NEW FRIDGE IS TOO TALL, NOT AS SPECS!

Oh, that is frustrating, JudyJPG. Is there anything SearsCares can do to help?  Are you thinking about returning this fridge to get a smaller one, instead?

Right now I have a miserable cold and am not about to make a final decision today. It is frustrating because we took a lot of time and research to come to this decision. I recall that the other Sears and GE 22.2 cu. ft.,  with bottom freezers, were too tall to fit into the space. And the next size down is too small.

The kitchen had a to-the-studs makeover 10 years ago so we are not about to do it again.

Most French Door models are slightly higher on the front doors to conceal the hinges for a clean look. This dimension top on front door and the concealed hinge should be the same height which is quoted h with hinge, perhaps GE may have given Sears the wrong specs but in any case they all should be verfied before quoting them.

You can put a front load washer/dryer on the second floor,

Samsung, LG & Electrolux have some of the best anti-vibration technology with second / third level placements. 1 key point is precise levelling at installation/hookup.

Optimum surface is indeed a level solid surface such as concrete. Past times most homes laundry centers are located in the basement. Current normal upper floor construction is wood and care must be taken if stacked or side-by-side with front loaders.

Perhaps use rubber pads & place underneath the level legs to help with vibration/sound issues. They are being sold as most home appliance retailers.

If floor is not level in laundry area you can use sheet 1/2" - 3/4" plywood underneath to create a more solid surface . Of course Service Techs nor Delivery Staff do not do this and may need to "study up" on the latest anti-vibration technology in front loaders before making a blanket statement to the consumer.  I did the above with my 2 1/2 yr old LG pair and have not had any excessive vibration issues.

Good Luck

Thanks for trying but these are the FACTS:

The french doors at the front middle ARE taller  than the h plus hinge which it turns out is measured at the side since that is where the hinge is; those stats are on both GE and Sears sheets which is where we verified them.  Be my guest; look it up.

The Neptune we had previously did fine on the second floor of a very solidly built home for 11 years. The first replacement we got from Sears is specifically "not recommended" by Sears technicians which we finally had confirmed after being assured to the contrary by the dealer at Sears, and the tech who came to the house to check the "precise leveling at installation"...the vibration was felt throughout the entire house. We did not like either of the 3 you named for various reasons and chosen a Whirlpool top loader water-saver and it is the quietest!

JulieK, I am a careful shopper and having done all the research once before, if SearsCares can suggest another fridge that would be great since I tossed all my research when we bought this one.

My specifics are simple, I believe:

22.2 cu feet

bottom freezer

2 crispers

1 deli/cheese/snack drawer (whatever they are calling it)

ice-maker hook--up

either double or one door on top

68.5 in height with hinge and all over the top

32.5 deep (not counting the door handles

33.33  wide

My fridge "missed" the cabinet height by only 3/4 of an inch.

Rather than return the fridge, I'll be modifying the wooden cabinets, over the fridge "up" a little bit.

Should make an interesting weekend project.

This might make the PERFECT excuse (err... justification) for that Craftsman 3 inch diameter blade, plunge cut, circular saw!

Can't do this here without taking out the entire cabinet as the doors are level with the bottom!

Yup.

I've got to trim off the bottom of my cabinets, create a "new" bottom part of the cabinet, and by then the existing doors WILL to level to the new bottom, too.

Then, off come the doors and hardware (hinges and handles).

The bottom of each door will have to be trimmed down with a plywood blade (over a hundred little steel teeth) and a new rabbet groove added to the bottom/rear part of the door - to form a new lip.

The handle holes are going to need being relocated upward, with the old holes filled.

Luckily, the cabinets are painted.

Lot of work.

But, the new fridge we have is working so well and the fit is SO close, we just don't want to hassle trying to find a less tall fridge...

 I did mention having been a Cabinetmaker in a former career, right?

LOL; no, you didn't mention that little detail so good luck to you... but "hassle" is in the eye of the inconvenienced.  My skills are entirely of a different nature!

There is no way this set of cabinets are going to be able to be modified without replacing them completely  (are they even made anymore? do they come shorter? will the stain match 11 years later?) And so we are still seeking a smaller fridge.

Interestingly, thru-out our research, we see that the height with hinge has become the significant issue since the DEPTH of the hinge plate is longer; whereas before the hinge height fell outside (in front of) the box with the cabinet, now it falls well inside the box because it is deeper...was that done to make the hinges better, stronger or what?

we are ready to replace our "cabinet depth" kitchenaid side by side and have a similar situation- the cabinets above have doors that open across the top of fridge. when we built 10 years ago, this gives the appearance of a built-in, but it sounds like the french door option will be problematic from what I am reading. How do you compare cubic ft. from one model type toanother? I hate this side by side!

Oops.

We got a side by side.

It has Monster hinges on top of it.

They look VERY strong and substantial.

I am designing my kitchen in my new house and based on this forum, I will make provisions for a few filler strips around the areas to fit the fridge. It only seems to be the logical thing to do. I have also lived with a side by side and with a growing family, I've opted for the single use appliance mode, separate freezer and fridge.

The arc of the doors is the root of your issue.

If you should choose another manufacturer which produces square (rectangle) doors, your current issue should be moot.

Ii is not the french doors per se but the fact that this model front curves out at the middle of the French doors which puts the extra height right there; my annoyance is with both GE and Sears both of whom fail to take that into consideration so the specs are wrong.

Yep; unfortunately, you cannot see the difference when you are looking at it from the front or the side.  If I had gotten up on a ladder, I might have seen it!

Or if the correct measurements were used; it almost seems as if they measured the main frame at the factory, typed in the specs, then send it down the production line to have the doors attached. 

The other thing that seems odd now, is that the main body is a white pebbled surface, while the doors are white high gloss. It's not an issue if in fact the fridge fits into a cabinet box but it sure is if is to be on an end where the side will show...would look like the fridge somehow slipped onto another production line. This has the makings of a Lucy show, and would almost be funny. 

Seriously, how goes the rehab?

Adam's in rehab? What is up with that, did his wife catch him sippin JD on the porch again?

Compulsive posting...

I'd be more upset with the fact that this Kenmore Elite refrig is going to be $749 on Black Friday than with the fact that the dimensions aren't quite accurate!

How do you know it is going to be $749 on black friday? I heard that it was going to be $1299. I saw the flyer too...