udels

Hi Everyone,
I have a fridge that is rusting only on the side. Of course the warranty is up on it, It has the bumpy finish which some say is more prone to this. It is only 5 years old and I need to fix it somehow. The store says if I buy the insurance for $250 they will help me! Out of work and can't do that right now.
Well I would rather not do that now unless I can't fix it myself.

Can anyone tell me or help with this. I have never had this happen before and I know rust is no good in Florida. It is little spots all over the outside and growing. Please help if you can
Thanks
newbie
udels

mbaha

you should be able to sand it and then paint over, but you will need to repaint the whole thing as your paint will not match, or you could just put something over it like a clock
mbaha

Kalibah

if its really bad and sanding it is taking too long get a
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...00030000100085

BE just go slowly and dont hit the drills throttle that will flake it all off
I had to do the same thing to our outdoor furniture- thatsall metal. Remember your just trying to strip the rust off.

Then go get yourself to the spraypaint isle and find a color that matches - I used Rustolem brand

http://www.rustoleum.com/


That will help seal it so it doenst happen again. They have a really good menu there to pick the color, surface, finishes, etc.


hope it helps

BadNick

I'm guessing that the coolness inside the frig with warmer Florida humidity outside causes moisture in the air to condense on those cooler surfaces and that makes it rust. Which would make me think it's rusting from the inside of those panels not just outside pits you see. I don't have advise as to how to fix it or repaint it. Perhaps running a dehumidifier near the frig will reduce the moisture problem

Dark Assailant

Just make sure that the paint your gonna use is Primer paint (anti-rust)

__________________
·´¯`·-> Ðark Åssailant<-·´¯`·

kazoo

That's bogus for a 5 year old appliance finish to be failing, as I'm assuming you don't leave your fridge outside in the driveway. Check with the manufacturer and try some internet searching to see if they had a bad run of finishes. Unless you have some experience in a related field, like auto painting, it's gonna be tricky to do it yourself and not have it look like shite. That said, you could rent a spray unit, and with some good prep and a quality product for the topcoating, come up with something respectable-practice on some cardboard boxes to get the feel of the gun. Go visit a local paint store (not a big box) and tell the counter guy what you're up to. They can give you the best in terms of what to use, and how to use it. Not sure what you have down there-I'd look for MAB, Benjamin Moore, Muralo or Pratt & Lambert for starters. One other avenue would be to talk to counterpeople at an auto body supply wholesaler.

__________________
There ain't nothin' more powerful than the odor of mendacity -Big Daddy

terryjm16

Auto paint stores can provide appliance paint colors. Auto type paint is your best bet. Some paint stores can even put the paint in an aerosol can for $5 to $10 extra.

Also, if the is some way to bring a sample of the color to the store, they can computer match it, However, white is a very hard color for the computer to match.

Best way to paint is to paint the whole side of the refrigerator so that slight color variations are less noticeable.

wakelagger

We recently had surface rust on my Grandpa's fridge.
To counteract the problem, we used sandpaper designed to be used on rust that was sold in convenient packages.
As for paint, we used the Rustoleum Kalibah mentioned. It was designed for appliances was packaged in an aerosol can. Try your best to get the fridge outside for the painting, because the fumes and advancing waves of white dust can make your house inhospitable for a decent amount of time. Also, try to use the aerosol can on an angle to give it the widest spray. This minimizes the amount of inconsistencies in spray there can be.
It seemed to turn out pretty well for us. The only way we could see a finish difference was in direct sunlight and with a sharp eye. Those are hardly the conditions in an 80 year old mans kitchen.

udels

Thanks Everyone, I agree that this HUGE store should stand behind their product because as Bad Nick said, it is rusting from the inside I am sure. Possibly too close to the cabinets but I am in a condo and small area. I will look it up on the net too!

Thanks for your help, appreciate your input and help here! Probably better off paying the money aghhhhh!

william

If it's from the outside, sand and paint (using a primer coat first). From the inside involves a bit more if it involves the insulation. Not really much more difficult, just more steps involved to have a job well done.

D Rice

I have never tried but heard that lime juice works but i would test it to make sure it doesn't further damage the surface