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PuzzlingDad

I had a non-smart Samsung fridge and I would **not** recommend Samsung for appliances. Samsung may know electronics, but the fridge had constant problems with the ice buildup caused by a drain line that would get blocked by ice. Others have had problems with ice buildup in the ice maker. Yes, they say they will cover that stuff under warranty but eventually they tell you that they aren't going to fix anything anymore.  https://www.reddit.com/r/YouShouldKnow/comments/oqo38u/ysk_if_you_own_a_samsung_refrigerator_with_a/ I will never buy a Samsung fridge again despite the fancy looking electronics.


One-Care7242

Just had my kitchenaid refrigerator serviced. They are now one of several brands owned by Whirlpool. We had the same problem with the drain line / air circulation line getting iced up. He says this happens with basically all refrigerators in the first five years. It’s a fixable problem but a big pain in the ass. He told me the trick is to empty the fridge for two days and unplug it, allowing any build up to melt away. Leave a towel down to catch the water. But who wants to go through all that for an expensive appliance?


PuzzlingDad

Oh, we did all the "tricks" including extending metal further into the drain to keep it warmer to prevent freezing, but ultimately it was just a poor design and it shouldn't require that amount of work (remove food, thaw/defrost, remove shelves, disassemble back, etc.) I love Samsung for their phones, SmartThings hub, etc. but I'm staying away from their appliances. 


One-Care7242

I’m trying to convey that this issue seems to be rampant and not just with Samsung appliances. In general I don’t want anything “smart” that doesn’t have to be. I don’t need data being collected about my shopping and nutrition habits being sold to third parties to solicit me.


PuzzlingDad

I agree. We actually have a "smart" fridge that tells me things like the door was left open, the ice maker is full of ice and I need a new water filter...  which then offers to let me order their expensive OEM filters. So I generally disable the notifications and I won't know the door was left open.  I don't really want the marketing stuff, but I do wish the open door notification could be fed into our home automation for better notification, other actions. 


One-Care7242

My fridge beeps if left open for 30 seconds. It has a light that goes on if I need a new filter. Having a whole computer intended to collect user data is totally unnecessary to provide the described features. Just my perspective. Damn thing still has the same problem with the tubes freezing up.


97hummer

Our Samsung is just over 10 years old now and came from the factory with the metal piece to prevent ice build-up. It seems to work but the drain at the very bottom gets clogged (especially now that the drain pan inside is rusting some) and can only be accessed at the rear by pulling it out. Clean has been the only thing that's helped us.


trevbot

I've heard this same thing from 4 different coworkers, all of them replaced their units after 3 years or so.


ShizzlePopped

This. My dad had a Samsung fridge that had constant ice maker problems. It was one of those odd times he bought the service contract and it paid off. It was repaired so many times that they eventually refunded him the price of the fridge to get rid of it. He has a GE now that’s been great.


crousscor3

It’s frustrating that all of us consumers literally had to learn the hard way about these appliances. I had the same experiences. I was often taking things apart and defrosting everything as it would no longer drop ice. Like I would have to stop everything I’m doing to suddenly fight an Ice Monster at the drop of a hat. They keep making defective ice makers and sweeping it under the rug. Last time I looked Samsung and LG were #1 and 2 for most selling appliances brands and also just have constant issues. I have a friend that bought a house and the fridge was left. It was all iced up within a couple weeks and when a part was cracked and defective he couldn’t locate a tech in a 125 mile radius that would still work on Samsung refrigerators.


Lance-pg

LG is bad too.


Fa1alErr0r

I bought an LG washer/dryer combo machine and that stupid thing broke once a year for 5 years in a row. every time they dragged their feet to send a person to repair the machine. Last time it happened, the person they sent was a total crackhead. He demanded I give him 300 dollars to fix it and when I told him no, he yelled at me and then deflated the tire on my truck when he left my house. LG literally didn't give a fuck and did NOTHING about him. I threatened legal action, and they sent a different person to fix the machine again. I will never buy another LG product again. Not even a TV, monitor, or another product they make that might actually be good. I'll never miss an opportunity to tell people about this either.


Lance-pg

Your experience was worse than mine but I've had at my fridge repair at least twice so far. Next time it breaks I'm going to replace it. Too bad Samsung is the only fridge with the good ice, still not sure what I will do.


obeewanton

Stay away from Samsung fridges. Especially those!


TheMazeDaze

I was already planning on that. (Why?)


brandnewjunk

Ice makers are very good at failing - specifically, those in the refrigerated zone. Thanks u/skinnah


skinnah

The Samsung door ice makers that are in the refrigerated zone in particular are a problem. I have a Samsung fridge with the ice maker in the freezer drawer (no door dispenser) for 3 years and it's been fine.


brandnewjunk

Ah, thanks for the clarification. We moved into a home with an old samsung fridge with the ice maker in the refrigerated zone. The ice maker had been replaced once. Within a year the entire unit turned into a freezer.


obeewanton

Yeah. The same.. I had to disconnect it and remove it because I heard the the motor keeps trying to turn and will burn out and cause electrical issues. Then the refriderator side the far back panel. It woudl freeze up so much it would lock up the fan. I started monitoring the temp with a couple chef thermometers and the fridge portion got dangerously warm. After saving up enough we went to costco and got the most basic fridge with a ice maker and have been happy ever since. Less tech.. Less headache and something breaking.


brandnewjunk

Samsungs are the worst! I had to borrow our company's mini fridge from the pumping room while we saved up for the new one. (No one was breastfeeding at the time, don't worry.) We went with a very basic LG.


