• helpImTrappedOnline@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      That’s before they started building them to fail. Why? Because a freezer that’s been running since '97 is at least two unsold new freezers.

      • phx@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        There’s also a lot of other stuff that changed over time. New appliances may be more efficient, run on different (more environmentally friendly) coolant, have lead-free solder circuits, etc.

        The thing is, a lot of that old stuff which was found to have health or environment issues also lasted longer. Leaded solder didn’t get burrs, for example. The components may also have been easier to repair.

        But there’s also survivor bias. For every old freezer that sat in grandma’s basement for 2-3 decades many more ended up in a scrap heap.

      • sfgifz@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        No, it’s not survivorship bias

        Yes it is. The probability is much more significant that there are appliances from 2000s still working fine while your 1950s piece is one of the last few left. Just because your reality has a different view doesn’t mean it’s the same on a global scale.