- (+ @janvel831): Just the plumbot or all Sims can't use them ? It does sound familiar. I think that was happening with IP too. I'll add for existing.
All Sims and the plumbot can't use them. I initially had the problem prior to Into the Future Expansion.
Although all appliances are affected including the Japanese Grill and Pizza Oven everything was fixed by replacing the fridge.
Now that I think about it, I first started having the problem in Isla Paradiso but not at first. It started happening at least a month or more after installing the EP. The bug thread for that expansion was closed at that point.
It's odd how it just corrected itself in the game I am playing now. I'm not complaining, in fact I am quite happy about it. Not sure what changed to make the problem go away. In Isla Paradiso it did not. Other than buying a new fridge every day I didn't do anything different.