Resolved: The Refrigerator Debacle....
June 3rd -- Long story short....due to an error made by the framers (a wall was about 5" off) and the an error by the kitchen designer (he focused on the width of the refrigerator cabinet and not the depth), the original refrigerator that I had selected, a 23 cubic foot capacity top freezer model, did not fit in the refrigerator cabinet. As shown in these photos, the refrigerator box was well beyond the refrigerator cabinet, sticking out into the kitchen. Also, the architect had moved the doorway between the dining room and the kitchen so that when sitting in the dining room, there would be a clear view through the kitchen and not of the refrigerator.
Given the framing and kitchen design errors, there were only two outcomes: a) keep the refrigerator as is; or b) buy a new refrigerator that had to be "counter depth." Other possibilities, such as rebuilding the refrigerator cabinet, were not tenable.
So the saga began. There are fewer counter depth models made and they tend to be much smaller in terms of capacity. Moreover, counter depth models are only made in a "side by side" model or a "French door" model, neither of which was really my preference. To add further insult to injury, the counter depth model was going to cost well over twice as much as what I paid for the top freezer model. I had already moved the old refrigerator into the basement, and did not want to be the owner of three refrigerators.
The bottom line is that my architect worked with both the kitchen design company and my contractor to strike an agreement whereby I would be reimbursed for the cost of the top freezer refrigerator and its delivery and installation charges but I would have to make up the difference to buy a new refrigerator. The contractor would remove the trim in the refrigerator cabinet and would haul away the ill-fitting refrigerator.
I began my research for a replacement refrigerator with the constraint of searching for a model by its dimensions: no more than 36 inches wide, 72" tall and 25" deep (refrigerator box, not including handles). Searching for a refrigerator by its dimensions, instead of function and reliability, is not ideal, but there are websites that permit one to search for refrigerators by dimensions....go figure. I am not the only person who has ever been in this situation.
Refrigerators are ridiculous these days. During my search I even came across a model with an Internet connection and monitor in the door -- seriously, who needs to surf the Internet while grabbing milk out of the fridge?
After even more twists and turns about how I could possibly get the best deal, thanks to my architect for trying to help out, I finally settled on a model which was delivered today.
Of course, today was the hottest day of the year so far with the temps hitting 92 degrees. Great weather for moving a refrigerator. The best way to get the refrigerator into the house was to take it through the garage and the rear-entry door, which I insisted be changed to a 36" door during construction, which was a great idea. The delivery guys were awesome.
In this photo you can see how the new refrigerator now sits in the refrigerator cabinet the way it should, with only the door sides being visible and not the refrigerator box sticking out.
Here is the new French door style refrigerator. It has some interesting features, such as an alarm if the door is left open. It also has an air filter as well as a water filter --- who knew? I hope alarms aren't going to go off when it is time to replace these filters.
Counter depth model refrigerators, by definition, have less capacity, but this one was well designed and was not that much smaller than the initial refrigerator that I had selected. I will just have to remember to reach down for ice instead of up.
After that, the contractor will need to haul away the last of the construction debris and then remove the clog in the drain in the basement floor (which is clogged with construction debris)....the hope is that by the end of this week, I will have reclaimed my house and the renovation will be completed!
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