Westinghouse 501L Upright

Bought this as a second fridge and is working well. Easy to assemble and lives in the garage with no issues. Maintains the temperature throughout the fridge and is very easy to use. Shelves are easy to move around and can store plenty of difficult size shapes when needed during parties. Very happy with the operation.

This is the worst fridge I’ve ever owned. I’m kicking myself that I’ve left it this long to write a review. Fridge was purchased 2 years ago literally and from the start it has been awful. You literally can not open it once it has been opened already for ages after. It gets dragged along the floor in any attempt to get it open. The door has dropped down also about 6-8 months ago so you have to push it up with your foot so it closes properly. And from the start bits have fallen off or broken off the veg drawer at the bottom. The front of the drawer is now hanging off it. It was bought just 1 week before Christmas 2 years ago and life got busy and now I’m sick of my family complaining about the fridge. I’ve never had one like it. So disappointed and when I called about it I was brushed off and told to call the local repairer. Costing me more money. Don’t buy this fridge.

bloody brilliant fridge, huge capacity, controls easy to operate, and the added bonus of Electrolux extended warranty. door opens very easily after closing so the problem of the door being hard to open must of been fixed. maybe an Electrolux representative can confirm. Crisper draw is easy to use as well. i am very very happy with this fridge.

Very good fridge. Bought the matching freezer at the same time. Had to put the door handles on went delivered which was easy for the freezer but the fridge was a different story. The screww holes are full of insulation stuff that made it hard to get the screws in. The end result was a service call to fix the door handle.... The westinghouse service agent fixed the door handle but a bit of a rough job i.e. made modifications tonthe door as he didn't have the right size screws and put a minor scratch in the door. So no faith in their service agents, but the fridge works and works well. The vegetable crisper doesn't open or close easily. Hence the 4 stars.

I've always wanted a fridge big enough to store food AND booze as most do one or the other.... This has HEAPS of room for BOTH! The temperature consistency throughout the whole fridge keeps the booze in the bottom icy, takes care of my fruit & veg in Tupperware Ventsmarts in the middle, and well the top is a who's who of foodstuffs as the fridge is that big. Fridge is very easy to open and soft closes for you. Design is practical for your condiments, milk, juice etc in door shelves. We accompanied ours with the matching freezer which we are equally happy with.

This is an excellent size for two people, has no noise, defrosts well.so easy to clean, just perfect for us,the temperature stays at the right temperature all the time, i would recommend this to anyone who wants just the perfect size for unit living.easy to pull out and clean behind it

Everything about this fridge is perfect! The temperature, it's quiet and easy to clean. I love that it's just a fridge, there is so much space and the adjustable shelves on the side are great . There is also a safety compartment for medicine...a bonus. I love the stainless steel model...easy to clean and looks great!

My 20-year old fridge went on the blink, with frozen fruit, vegetables and smallgoods a common occurrence. Now with this new fridge, we've only had a couple of minor freezes of fruit - and that's only been when they're actually touching the back of the fridge - so we make sure the melons never touch the back/side of the fridge! Apples and citrus fruits seem fine touching the sides of the fridge without freezing, I guess melons are a bit more temperamental.
Now we have cold jars in the fridge door, too - I like! The temperature control is GOOD through the whole fridge. And I like the quick cool option, too. Very useful if you've just put warm food in the fridge after making it. Or just done a big shop and you've had the door open for a while (and yes, it does beep at you after a while if the door stays open, but it's not a loud, horribly annoying beep).
It's SO easy to find things with that big back-light - no more dark spaces! Although first thing in the morning when you've just woken up it seems a bit too bright, ha ha. With its spacious interior, at least I can find things and nothing will go off now for lack of finding it.
This fridge IS a little noisy sometimes, but its pigeon pair freezer is also a little noisy, and compared to my old fridge, it's quiet as a mouse. I don't think you can ever get a super-quiet fridge, unfortunately...and that's a bit of a drawback if you ask me. I'm in the kitchen sometimes and hearing these strange little tick-tick sounds or gassy sounds...and it's emanating from the fridge...it's a bit eerie.
We have NO troubles opening the fridge (unlike what a lot of other people mention in their reviews). We also haven't put the handle on due to lack of space walking in front of the fridge (we don't want to bang our shoulder on it). I think it's easier to open without a handle. We can open it from the top or anywhere down the side. We tried it with a handle and without, and it opens more easily without the handle we feel. The handle looks great, but we just don't have the space for it. Also means our kids can't easily get into it!
My major gripe is that the vegetable drawer down the bottom is an absolute PAIN to open and close! You have to use two hands, and carefully, otherwise it just jams. I keep thinking I'm going to snap it or something. It feels like it should be more smooth, but it's just not. It's like there's a section of plastic permanently stuck there getting in the way - but there's not! The way they have designed it seems odd, with the ratchety top 'rail' catching far too easily.
This fridge would've got 4 stars if that veggie drawer wasn't such a nightmare to open. And 5 stars if it was quiet!

I purchased this fridge nearly 12 months ago and while I love the design and space the fact that the fridge won't open again straight away is a total nightmare. In our hot Qld climate, we have to wait up to 20 - 30 minutes on some days to be able to re-open the fridge. Needless to say this is very inconvenient and impractical.