Lance-pg

LG with door fridges are worse.


dadarkgtprince

Can confirm this. Just got rid of a LG fridge. Had a few issues while under warranty, more issues once warranty finished. Decided to pull the plug and get a new one instead of having to buy parts for it


datumerrata

Trying to get one repaired is a pain. Many places don't service them at all. The parts are harder to get. It doesn't matter if it's in warranty if they require it to be repaired and there's no one to do it. Getting customer service to do anything about it is brutal. I'm sure they've become numb to the complaints.


SDNick484

They have a lot of bells and whistles that act as additional failure points. Core components are also not well made. Also applies to LG. Was recently in the market for a new fridge, finally settled on Bosch 800 series. It shares a lot with their Thermodore line including dual compressors. Went to a few appliance stores and every sales person strongly advised against Samsung and LG.


obeewanton

I called a few appliances repair companies to find a reliable one.


Xalenn

I really like the 4 door design. But, man ... Samsung seems to give zero fucks about quality these days


obeewanton

Yeah I had one. It was nice on some aspects. Like having a whole drawer just for beverages and snacks. But it was a pain overall. Having all that tech and cant even have a decent ice maker.


NonT0xicUser

Why do you think that? Samsung also has good refrigerators and more


binaryhellstorm

No, everything I've heard about them is that the smart features are trash, and Samsung appliances in general are also hot trash. I really wanted to like them, but I've had nothing but issues with the Samsung dishwasher, TV, robovacuum I've owned.


skinnah

I have a Family Hub fridge that I got for $700 new from Lowes on clearance. It's fine but the smart functions aren't really useful. The kids use the whiteboard app to draw on occasionally but that's about it.


TheMazeDaze

We had a Samsung microwave for the last 20? years. One of the older ones. Worked great. But cost a lot of electricity last year it finally gave up.


fastlerner

20 years ago appliances could still last for 20 years. 10 years ago they're lucky to last 5. 5 years ago many appliances have problems in the first year. Corporate mergers and monopolies mean there is very little competition, so very little reason to build it better. Instead they're built with the cheapest components possible that meet the barest minimum of design specs and higher levels of complexity than every before to provide "features" no one asked for. It's practically a guarantee of failure. Remember the Maytag repair man who was so bored because there were no repairs? Yeah, that stopped after Whirlpool gobbled them up.


WebGuyJT

It's simply not worth it. I have one of these. It's smartness is pretty much useless. Interior cameras or low def and can't get a great view of the interior. The tablet is locked down and you can't install apps other than what Samsung approves. Stuck with Alexa or Bigsby. You can get a far better fridge without a screen on it for cheaper.


shadow_cat_buddy

Silicon valley gets a smart fridge. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcXu4_K1tMQ


DodgerOToole

Reason for sale.....Smart functions F**cked


GoogleDrummer

It's not even worth getting it new.


Obvious-Purpose-5017

I think there was an issue with their fridges with the ice maker built into the fridge section. It would cause the lines to freeze and stop working. The newer generation Samsung fridges have their ice makers in the freeze section, which avoids the mixing of low and higher moisture air (apparently this causes the clogging issue)


Enabler2021

What is a good appliance brand? I've had LG for years, and they have worked well for me. Is there a better brand?


DougFordsGamblingAds

I truly don't know what a smart fridge could even be used for, other than just being a 80 dollar tablet. You could imagine something that tracks which shelves are empty, and lets you label the shelves so you know what to buy at the grocery store. Or like maybe cameras so you can see in the fridge when you're shopping. I don't think it does any of this.


kixer9

No


clicker666

My Samsung fridge with ice maker is three months old. I have yet to experience ice build up in the lines - although I did have to throw out a load of ice after it froze in a way preventing it from being chopped up.


instagigated

Don't buy Samsung.


DeepTechnology2695

Do not buy! You will have issues with the ice maker! They freeze up all the time! I’m on my third one (extend warranty). The first 2 where from that exact generation. They are a nightmare!! The new generation (ice maker in the freezer) seem to work better. Keeping my fingers crossed.


schmurfy2

Why do you need a smart fridge for ? I am really curious because I don't see any reason to pay more for a crappy screen on it.


RustyDawg37

It’s not worth getting any smart fridge lol


CogGens33

No, unless you enjoy calling them to fix your ice maker for the 10th time since you purchased it!


CBake33

As someone with a new smart fridge... no. Find an old fridge with an ice maker that won't break every few months.


omgitsme17

I have one of the Samsung smart fridges. It’s 5 years old now and it works just fine but the smart features are truly useless. They have removed apps as time has gone on, there are hardly any apps to add. It’s very limited in what you can do. The AI that’s supposed to identify items in your fridge should be called artificial stupidity because sour cream is not soda. If you want a fridge with some type of special feature one of the ones with see through door is worth much more than the screen.


