldn't have bothered me, too much.
I was sitting on the sofa, answering some work related emails (I had taken the day off to be home when the delivery guys brought the new fridge/freezer), waiting for the new fridge to cool down enough to start putting the food back, when I decided to trim my fingernails and got up to get the nail clippers. Suddenly I felt my tooth extraction site bleeding! A lot! I got worried and considered going to the dentist's (they would have been closed for lunch at that time, but I would have gone and waited for them to open). But I was able to rinse my mouth several times and the bleeding stopped. It hasn't bled after that; I wonder if my blood pressure might have gone up over the fridge situation and that caused the bleeding. Maybe all the pushing and pulling of furniture and carrying stuff was too much. Ha, ha, I had been telling Nathalie to rest and not do too much when she was preparing for Hurricane Irma after having two teeth extracted, and here I was, not following my own advice! A classic example of "do as I say, not as I do"!
The owner's manual said to clean the fridge and freezer before using it. So I wiped out the interior with a damp towel. Then, I put all the food back in. I took a freezer and fridge inventory while I did that, so I know exactly what I have. The inventory is included in the Shelftember-Week 1 post.
- Clean out fridge and freezer - DONE
- Take a freezer inventory - DONE
- Water the houseplants
- Water the back garden- DONE
Today's declutterings:
1 fridge/freezer (although I replaced it with a new one, so not sure if I should count that as a decluttering)
1 mop
1 metal gate post
3 food containers
1 piece of molding
5 empty bottles
1 kitchen towel
= 13 items
Today, I am grateful for:
- The new fridge /freezer
- The fact that it fit into the space, after all
- Helpful delivery guys
- Phone calls from my aunt, cousin, and a friend
- Video chatting with my daughter
How was your Friday? What are your plans for the weekend?
I have found that the size of items often varies from the details of what is advertised. They may have said the fridge was 33" inches when it was really something like 33 3/8". I found that out once when I ordered a big box of expensive filters for our furnace because we couldn't buy them in the stores. When they came, the filters wouldn't fit into the slot even though they theoretically should have.
ReplyDeleteIt was a bit of a panic moment when the fridge wouldn't fit! I am glad we could figure out a way to make it fit!
DeleteHow exciting a new frig/freezer - thank goodness the delivery fellow worked out and was willing to help you getting it to fit. I wonder why you needed to clean prior to using.
ReplyDeleteYes you definitely moved a lot if furniture considering you have just had a tooth extracted. No more of that please! How is your mouth now?
Good luck with your grocery shopping.
Sandy, I, too, wondered why they recommended cleaning prior to use. I suppose to remove any dust or residue from the plastic wrappings, etc.?
DeleteMy mouth is getting better, thank you. I have a lot of housecleaning I should be doing, but I am going to rest today and do the minimum (kitchen floor is very much in need of mopping!).
I hope you have a lovely start to your weekend.
I'm glad to hear the fridge/freezer eventually went in the space - it was really nice of the delivery man to sort it out for you. I wonder with all the pushing and pulling and moving furniture if you weren't gritting your teeth without realising it and putting pressure on the gum. Hope it's OK now.
ReplyDeleteWe have a new cooker coming tomorrow. Fingers crossed it goes in without too much trouble. xx
Yes, it really was very nice of the guy to remove the molding for me. Now that it is in place, I'm glad I paid extra for the yearly maintenance plan, because I am unable to move the fridge out by myself to clean the condenser, etc.
DeleteA new cooker is exciting! Hope you measured your space better than I did! What kind of cooker is it? Electric? Gas? I think my next appliance purchase will be a new washer and dryer. One thing at a time!
We have an electric oven and an induction hob. Don't think I'd have the hob again, you need special pans and they're not easy to come by and when you do find them they're twice as much as others! I prefer a gas hob for cooking but I'm not keen on the look. xx
DeleteI hope the new cooker has arrived and fitted in the space without any problem. Sorry to hear about the need for special pans, but I read that induction hobs result in faster cooking.
DeleteThe new fridge/freezer was a well kept secret.( My daughter and I spent the weekend shopping for new clothes.....oh and by the way, I bought a new major appliance). *laugh* I am so happy for you, and happier that it was made to fit in the space. Hopefully, this one will also last a good long time.
ReplyDeleteI have been feeling very anxious of late, so I am sorry I have not been making comments on anyone's blog. It has even been difficult to post anything on my own blog. My sincere condolences on the passing of your brother.
