carr.willow•1d agoMost Upvoted

Choosing OEM over aftermarket parts on a fridge compressor job in Austin

I had a choice last month on a Whirlpool fridge in Austin. I could use a cheaper aftermarket compressor for $180 or pay $320 for the OEM one. Everyone in my shop said go aftermarket because it's the same guts and saves money. I went OEM because I've seen too many aftermarket units fail under heavy Texas summer loads. It took me 3 hours to swap it and the fridge is still running strong with no issues. Has anyone else had better luck sticking with brand specific parts over the savings?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_anna23h ago

Wait, you paid $320 for a Whirlpool compressor? I thought those things were like $200 max from the parts house. What kind of markup did they hit you with? That seems insane for a standard fridge unit. I get wanting OEM for reliability, but that price sounds like robbery unless it's some special model. You must really trust that brand to hand over that much cash.

karenw9014h agoMost Upvoted

Stick with OEM on compressors for sure especially in Texas heat. I did the same thing on a Samsung last summer and the aftermarket one from a wholesaler died in 6 months. The OEM has better heat tolerance and the windings are built for the load. $320 is steep but you saved yourself a callback and another swap. That extra $140 is cheap peace of mind when your customer's food is on the line.