> But it typically lasts 10 before it needs repairs (neighbors replaced the compressor).
Typically it's way more than 10 for fridges and freezers.
I just recently replaced a chest freezer that was 24 years old. It was still working, but started to consume excessive amounts of power because it apparently lost the ability to efficiently transport heat - it just managed to cool a very small area of the surface inside, even though constructively it should cool over almost all the surface area. As a result the compressor ran almost constantly to keep the insides cool.
The OPs' parents freezer probably has the same problem.
