Surge Protector? Help!

mountainannie

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Dec 11, 2003
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OK, Help... sob sob

I bought a new fridge since the old one in my furnished flat was giving me shocks from the outside.

It worked perfectly. It is stainless and gorgeous. We were happy. I could have company for dinner. I could freeze food.

Life was good.

Friday it stopped cooling

I thought maybe Rosaria (may she be blessed) had maybe just turned the temp down while cleaning so I turned it up and waited. Saturday no ice. But the motor is humming the light is on.

No answer, natch at the phone listed on the receipt for Ferreterria Americana.

So Monday I go over to see them.

And they say they will send a repair person.

We are now, what, Thursday?
(I will skip the steps those of you who live here know them, )

Now of course, they only give a month's guarantee. And they say it needs gas. which they will come and give it on Saturday.

And then I should put the fridge on a dedicated circuit surge protector or something

(never mind that they themselves plugged it into the wall and could easily have sold me whatever it was that they say i needed to protect the precious)

not that we get lots of blackouts here
but he says it is from a the black outs

could it be?
is it?
what sort of gizmo am I supposed to buy?

I am weepy

oh my beautiful new fridge

of course everyone is so just so very really nice about it all and it is hard to really get angry with anyone because it is never ever anyone's fault.... really,,, no one's fault...

what exactly am I supposed to buy?

and what happened do you supposed to leak the coolant out of the beautiful new fridge?
 

SantiagoDR

The "REAL" SantiagoDR
Jan 12, 2006
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Now of course, they only give a month's guarantee.
What?

I bought a new fridge and it was guaranteed for ONE YEAR.


SantiagoDR
I survived the National Blackout ? 2009
 

mountainannie

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Dec 11, 2003
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one year for repairs one month for exchange

What?

I bought a new fridge and it was guaranteed for ONE YEAR.


SantiagoDR
I survived the National Blackout ? 2009

you have a month to exchange
they will do the repairs free for a year

now if they have to keep doing repairs free for a year
and it at the end of a year

well we will see what happens
but i have been googling this
and of course most of the info is from the states where they don't have black outs and so i don't know if this sort of problem comes from blackouts
 

SantiagoDR

The "REAL" SantiagoDR
Jan 12, 2006
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I would doubt it, otherwise thousands, if not millions of Dominicans would have broken fridges.

The one I have in my 2nd house is 2 years old, no protection what so ever on it.
I'm betting this is the same with many Dominicans.

A dedicated circuit surge protector probably would not hurt.
It really depends on where you live and how safe the voltage is there.
 

Black Dog

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May 29, 2009
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Hi Annie,
I'm no sparky but power surges can effect electrical items and you can get a surge protector which I guess just smooth out the ups and downs as the power comes and goes. I'm not sure how that could effect the gas but as I said I'm no electrician. You can get the protectors in many electrical & computor shops.
 

SantiagoDR

The "REAL" SantiagoDR
Jan 12, 2006
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I would also suggest that you make sure that the wiring in your place has a "SOLID" Earth ground. If something happens, like stupid Electric employees leaving off the ground connection when working on the circuits, you are better protected.

I had my houses built and sure enough the construction electricians did not bother to put in an Earth ground.

I told the engineer to get it done!

Many on here have told horror stories of everything frying in their homes because of improper grounds.
 

mountainannie

Platinum
Dec 11, 2003
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Well it is not my house, it is just a rental apartment in an old condo and I am completely sure that whatever should be there, is not.

So I will get something....

Can you advise me what it is that I should get..

ok now don't laugh because now that fridge is plugged into one of those things that make a three plug go into a two plug wall plug

And it was the guys from the appliance store that hooked it up

this guy mentioned something with a light?
he is not talking about a simple power strip is he?

like the ones that decorate my office like christmas tree lights?
 

SantiagoDR

The "REAL" SantiagoDR
Jan 12, 2006
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.... ok now don't laugh because now that fridge is plugged into one of those things that make a three plug go into a two plug wall plug .....

Whoa, that place definitely has old wiring.
Must be a pretty old condo.

At La Sirena, etc in the electronic section they sell "boxes" that are designed for refrigerators.

Like for my modem, etc here, I have an AVTEX "Regulator para Computadoras"
Not sure if it would like being hooked to a two-wire electric system.


SantiagoDR
I survived the NAL's syndrone - 2009
 

donP

Newbie
Dec 14, 2008
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Not Cool

But the motor is humming the light is on.
That's the good news.
So it seems that the motor wiring was not burnt by a voltage surge.

