Peter Blackford's example of the
LG refrigerator in Made by Monkeys certainly struck a nerve. I bought an LG French door fridge about three years ago. Shortly after it was delivered, I received a legal notice regarding a class-action suit against LG because its French door refrigerators used more electricity than what was claimed in their product specs. I receive a very small check annually as compensation.
Shortly after the warranty expired, the ice maker stopped working. I checked the mechanism, the electrical connections, the water feed tube for ice and foreign material, and the house water supply. All seemed OK. I unplugged the fridge and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Nothing helped. The fix was to use ice cube trays. About two months later, while I was sitting in the kitchen, I heard ice cubes drop into the ice maker bin. It started working by itself.
About three months ago, I opened the door and the light was out. I thought it was a bit strange that two bulbs would go out at the same time. When I went to remove the cover, it was warm. Later in the day, the lights were working again. That night, I walked by the fridge and saw light seeping out of the doors (which doesn't say much about the quality of the seals).
The lights were going on and off randomly, whether the doors were opened or closed. After about two weeks of that, the light problem fixed itself and has been functioning properly since. A week ago, I received another legal notice regarding a class-action suit against LG for French door refrigerator lights that go on and off at random or stay on permanently.
This refrigerator either has a mind of its own or it was made, tested and inspected by monkeys.
This entry was submitted by Lewis Goulfine and edited by Rob Spiegel
Tell us your experiences with Monkey-designed products. Send to Rob Spiegel for Made by Monkeys.
I too, have experienced a ghost in the machine--this one a Jenn Air oven. For 10 years, I've used the oven with no problems and all of a sudden about a month ago, these fans started going on every time the stove got over 220 degrees. That meant ever time the stove warmed up, the fans went on and didn't shut off until after the stove cooled down. Depending on what you were cooking and for how long, the fans could blow for hours.
I did some research online and surmised that perhaps we'd blown a sensor or something like that. I got my local appliance person in and after researching the issue with Jenn Air, they concluded that the stove was working properly. That can't be, I said. But low and behold, the design spec called for the fans to come on after 220 degrees to protect some of the more sensitive electronics. So for 10 years, I'm suppose to believe that my stove was faulty and now all of a sudden, it corrected itself. Hmmm. Everything else seems to work fine, so I'm not going to go looking for a problem. Instead, I'm just trying to get used to the din of constantly blowing fans.
I agree Beth, I would not go looking for a problem now. But I am curious as to why it just fixed itself after 10 years. I have never experienced something just fixing itself...once my things break they seem to stay that way.
I'm still not convinced it was ever broken or that it isn't broken now. I, like you, Lauren, can't imagine that it's normal for a stove to operate one way for 10 years then shift gears and do something else and the company says that's the way it should have worked from day one. I'm thinking this is temporary and my stove will be blowing up (not literally) before I know it!
Sometimes it's really hard to tell what is going on with electronics. I got slammed on the back of my mini van on an icy road. I got hit on the bumper, and there was little damage. But when that happened, the turn signals quick blinking automatically. I had to click the blinker manually. Before I got the blinkers fixed, I put a cup of coffee on the dash and accidently spilled it. The hot fluid went down the heating vent right above the steering column. Suddenly the turn signals began to operate as thought nothing had happened. That was two years ago and all's well.
If there's a lesson here, it's probably in the recurring problems we see in the Made by Monkeys blog -- owners are experiencing increased difficulties with their white-box appliances. This increase seems to reside in electrical and electronic systems. From the anecdotal data in these postings, it seems that newer appliances are more prone to problems than older appliances -- apparently because of the new electronics.
Reading this class of experiences, I feel compelled to share my impression on LG appliances, based on my three VERY different experiences with the microwave ovens from that company that I have used in the last 8 years:
First LG oven: a model MS-1442 DP, 1650 W, 13.6 Amp, 120 V, "made in England", 1.4 cu.ft. white color... This was a magnificent performance oven, Really powerful: quickly heated my LARGE coffe cup in less than a minute to boiling water temp (198 F or 92 C at our high elevation of 7350 ft ASL), this was one of three identical ovens purchased by the company I work with, to serve in the coffe area of the building.
I don't need to say that at lunch time, it was used and abused by at least 30-40 people, M to F, and even then, it kept performing without any apparent loss of power, but finally failed after more than four years of restaurant-like abuse!. I guesstimate it endured the equivalent of maybe 30 years of comparative household use. So, I was very favorably impressed and thought: When I'll marry, I'll buy this same model for my house...
