Can Currys really expect me to pay for this???

sheramber

 Since the crack seems to run from the edge to the middle, have you been opening  the fridge door  by gripping the handgrip at the  side, rather than in the middle. That could result in stress on that bit and it eventually cracking.

Alderbank

sheramber said:

 Since the crack seems to run from the edge to the middle, have you been opening  the fridge door  by gripping the handgrip at the  side, rather than in the middle. That could result in stress on that bit and it eventually cracking.

No. Pulling the handle at the right hand side actually requires the least force to release the magnetic door seal. Pulling the centre needs approximately twice that force. As you approach the left (hinge) side more and more force would be needed.

RogerBareford

Alderbank said:

sheramber said:

 Since the crack seems to run from the edge to the middle, have you been opening  the fridge door  by gripping the handgrip at the  side, rather than in the middle. That could result in stress on that bit and it eventually cracking.

No. Pulling the handle at the right hand side actually requires the least force to release the magnetic door seal. Pulling the centre needs approximately twice that force. As you approach the left (hinge) side more and more force would be needed.

The photo on the last page shows the bottom hinge on the right side of the freezer door so i presume the top door opens the same way so it will be the opposite to what you say.

Lee337 said:

But there is only ONE way to open the fridge door and that is by placing fingers under the recess and pulling! That is how it's been designed (rather than having a handle that sticks out to pull). So, that should NOT crack and then come off should it, otherwise it's not fit for purpose?

Just to point out you can open most fridges by holding the side of the door and putting your fingers slighlty in the gap where the seal is. But obviously the handle shouldn't break like that if that's how you open it every time.

visidigi

To be honest... I'd be finding out how its secured to the bottom of the door, if its just a couple of screws then I would find a replacement online and save the risk of a report and having to pay anyway.

As others have said, its not what you know has happened to it, its whats likely. and failing there is not too hard to do.

Ergates

sheramber said:

 Since the crack seems to run from the edge to the middle, have you been opening  the fridge door  by gripping the handgrip at the  side, rather than in the middle. That could result in stress on that bit and it eventually cracking.

If a handle is designed in such a way that you need to pull only in a particular point to avoid damage, then that would be a design flaw. 

brianposter

Has the design changed since you bought the fridge ?

Lee337

Hi everyone,

Sorry for my delay in replying (I work away from home 5 days a week and have no access to my computer).

Thank again for all your replies and suggestions.

"sheramber" Since the crack seems to run from the edge to the middle, have you been opening  the fridge door  by gripping the handgrip at the  side, rather than in the middle. That could result in stress on that bit and it eventually cracking. - We did indeed use the left side of the handgrip, but that's exactly what it's there for!!

"Alderbank" - No. Pulling the handle at the right hand side actually requires the least force to release the magnetic door seal. Pulling the centre needs approximately twice that force. As you approach the left (hinge) side more and more force would be needed. - That is very true and of course for that reason, we (obviously) always used that left side of the handgrip.

"RogerBareford" You are quite correct, the hinges for both fridge & freezer doors are on the right, so we do tend to hold the left side of the hand grip/recess in order to open the door. Like you say, trying to open the door by pulling on the centre or right side of the hand grip/recess would require a lot more effort indeed! And of course, if it's not strong enough to not break after opening the door then it shouldn't be designed to do so I believe.

"brianposter" Has the design changed since you bought the fridge ? - I do not have a clue!

"Ergates" If a handle is designed in such a way that you need to pull only in a particular point to avoid damage, then that would be a design flaw. - Exactly!! 

"visidigi" To be honest... I'd be finding out how its secured to the bottom of the door, if its just a couple of screws then I would find a replacement online and save the risk of a report and having to pay anyway. - As you can see from the photos, there are no signs of any screw holes (or screws) so I think it's been glued and to be fair, that's not the problem...the actual plastic handgrip you pull to open has failed, so I'm guessing that particular one on my fridge is weaker than it should be.

Lee337

Aylesbury_Duck said:

You can get it inspected by an independent white goods repair person and if s/he considers it a design flaw/inherent defect, you can press Currys for a repair, replacement of partial refund, plus reimbursement of the cost of that inspection.

Yes, indeed. That is what I was thinking of doing but would like to get some advice first, or better still, hear off somebody who did do that after being in a similar situation.

Aylesbury_Duck

Lee337 said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

You can get it inspected by an independent white goods repair person and if s/he considers it a design flaw/inherent defect, you can press Currys for a repair, replacement of partial refund, plus reimbursement of the cost of that inspection.

Yes, indeed. That is what I was thinking of doing but would like to get some advice first, or better still, hear off somebody who did do that after being in a similar situation.

I'd just crack on.  You might have to wait a while to encounter someone with a similar story to tell, and the longer it goes on, the more damage you are likely to cause and the longer you've used the fridge, both factors which may affect the remedy and if it's a refund, how much it's reduced by.

brianposter

Lee337 said:

"brianposter" Has the design changed since you bought the fridge ? - I do not have a clue!

It might be a good idea to find out, as it could be an argument sufficient to persuade Currys that the fridge is at fault - and so save finding a technical expert.