There's a big Kelvinator at work that might be headed for the dump. Is it worth it to bring it home? It has had cooling issues. It might be expensive to fix. I do have space for it, and it runs on 120V. It'll probably cost like crazy to run.
(this is not it, but same model)
What would you do?
If it is getting thrown out because it's too expensive to fix I'd leave it alone. If it is being thrown out because they can't be bothered to fix it I'd do my research to find out how much it'd likely cost to fix before lugging it home.
My scrounger instincts would long to bring it home, but my married instincts would make me leave it be. 
EastCoastMojo wrote: My scrounger instincts would long to bring it home, but my married instincts would make me leave it be.
Dang! I could have typed those very words!
How old? More than about a decade, and it'll cost more in power than payments on a new one.
OTOH, if its 25 years old, it will work, and probably last forever.
if it's too expewnsive to fix, then take all the refrigeration stuff off it, put a few vent holes in it, and use it as a display case or something..
Scrap it if its too spendy to fix. Thats better then just tossing it in the dump.
novaderrik wrote: if it's too expewnsive to fix, then take all the refrigeration stuff off it, put a few vent holes in it, and use it as a display case or something..
Redneck gun safe?
Tool chest?
Huge ant farm? Actually, I have seen guys at the lake lay them on their back and make a bait farm/worm farm with them.
ThePhranc wrote: Scrap it if its too spendy to fix. Thats better then just tossing it in the dump.
x2
I own couple of commercial fridges.
They are enormously expensive to buy or to repair.
Their resale value is very low on the used market.
I doubt you can make money paying for repairs then re-selling.
However, it should be worth scrapping. Stainless and aluminum alone should be worth the effort. If the compressor works, you can sell it for as much as the whole unit is worth on the used market.
That looks like a kegerator in the making.
FWIW I had a late 70's household fridge as my kegerator for a few years and when I unplugged it my electric bill went down over $40 a month. That sucker looks like it would cost at least that to run.
Just remember, if you do end up taking it home... If you have to lay it on it's side to transport it be sure to let it sit upright for at least the amount of time it was laying on it's side before plugging it in, to let all the oil run back down into the compressor.
That would make a hell of a sand blast cabinet.
This is my shop fridge.
Costs about $15 a month to run it, so efficient it isn't. Too cool to scrap though. 
You know what my answer will be. 
ditchdigger wrote: FWIW I had a late 70's household fridge as my kegerator for a few years and when I unplugged it my electric bill went down over $40 a month. That sucker looks like it would cost at least that to run.
That's more than we pay in electricity for our whole house every month.
Even if you take it home to strip the stainless panels off it it's worth it.
Hocrest wrote: That would make a hell of a sand blast cabinet.
bingo
Or a coffin for a 450 lb exibitionist on ice. 
I'm seeing a ton of metal I can fix my Jeep up with, like JoeyM is doing with his Datsun Phaeton.
hillbillypharmacist wrote: There's a big Kelvinator at work that might be headed for the dump. Is it worth it to bring it home? It has had cooling issues. It might be expensive to fix. I do have space for it, and it runs on 120V. It'll probably cost like crazy to run.
Free refrigerator? I'd take it home, bust out the angle grinder, and use the sheet metal to make part of a transmission tunnel. (Or, if it were old enough to have thick sheet metal, use it for more substantial parts. I used a 1960s Sear Goldstar freezer to make my firewall and the upper part of my cowl.)
Commercial refrigeration has way more cooling capacity and air movement than consumer units so that it can get/keep things cold while being accessed many times per hour. Basically a huge waste of energy to have at home. Think of it as a cabinet and you are golden.
It would make a dandy smoker, an entire pig could be smoked in that.
http://www.theingredientstore.com/foodpreservation/refrig_smoker.htm
Looks like a cool beer fridge... or wine cooler. If it's got cooling issues, wine fridge doesn't need to get that cold.
Cure meat in it? You only need a consistent 50°-60° to do all your various prosciutto/coppa/pancetta.
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