What can be done to fix the flaw in the design? We are at our wits end!

This fridge is a nightmare. At first I thought that the door wouldn't open because it was new and would take some time (as it did with other fridges).
After a couple of months, I thought that it had gone on for a bit long.
Just recently I did some research and found that if the temperature difference is substantial, then it can take longer to open the door. Fair enough. So I gave it a few more months to perform.
Now, much later and being at my wits end, I have researched this fridge and found that other customers have the exact same problem. I am so disappointed.
So,
to answer your questions
- it maintains temp if the door is shut properly
- yes, it's quiet;
- it is easy to clean, but I wouldn't say that it is any easier to clean than any other glass shelfed fridge (even though you seem to be claiming that it is sooooo easy to clean)

Westinghouse, you better fix this problem, for the sake of good customer service. I've been let down in the washing maching arena, and now the fridge (so far). I hope to hear from you soon.

Bought this fridge and complained about the door within 2 weeks, three minutes before you can open it each time it is closed. A service man came out and contacted Westinghouse a new seal was order and never saw him again. He put some holes in the rubber and it worked better 15 secs to open, this was manageable. Now the days are hotter it does not want to open and sometimes I have to turn it off for awhile. Where I bought the fridge now have no record of my complaint.

Looks nice, plenty of space, but try and open the door more than once...no chance.

Just spent an enjoyable 40mins on the phone to Westinghouse describing the massive inconvenience of having a fridge with seals that are so strong, that after opening it once and closing the door, the fridge won't open again for 45-60secs.

In a nutshell, if you take something out of the fridge, you can't put it back in. Such a headache.

This fridge works so well in our kitchen ! So quite and keeps all the food nice and cool. Has a great humidity drawer in the bottom but can get a bit sticky to open sometimes. Love that it has a matching freezer and we will be purchasing that too !

very happy with my purchase . There is plenty of space to put even large containers. The only drawback that I find is that the motor is slightly noisy. There is plenty of light to see inside even at night.

At 510 litres this fridge provides all the space a family needs.
Love the adjustable crisper (no more forzev veg), fast chill option and wide shelves
The full length LED light shows up every corner so nothing gets lost in corners.
Fully adjustable shelving and sliding door shelves to fit tall items is a great touch.
I just love this fridge. And .....you can reverse the door if you need to have it open in the other direction.
Couldn't be happier

We bought this from harvey norman. I love that iys just a fridge (no freezer) has lots of shelving & even a saftey compartment for medicines. Keeps food nice and cold. Food stays nice & fresh for a long period of time. Very easy to clean with the glass shelving.

We bought this model mainly for its good looks, but have found that it has a few flaws.

On the plus side, the interior of the fridge is thoughtfully designed with adjustable "Spill Safe" glass shelves, which mean that any spillage is contained.

On the negative side, the door seal is incredibly tight, which means that you need to wait a minute or so after closing it before re-opening it. Another flaw is the limited size of the crisper drawer; I would prefer an option to upgrade to two crisper drawers the same size as the existing one. Also, while cleaning the crisper drawer, I've noticed a groove between the sides of the drawer and the transparent front panel which makes it difficult to clean.

Had to call in an electrician this morning after our 22 yr old 2-door American assembled Whirlpool fridge almost caused a fire. We had noticed a smokey kitchen and an overpowering chemical burning smell. The safety switch in the mains was triggered and our electrician advised us that the old models have an unhealthy design with a board covering the rear at the base which limited ventilation. Dust had accumulated and clogged up the blades of the fan which could not turn but electricity cont to flow, causing heat and what we smelled. Had the safety switch not triggered, a fire would have erupted. My stubborn husband ignored my brother-in-laws' advice and mine to get rid of this old model on the basis of poor energy efficiency as he wanted to retain this as the "stinky" fridge which could store food with odours that did not appeal to him, like seafood. Well, it almost cost us our house. Off we went to Harvey Norman, wary that Westinghouse has closed its manufacturing doors in NSW to move to Thailand. We wanted a single door fridge only unit so that left limited choices. So despite my review on WRM4300WB last yr, we took the plunge on WRB5004SA with a 2 yr warranty as the other models appear to have equally flimsy hinged joints. Fingers crossed, esp with a made in Thailand product and hopefully I do not have to make another post to amend the star rating for at least 5 yrs

Big 500 litres of fridge and going great. Runs at 50 watts which tells me that the newer stuff really is more economical, because the older model Westinghouse all fridge we have just replaced was about double that power consumption at 104 watts. It was 21 years old and still going strong, even had the original door seal and never a service call in all that time. So for this reason we decided to invest again in the Westinghouse all fridge thing. As there are only a few of that type of fridge on the market it was really a no brainer. Complaints of excessive door suction, which is true, don't worry me. I like it, tells me there's no leaks. But after a minute or so entry is allowed, and if instructions followed regarding the floor supports its steady as a rock on the floor. Really no issues at all, but as curly says "day ain't over yet". So time will tell, I post my critique early in order to qualify for the competition, wicked I know.
Rupert. (not stupert)

Update: fridge still working fine some months in, suction on door not quite as dramatic now, but crisper drawer starting to be difficult to pull out push in. Can't really figure out what the problem is as all looks ok. Still not a deal breaker though.