HOME  |  NEWS  |  BLOGS  |  MESSAGES  |  FEATURES  |  VIDEOS  |  WEBINARS  |  RESOURCE CENTER  |  INDUSTRIES
REGISTER   |   LOGIN   |   HELP
Comments
View Comments: Newest First|Oldest First|Threaded View
<<  <  Page 2/3  >  >>
joshin
User Rank
Iron
Too hot to touch?
joshin   4/17/2012 4:42:13 PM
hmm, sounds like my wife's best friend.

Wife continually tells me that if I touch that, I will certainly have my fingers burned off. Frequently find I have to cool down after she visits. Turn on a fan or take a cold shower.

I will admit, my eyes do burn from staring so hard...so must be something to it.

 

Rob Spiegel
User Rank
Blogger
Re: Lean, inexpensive, "smart" -vs. robust quality?
Rob Spiegel   4/17/2012 2:29:05 PM
NO RATINGS

I'm not so sure appliance designers are diabolical enough for planned obsolescence. Besides, disgruntled employees would eventually spill the beans if it were really a conspiracy to build products that break down. I think it's poor (in a hurry) craftsmanship mixed with pressure to build inexpensively. 

Bill DeVries
User Rank
Iron
Re: Make sure your solving the problem, not the symptom
Bill DeVries   4/17/2012 1:59:03 PM
NO RATINGS
Thanks - I'll have to look for the defrost timer. What would cause the fan motors to burn out other than cheap fan motors?

The deer is only short term seasonal until I can finish processing into vacuum seal bags and the deer can then find its way into the freezer for later consumption.

I might have to take up home brewing. I've been into craft IPA's lately.

JimT@Future-Product-Innovations
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Lean, inexpensive, "smart" -vs. robust quality?
JimT@Future-Product-Innovations   4/17/2012 1:38:44 PM
NO RATINGS
Less Deer - More Beer - that hole in the front can be used to put a very natural looking tapper, direct from the pony keg within!  One of my college room-mates very first projects, as soon as he was in his own home, (post graduation).

diyernh
User Rank
Iron
Make sure your solving the problem, not the symptom
diyernh   4/17/2012 1:20:37 PM
NO RATINGS
Double check your defrost timer.  It is the number one failure mechanism.  It is a mechanical rotary timer that shuts off the compressor and turns on the heaters to defrost.  It gets dirty and stops turning after several years.  Yours may have stopped in the "compressor on" cycle.  This will run the compressor too much, causing frost build up.  As the frost builds up, the compressor will have to run more to get the fridge cold.  I could picture this continuing to the point where the compressor is overheating, breaking the icemaker tube etc.

Look behind the lower grill, or sometimes it is inside the fridge.  It is a small knob.  You should hear the compressor turn on and off, also the heaters will crackle when it is in defrost mode.  Usually, just turning it a few times will loosen it up for the next few years.

 

 

 

Ann R. Thryft
User Rank
Blogger
Re: Upgrade Time?
Ann R. Thryft   4/17/2012 1:12:39 PM
NO RATINGS

I also replaced my fridge a few years back, with an Energy Star design. A model with the same basic footprint and interior size costs about half the electricity to run as the old one did by the even more inefficient end of its not-very-efficient life.


Droid
User Rank
Platinum
Re: It was a good time to punt...
Droid   4/17/2012 9:46:11 AM
NO RATINGS
By the way - I LIKE "duct tape band-aide" approaches to solving things like this.   Which is the reason for occasionally having the title of "cobblemiester"...

Droid
User Rank
Platinum
It was a good time to punt...
Droid   4/17/2012 9:30:58 AM
NO RATINGS
Sound like a good solution - although a bit of a "duct-tape band aide" approach.   I probably would have gone on line to some place like surpluscenter.com and searched for a fan that I could cram into the spot.

Bill DeVries
User Rank
Iron
Re: Lean, inexpensive, "smart" -vs. robust quality?
Bill DeVries   4/17/2012 8:34:12 AM
NO RATINGS
Yeah planned obsolescence has got to be what it is. My "good" kitchen fridges have not lasted very long- 4th one in about 20 years. My garage "beer & deer" fridge is about 20 years old and still works fine as long as you know where to put different foods. Top shelf left side will freeze - don't put lettuce there, frosty beer on a hot summer day is quite nice. Anyway, the garage fridge holds the kitchen fridge overflow just fine. The ice maker in the garage fridge died, so I just removed it, insulated the hole in the door, and covered the hole with a plastic storage box lid - it almost looks like it was meant to be that way.

Bill DeVries
User Rank
Iron
Re: Lean, inexpensive, "smart" -vs. robust quality?
Bill DeVries   4/17/2012 8:34:12 AM
NO RATINGS
Yeah planned obsolescence has got to be what it is. My "good" kitchen fridges have not lasted very long- 4th one in about 20 years. My garage "beer & deer" fridge is about 20 years old and still works fine as long as you know where to put different foods. Top shelf left side will freeze - don't put lettuce there, frosty beer on a hot summer day is quite nice. Anyway, the garage fridge holds the kitchen fridge overflow just fine. The ice maker in the garage fridge died, so I just removed it, insulated the hole in the door, and covered the hole with a plastic storage box lid - it almost looks like it was meant to be that way.

<<  <  Page 2/3  >  >>


Partner Zone
Latest Analysis
We see Gadget Freak projects from all walks of life, but many of our most imaginative gadgets are created by budding engineers.
By experimenting with the photovoltaic reaction in solar cells, researchers at MIT have made a breakthrough in energy efficiency that significantly pushes the boundaries of current commercial cells on the market.
Advanced Micro Devices' latest release brings a cloud-based graphics boost, along with unparalleled performance, to the workstation.
In a world that's going green, industrial operations have a problem: Their processes involve materials that are potentially toxic, flammable, corrosive, or reactive. If improperly managed, this can precipitate dangerous health and environmental consequences.
With LEDs dropping in price virtually every year, automakers have begun employing them, not only on luxury vehicles, but on entry-level models, as well.
More:Blogs|News
Design News Webinar Series
5/22/2013 9:00 a.m. California / 12:00 p.m. New York / 5:00 p.m. London
5/15/2013 11:00 a.m. California / 2:00 p.m. New York / 7:00 p.m. London
5/29/2013 11:00 a.m. California / 2:00 p.m. New York / 7:00 p.m. London
5/30/2013 11:00 a.m. California / 2:00 p.m. New York / 7:00 p.m. London
Blogs from Our Sponsors
From Dell / Intel®
New Paradigms in Design Work
Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013    5
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
From Dell / Intel®
Increased Workstation Performance Is as Easy as 'DPPO'
Trey Morton, Dell, 4/25/2013    2
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
From Dell / Intel®
Taking Some of the Grit out of Manufacturing
Kirsten Billhardt, Manufacturing Industry Marketing Strategist, Dell, 3/26/2013    5
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
Quick Poll
The Continuing Education Center offers engineers an entirely new way to get the education they need to formulate next-generation solutions.
Jun 10 - 14, Exploring Application-Specific Programmable Logic Devices
SEMESTERS: 1  |  2  |  3


DN Radio
Sponsored by
NEXT UPCOMING BROADCAST
A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
Twitter Feed
Design News Twitter Feed
Like Us on Facebook

Sponsored Content

Technology Marketplace

Datasheets.com Parts Search

185 million searchable parts
(please enter a part number or hit search to begin)
Copyright © 2013 UBM Canon, A UBM company, All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service