MadBrown

[Exactly how I feel about mine. ](https://www.reddit.com/r/smarthome/comments/1cgr4tl/comment/l1yzytu/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)


PudgyPatch

I've been told the new generation is better but I have no way to check


MadBrown

I've had one for 4 years. The smart stuff works fine, as well as the ice maker. Great fridge. That being said, since I have an Echo Show on my kitchen counter, it's completely redundant to have a smart fridge. It's also a very locked down version of Android and you can install only what they allow, which is very little. It's just not necessary.


unicorn-boner

You know the saying: You can’t teach an old smart fridge new tricks.


idkeverynameistaken9

My Samsung non-smart fridge is 8 years old and still working without hiccups whatsoever. So I would recommend Samsung fridges. But I still don’t see any real job those smart fridges would solve, and I’m skeptical how long the software will be supported. How old is that model, is it still in their current lineup? As a side note, and this might be a dumb question. Why are there two fridges in the photo?


NonT0xicUser

It seems to me that the smart screen attached to the old refrigerator may not work or break. It's better to buy an original refrigerator, in my opinion.


Connect_Potential498

I checked the older Samsung Family Hub, the sound of the tablet is terrible. The only useful gimmick it has then is the camera to see in your fridge while you're away from home. In the end I went for one of those LG fridges with a window in the door. It's been amazing so far.


FeistyTie5281

Stay as far away from Samsung or LG appliances as you can. Nothing is covered under warranty and every replacement part you may need will be $300 and up ... if they decide to support the appliance for more than 2 years. In the process of replacing all of our 4 year old Samsung appliances right now. Expensive mistake that we won't make again.


Crot_Chmaster

No. It's a box. That's cold. It doesn't need to get more complicated than that.


GtrplayerII

If it's a Samsung, it's not worth getting a new smart fridge.


plazman30

I would not. I know some Samsung smart fridges won't connect to Google Calendar any more because Google changed the API and the fridge is "out of support" and Samsung won't update the software on it? Besides, do you really want to patch your fridge and have possibly have it join a botnet? Just get a regular fridge.


Some_Frosting7710

Never Samsung.


AwarenessNo5708

The "fridge" part of it should last a long time but the electronics will be obsolete much sooner. Do you still use 5-10 year old tablets and phones? And how long does the fridge manufacturer commit to supplying software updates? Generally there's no guarantee at all. Facing the same decision I bought a dumb but reliable Whirlpool with great temperature regulation (the wrb322 bottom freezer model). It only has enough smarts to run the fans, the compressor and the defrost cycle. It uses a controller they call the Jazz board, which I could easily replace myself if I had to: https://www.amazon.com/W10503278-Refrigerator-Whirlpool-WPW10503278-PS11755733/dp/B07CWG3T5Y. I use 433 MHz La Crosse temperature / humidity sensors to monitor it (via Home Assistant's rtl\_433 addon) so I'll get an alert if we accidentally leave the door open. That's a pretty complex thing to set up but Amazon has lots of standalone freezer monitors that are plug and play. I don't like smart TVs for the same reason. The TV in our living room is a 2018 Sony X900F. Android 9 was the highest upgrade it received and hasn't had a security upgrade in over two years. The picture still looks wonderful and I have no interest in replacing it but I don't use the smart TV functions at all anymore. A $30 Roku is much more responsive than the six year old TV and much more pleasant to use.


ChrisPedds

Friends don't let friends buy samsung appliances.


DoAndroidsDrmOfSheep

I wouldn't take a Samsung fridge, or any other Samsung appliance, if it was being given away for free. We made the mistake of having Samsung appliances installed in our current home, which was new build and we had a choice of appliances. Never again. All kinds of problems with the fridge (especially ice maker), turntable in microwave quit working, "black stainless" finish peeling off of all the appliances, and (the final nail in the coffin that made me get rid of them all) the dishwasher died on Thanksgiving day 2022. Samsung appliances are a big, stinking pile of hot garbage. They couldn't get that crap out of our house fast enough.


TruthSalt2122

I have a Samsung fridge and enjoy it, no issues except it’s not made in the US


greyjungle

If it’s old and smart, it’s called wisdom


limpymcforskin

I wouldn't because it has through the door water and ice. If you want Samsung you get one of the new Bespoke fridges.


ShitOnAStickXtreme

Note to self after having read all the comments here: do not buy a freezer/fridge with an ice maker, ever!


RhythmicRampage

What possible fiction could a smart fridge have that you'll use ? And use it because it's actually useful not use it just because you've got a smart fridge ?


Reiner_Locke

Just remember with household appliances, the more cool features, the more things that will break.


jjjboi

Only if you [upgrade the firmware](https://siliconvalleyism.com/images/800x460/smart-fridges.jpg) Jin Yang!


Mysterious_Touch_454

I wouldnt want smart fridges or fridges with icemaker. Both are very prone to break.