If your fridge or freezer isn’t cooling properly, first ask a professional whether it can be repaired in time to keep your food safe. If the fault, a wait for parts or the time needed for a repair makes this impractical, compare a new appliance with a second-hand one whose operation can be checked. In either case, check the installation requirements, storage capacity and arrangements for taking away your old appliance.
If there’s still fresh or frozen food in the appliance, arrange another way to keep it cold while you look into a repair or delivery of a replacement. Anses stresses the importance of maintaining the cold chain.
A professional diagnosis, parts availability and the time needed for a repair will help you decide whether to keep your appliance rather than replace it.
To avoid choosing an appliance that won’t fit your home or suit your habits, check the installation type, fridge and freezer capacities, energy label, noise level and collection arrangements.
First, protect any food still inside, then weigh up the time needed for a professional repair against your replacement options. Whichever option you choose, you may need a suitable temporary way to store your food.
Consider this if: a professional can diagnose the fault and carry out the repair quickly enough for your needs.
Bear in mind: whether it can be repaired depends on the fault, the parts needed and how long they take to arrive.
Consider this if: a repair isn’t possible or wouldn’t restore your food cooling in time.
Bear in mind: your chosen model needs to fit the space and meet your needs for both fresh and frozen food storage.
Consider this if: the seller lets you check that it works and gives you the appliance’s exact model reference.
Bear in mind: check its condition and dimensions, delivery terms and the protections that apply to the sale.
| Concern | What to check | Consumers concerned |
|---|---|---|
| Keeping food cold | Confirm how long it will take to get your appliance working again or have a replacement delivered, and arrange suitable storage for any food still inside. | When there’s perishable food in the appliance, I want to keep it safe without waiting for all the arrangements to be completed. Around 33% of consumers would put this first. |
| Whether it can be repaired | Ask a professional to diagnose the fault and check whether the parts are available and how soon the repair can be done. | If a repair could extend the life of my appliance, I’d rather find out whether it’s possible before ordering another one. This would be the priority for around 27% of consumers. |
| Finding a suitable replacement | Measure the space and compare the fridge and freezer capacities separately for models that will fit. | I want the new appliance to fit in its space and genuinely have enough room for my fresh and frozen food. Around 20% of consumers would put this ahead of other criteria. |
| Delivery and collection | Confirm access, delivery and collection arrangements for your old appliance with the seller. | If the old appliance is bulky or difficult to remove, I need to coordinate its collection with the arrival of the new one. Around 20% of consumers would put these arrangements first. |
If the part is available and the repair can be carried out within an acceptable timeframe, you may be able to keep your appliance. On the other hand, a difficult fault or a long wait could make replacement a better option.
Give a professional the appliance’s exact reference and ask what work and parts would be needed, what guarantees would apply and how long the repair is expected to take.
The European Commission says that the energy label for household fridges and freezers uses a scale from A to G. However, the rating doesn’t tell you whether the appliance will fit in your kitchen or how much room you’ll have in each compartment.
Compare the dimensions, installation type, fridge capacity and freezer capacity separately. Then compare annual energy consumption and noise levels among the models that fit.
According to the DGCCRF, the ‘one-for-one’ take-back scheme provides for an old appliance to be taken away when you buy a corresponding new one. You’ll still need to organise practical details such as access, preparation and collection. Légifrance also provides for refusal if a product poses a risk to staff because of contamination or mishandling.
Before you order, ask the seller how delivery, any installation and collection will work, particularly if the appliance is upstairs.
A prolonged breakdown can put perishable food at risk. Anses recommends keeping the temperature at 4 °C in the coldest part of the fridge.
Move your food promptly to another working appliance or a suitable alternative way to keep it cold. Don’t assume that a faulty appliance is maintaining a safe temperature.
Bosch offers a range of fridge freezers, freezers and fridges in different formats in France.
Liebherr offers built-in and freestanding appliances, including fridges, freezers and fridge freezers.
Electrolux offers built-in and freestanding cooling appliances, as well as a French shop for parts and accessories.
These fridge freezers are new-appliance replacement options. Before choosing, compare their format and stated capacities with your available space and storage habits. They won’t, on their own, answer the question of whether to repair or buy second-hand.
Image unavailable
Worth considering if you’re replacing a fridge freezer with a four-door model with a stated total capacity of 467 L.
The product name indicates Total No Frost and an energy rating of E. Check the dimensions, the capacity of each compartment, and the delivery and collection arrangements before ordering.
Image unavailable
Worth comparing if you’re looking for a fridge freezer with a stated total capacity of 440 L.
The product name indicates an energy rating of D. Confirm the dimensions, the capacity of each compartment, the freezer’s defrosting requirements and the collection arrangements.
Image unavailable
Worth considering if a stated total capacity of 368 L suits your replacement needs.
The product name indicates an energy rating of E. Check the space available for fresh and frozen food, the dimensions, the noise level and the stated storage time in the event of a power cut, if these matter to you.
Image unavailable
Worth considering if you’re looking for a fridge freezer with a stated total capacity of 444 L.
The product name mentions frost-free operation, a noise level of 40 dB and an energy rating of E. Before choosing this model, check the dimensions and the capacity of each compartment. A 40 dB rating alone isn’t enough to tell you how noisy it will be in your home.
Image unavailable
Worth considering for a space where the stated 54 cm width and storage layout meet your needs.
The product name indicates 153 L for the fridge, 74 L for the freezer, a reversible door, Low Frost and an energy rating of E. Low Frost doesn’t mean you’ll never need to defrost it. Check the expected maintenance, annual energy consumption and other dimensions before choosing.
Compare annual energy consumption in kWh, storage capacities and noise levels across appliances that already suit your installation. The European Commission says that the label for the household appliances concerned uses a scale from A to G. Its QR code gives you access to further information in EPREL.
When buying a replacement, ask the seller about collection arrangements and how to prepare your old appliance. In France, the DGCCRF describes the ‘one-for-one’ take-back scheme for eligible appliances. Before ordering, confirm the collection appointment, access to your home and whether collection is separate from installation.
Arrange another suitable way to keep any food still inside cold straight away, rather than relying on an appliance that’s no longer cooling properly. Anses recommends 4 °C in the coldest part of the fridge. It also explains that freezing food at home to −18 °C stops bacteria multiplying but doesn’t destroy most microorganisms.