Coldspot Refrigerator

Coldspot was Sears’ refrigerator brand, a long-running line that ran from 1928 until 1976, when Sears folded it into the Kenmore name. Over the decades Coldspot units were built by several manufacturers, most significantly Whirlpool, whose refrigerators carry the 106 model-number prefix. If you own a Coldspot, its age and its true manufacturer are the two facts that decide what parts you can still get.

This covers where Coldspot came from, who actually built it, whether parts are still available, and the failures that show up on aging units.

What is a Coldspot refrigerator?

Coldspot was Sears’ house brand for refrigeration. Beyond refrigerators, the name also appeared on freezers, dehumidifiers, and window air conditioners over its run from 1928 to 1976 (per Sears/Coldspot brand history). It was a fixture of American kitchens for nearly five decades and even earned a place in design history for its late-1930s Sears models.

When Sears consolidated its appliance branding, Coldspot refrigerators gave way to the Kenmore name in 1976 (from the Coldspot brand’s documented history). So a Coldspot is, by definition, a vintage appliance today, and the refrigerators that replaced it on Sears floors were Kenmore units, many from the same factories.

Who made Coldspot refrigerators?

Several companies over the years, but Whirlpool is the name that matters most for parts. Early Coldspot refrigerators were built by Seeger Refrigeration, later Seeger-Sunbeam. Over time, Whirlpool became a primary manufacturer of Sears refrigeration, and Whirlpool-built units are identified by the 106 model-number prefix (per the same brand history). Whirlpool continued as a leading Kenmore refrigerator supplier after the Coldspot-to-Kenmore transition.

The practical implication is the same one that governs all Sears appliances: the badge is Sears, but the machine underneath was built by an established manufacturer. Find that manufacturer through the model number and your parts search gets much easier.

Do parts still exist for a Coldspot refrigerator?

It depends on the age and the builder. For later Coldspot units and the Whirlpool-built Kenmore refrigerators that followed them, many components are still available because they share Whirlpool hardware. For very early Coldspot models, some original parts are no longer produced and require cross-referencing to a current equivalent.

Check it this way:

1. Find the model number on the rating label inside the fresh-food compartment.
2. If it begins with 106, it is Whirlpool-built, and Whirlpool-family parts are your best path.
3. Enter the full model number in the parts catalog to see what is still stocked for your specific unit.

Genuine Kenmore refrigerator parts cover the Whirlpool-built lineage that Coldspot became. For universal wear items like door gaskets, a Whirlpool-family gasket such as the 2159075 (currently $174.54, in stock) fits a wide range of Whirlpool-built Sears and Kenmore refrigerators, which shows how much of this hardware crosses over.

How old is my Coldspot refrigerator?

At minimum, around a half-century. Because Sears retired the Coldspot name in 1976, every Coldspot refrigerator is a vintage unit by definition. Coldspot units predate the modern serial-decoding conventions, so there is no simple two-letter age code like newer brands use. To narrow the date, work from what you have: the model and serial on the rating label, any original sales paperwork, and the styling cues of the era. If your unit is a later, Whirlpool-built example carrying a 106 model prefix, the model number is also your key to whatever replacement parts are still cataloged. When in doubt, enter the full model number in the parts catalog and let the fitment results tell you which generation you are working with.

What commonly fails on an old Coldspot refrigerator?

Vintage refrigerators fail in predictable ways, almost always in the defrost circuit, the door seal, or the sealed system. The recurring issues on aging units are:

• Frost buildup or a warm box: a failed defrost timer, defrost heater, or defrost thermostat.
• Poor sealing, sweating, or an over-running compressor: hardened or torn door gaskets.
• Not cooling, with clicking or humming: a failed start relay, overload, or compressor.
• Gradual loss of cooling: dust-clogged condenser coils or a seized condenser fan motor.
• Water or ice faults (later models with icemakers): the water inlet valve or icemaker module.

Start with the inexpensive, high-probability fixes — clean the condenser coils and inspect the door gasket — before assuming the worst about the compressor.

Watch: diagnosing a Sears/Kenmore refrigerator that is cold in the freezer but warm in the fridge

Are Coldspot parts interchangeable with Kenmore parts?

For Whirlpool-built units, very often yes. Because Coldspot refrigerators became Kenmore refrigerators and many of both were built by Whirlpool, the two lines share a large amount of hardware, especially universal wear items like door gaskets, defrost components, and relays. A part cataloged for a Whirlpool-built Kenmore refrigerator will frequently be the correct fit for a later Coldspot from the same factory. The determining factor is not the badge but the model number and the manufacturer behind it. Confirm the fit against your Coldspot’s model number, and you will often find the part is still stocked under its Whirlpool or Kenmore listing.

The bottom line

A Coldspot is a vintage Sears refrigerator, most often Whirlpool-built and identifiable by a 106 model prefix. Later units and their Kenmore successors are well supported by Whirlpool-family parts; the oldest models may need cross-referenced equivalents. Read your model number, focus first on defrost, gasket, and coil issues, and match parts to your unit.

Written by: AppliancePartsPros Team