I hope it is not one of those expensive ones with a lot of electronics ("tarjetas") inside which tend to go haywire here... :tired:

A new fridge should not have a gas leak and just filling that up is not an acceptable option.
If this is what they diagnose, have them take it back (which I know they try to refuse).
 
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mountainannie

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Dec 11, 2003
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that is what I thought!

That's the good news.
So it seems that the motor wiring was not burnt by a voltage surge.

I hope it is not one of those expensive ones with a lot of electronics ("tarjetas") inside which tend to go haywire here... :tired:

A new fridge should not have a gas leak and just filling that up is not an acceptable option.
If this is what they diagnose, have them take it back (which I know they try to refuse).

I thought as much, why would a fridge that has been in place and working for three months just fine suddenly have a gas leak?

but that is the diagnosis.

Of course it took them a week to even come look at it, now it is going to take another two days to come fill the gas leak and if that is the problem

well, they have said categorically that they will not take it back

only in the first month
but they will repair it for a year

sob sob

it was 17,000 pesos so it is not the very top of line but not the bottom either

and that it a lot of money for three months of cold food!

sob :ninja:

we don't really have a very good weeping face here
 

donP

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Dec 14, 2008
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Find the leak

_suddenly have a gas leak?
but that is the diagnosis.

Just filling up the gas (I do hope they use R134a and not the bad stuff of the past) will not be a permanent solution as it's unlikely that the new fridge was not properly filled.
So, the leak remains a leak until it's found and repaired.
This should be your demand.
 

SantiagoDR

The "REAL" SantiagoDR
Jan 12, 2006
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Curious...
What brand is it?


SantiagoDR
I survived the NAL's syndrone - 2009
 

donP

Newbie
Dec 14, 2008
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Talk to the 'gerente'

it's an Atlas
from Ferreterria Americana

I don't know the brand, I think it's made in Costa Rica.
But with FA you may get to talk to the top people and get the fridge exchanged.
If it were PL you'd be worse off....
Good luck!
 

Olly

Bronze
Mar 12, 2007
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Mountainannie,
There is an appliance protector made by Tonal Instant Energy Systems Inc. specifically for refrigerators and small A/C units. It is TN-1 and protects the refrigerator agains low volts(90) , high volts(135) , surges and spikes and also provides a 3 min delay after the power goes off before letting the fridge start again. This delay feature is probably the most important as it allows the pressure in the fridge compressor to decline. The motor stalls otherwise and eventually burns out.

I fitted one to our Freezer 3 years ago and have had no problems with it.

They were availalbe in Ochoa Santiago for about RD$1000 each. There is a cheaper one at about RD$450 but I prefered the TN-1.

I do agree with DonP and SantiagoDR, that really you should get the fridge changed by the shop as the problem doesn't sound like an electrical problem.

I hope that helps.

Olly
 
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pyratt

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Jan 14, 2007
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Everything electrical in the DR needs to be protected from power spikes and low voltage at all times...the equipment on the street is taking a beating from the plantas constantly shutting down and coming back up, so a voltage regulator in a substation or a transformer on a pole may not be doing it's job 100%.

At minimum, buy uniterruptible power supplies for your stuff. (UPS was made popular by computers, but they come in different sizes.) Plug one into the socket that feeds your TVs and electronics, plug a surge protection power strip into the UPS and plug your gear into the strip...safest thing to do is to unplug the power strip from the UPS when you're not using your electronics. (and this is "green" cuz the power won't be used to keep your stuff in "ready mode")

Put a UPS sized for your fridge in line as well...if you have a microwave, power it from a strip plugged into that UPS.

I worked 15 years in electrical T & D....our grid was backed up the same way with equipment built to handle the job. This was done to protect our transformers (which all the little stuff we use have inside them). Good luck.

By the way, my gal pal told me the blackouts are now called "financial blackouts"...another Dominican excuse for "Government stealing and not paying it's bills blackouts"...if Lionel could pay bills as fast as he makes excusas...there'd be lights.
 

mountainannie

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Dec 11, 2003
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I am going this afternoon to spend the rest of the day with them over there
Any way I see this it is there fault
From everything I have read, and from what you guys say, it cannot be an electrical problem

PLUS THEY did the INSTALLATION and issued the guarantee so if it was a matter of another few under pesos to protect the Fridge, then they should have sold me that at the same time

i bought a new stove at the same time so this was a really big order.....

so far, we are all being really nice to one another

thanks to all for the help

will post

but, of course, under neath it all

i am a new yorker

and

well

we are a very very tough bunch