LOL, I've known I needed a new fridge for more than a year, but I kept putting it off! The old fridge worked after a fashion and the choice overwhelmed me. Now, I am working up my courage to buy a new washer and dryer!
DeleteThank you for your sympathy, Susan. You have nothing for which to apologize. The holiday season is coming up and even when we are looking forward to them, all those "firsts" - first Thanksgiving, first Christmas, etc. after a loved one's death can be difficult, emotionally. I know that I didn't feel like celebrating that first Thanksgiving or Christmas after my mother's death, even though she died in February. I decorated the house only because my daughter was only 13 and I felt the need to make an effort for her sake. But I only put out the decorations that my mother liked - the wreath she asked me to make, the crocheted throw I made that she loved, the cushion covers she made, and the Nativity set she bought for me. Be as gentle as you can with yourself, Susan, and give yourself as much time as you need. (((HUGS)))
Sew Blessed Maw (Judy) said:
ReplyDeleteNice refrigerator/freezer. SO happy they were able to take the molding off for you, and it worked..yea..
Yes....too much activity and work, got that tooth site to bleeding.. Take it easy now that you have stuff in place.Smile.
Sorry, Judy, I deleted your comment in error! Didn't mean to do that! Hit delete instead of publish!
DeleteThank you. It was very nice of the delivery guy to remove the molding for me. I've been taking it easy and I think the tooth site is OK, now. I ran a couple of errands, today, but I am not doing too much.
Hope all is well with you. Will you be impacted by hurricane Irma as it moves north?
Awesome fridge, Bless! So happy for you that you no longer have to worry about your food staying at a safe temp. You may want to check your owner's manual to be sure you have the recommended space clearance on the sides and behind your fridge. It enables adequate air circulation to ensure your fridge operates at maximum efficiency. Just a thought!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Carolyn. There is more than the recommended space clearance on the top and the back, but not on the sides, as it is wedged between a wall and a floor to ceiling pantry cabinet. :( I don't know what to do about that, other than break the wall or remove the pantry cabinet or relocate the fridge to another room. And I can't do any of it by myself. Oh, great! Something else to stress about! :(
DeleteI didn't mean to stress you ... it won't harm your fridge at all. Just makes it work harder and less efficiently. But not something to be overly concerned with. I just know how frugal you are and would want to get maximum efficiency if possible. :)
DeleteCarolyn, I know you didn't mean to stress me. I am just upset that even with all the measuring and re-measuring, the space proved to be too small. :( Maybe I should have just gone with a smaller fridge with the freezer on top and not the side-by-side.
DeleteCongratulations on a new fridge, enjoy it in the best of health. I presume you measured the height and width of the old fridge and designated area but not at floor level where space is decreased by baseboards. Frankly, I was surprised that you hadn't merely removed and replaced the inexpensive, flexible, door moulding if you'd noticed less efficiency as long as a year ago. I suggest you examine the door moulding of new unit. Instructions are available on You Tube, merely manipulate the mouldings to see how they are attached. If you slip a piece of currency [$ 5. , $ 10.] in a slightly open door position, then close door, it should require a bit of 'tug' to release sum. If it falls out or not require tiny 'tug,' it signals lower efficiency and consider replacing the moulding for higher efficiency, Usually you can manipulate to see tiny screw heads or shallow case.
ReplyDeleteLet us know how you enjoy your new appliance after a few weeks.
I bought a bottom drawer type fridge/freezer and find it frustrating to keep it organized. It doesn't help that DH rummages through displacing even my plastic dividers. Fruits co mingle with meat, vegetables and ice cream treats. I can't find my newly made frozen jam either.
Thank you, Hon. Obviously, I didn't measure the space properly! I had looked up how to replace the door seal, but it seemed more than what I could handle on my own. I had asked a couple of other people if they could repair it for me but they weren't very enthusiastic (probably it was more than what they could do, too?) and I wasn't sure if I wanted to invest what it would have cost to get such an old fridge repaired professionally. I wasn't quite ready to buy a new fridge, at the time, so, I managed to limp along until I was ready.
DeleteKeeping frozen foods organized is one of the reasons why I didn't want a bottom drawer type fridge/freezer, although I manged quite well with a regular fridge with a top freezer, for years.
I'm just going to start calling you SUPERWOMAN! :)
ReplyDeleteUm, thank you, I think? :D
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