Second LG oven: In 2007 the only available model that was most similar to the previous one, was model MS-1444DP (ECN:MS-1444DP/01), curiously labeled as"13.8 Amp." but with the same "1650W" power rating, in white color... this one "made in China", This oven was definitely NOT as efficient as the first ones at the office, requiring about 80 to 90 seconds to reach the same temp with the same cup (¿?) After only three years and two months of home use, the magnetron failed, and thanks to the omnipotent Internet, I was able to find a site with ample instructions (and warnings) on how to properly diagnose and repair it... the part replacement was faster and easier than actually browsing for it. It is still working with the new magnetron after a year, and the price of the part was about a third of the price of a new oven. Power is the same as before magnetron replacement. Operating noise is a bit higher than the made in England version, but not much. This could be caused by the lack of several screws to hold the cover, which had holes punched in the cover but not in the chassis and no sheetmetal screws.
Third LG oven (and most probably the last one!):
This is an smaller, 0.7 Cu Ft, silver color, LG design, bought to replace an old Sharp small microwave oven in the office (other building). I don't have the model number now, but this recent design is the PERFECT example of an Idiot Design (worst than Monkey designed)... the Stylish, mirrorlike door, is so stupidly designed, that it is completely impossible to see inside during operation, thanks to the mirrolike door and a badly placed lighbulb. Not only this is inconvenint, because nobody can see if a bowl of oat is already boiling and making a mess inside, and because it is so inefficient (It requires more than two full minutes on High to heat the same large cup of water, more like 2 minutes and 30 seconds), so that users tend to input "standard"or "commonly used" times, only to find that the damn little oven didn't heat the food enought, then they add "a little more time, and than find it still requires a third heating... at that time the accumulated heat frequently ends in an overheated, bubbling or alredy spilled mess! It also makes a higher level of noise than I remember from the other two larger models.
This means to me that:
a) LG WAS a good option about 8 years ago...
b) It appears that the power rating rules have been loosened at LG.
c) Could it be that sheetmetal screws are becoming scarce in Korea or China?
d) State of the Art in LG ovens:Now more 'stylish', innefficient and less durable.
Those are the lessons!
NOTES: My efficiency and ouput power estimates didn't measured temperatures with a calibrated thermometer, a certified chronometer, or a lab grade wattmeter... but I DID CHECKED that the AC voltage remained above 120 V; as a fact it was 125 plus or minus half a volt during my estimations, and the room temp was almos the same, so that gross differences were not a factor at all. A call and two emails to the LG representative in Mexico were completely unattended... So that I cannot recommend their ovens anymore.
I have an 02 Ford F150 that has had an issue that seemed to fix itself a few times. Occassionally, in the morning, the trucks dome lights would be on when I walked to the truck in the morning. Turning the truck on would put everything back in working order. Over time and research I found that the windshield's on the 02 Fords tend to leak around the seal and into Power Control Module causing electrical faults. Long story short, nights that had heavy dew or light rain allowed enough water into the PCM to connect a circuit for the dome lights. To correct, it was necessary to re-seal the windshield. No problems since.
We have a GOLDSTAR microwave in the kitchen. It's NOT a fancy model, about 1,000 w, but it's been warming foods for about TWENTY FIVE years w/ ZERO problems. Maybe the conclusions of many in these blogs is NOT without merit: "Buy low end appliances WITHOUT all the bells & whistles". These devices seem to last much longer on average. Our refrigerator is also a relic of bygone days, a SEARS COLDSPOT, as old as the house. In the 35+ years, it required only one service call to replace a shorted compressor motor run capacitor. The SEARS (WHIRLPOOL) electric dryer is also that old, and continues to work flawlessly, although the companion top-load clothes washer has been replaced in this same time frame. My 2004 CAMRY w/ well over 100K miles suffered a failed throttle body assembly. Rather than spend the $2K to repair it (and replace worn out tires), I elected to upgrade to the new body-style CAMRY. WHAT A GIANT MISTAKE!!! Should have kept my 2004. The new style (2007-2011) & the 2012 are loaded w/ quirky features, ALL too much for my feeble mind to digest. The old adage, "KISS" ....... WHAT a PROFOUND concept!!!!
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