Re: New Fridge - setting up monitoring

["Robert Green" <robert_green1963@xxxxxxxxx>]

"ransley" <Mark_Ransley@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:d7b1b0ad-da55-4ff1-b2ac-8578ea1fa371@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On Aug 4, 12:45 pm, trad...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> On Aug 4, 12:35 pm, ransley <Mark_Rans...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Aug 4, 6:52 am, "Robert Green" <robert_green1...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > > Just got a new fridge, and I thought I would try monitoring operating
> > > parameters with my home automation system. I 've got sensors for kWhs
used,
> > > ambient room temperature, freezer and refrigerator temps and the
temperature
> > > of a sensor on the back of the unit. I was hoping this should give me
> > > enough of a baseline to be able to detect "out of whack" conditions
before
> > > they show up in a puddle on the floor or a failure to cool.
>
> > > I discovered in my old fridge that as freon leaked, the kilowatt hours
used
> > > shot way up before I noticed the problem in the fridge temp (that
became
> > > obvious on a very hot day when we had the A/C off and the kitchen temp
was
> > > about 20 degrees over normal. Unfortunately, on the old box, I didn't
have
> > > good baseline figures from the early on when it worked well. That's
why I
> > > am trying to determine what information I need to be able to have my
home
> > > automation system (HomeVision, CPU-XA, ActiveHome and more) record and
> > > process to alert me that there's an issue with the unit.
>
> > > I suspect that the electricity consumed daily will rise as the dust on
the
> > > coils builds up. That should be detectable by looking at the average
daily
> > > power used figure. I am recording ambient, backplate and internal
temps as
> > > well in case the power usage increase is due to other factors, like
this
> > > stinking endless heat wave. I also want a baseline on energy consumed
and
> > > back plate temperature in case I decide to put a filter on the air
intake to
> > > minimize coil cleaning. I found out the hard way that an added filter
can
> > > decrease air flow on some devices to the point of overheating the
motor. If
> > > the filter blocks too much airflow I would expect power consumption
and the
> > > back plate temperature to rise conspicuously.
>
> > > Reading this over, I realized I need two more monitors. A
battery-backed
> > > dialer that can call my cellphone to tell me to buy dry ice because
the
> > > power or compressor failed and a door alert to let me know if the dog
> > > manages to open the door again! She's been unable to do it with the
new box
> > > because the magnetic seal is incredibly strong - much stronger than
the old
> > > one. Took nearly ten pounds of pull as measured by a fish scale. But
she
> > > might figure out how to do it in time. She's been watching very
closely.
> > > In fact, I nearly spit out my coffee because she was eating when the
new
> > > unit started up when it first arrived and she went off on it as if the
> > > fridge had made a move on her food. She's still not quite comfortable
with
> > > it.
>
> > > Any suggestions on something I might have overlooked are cheerfully
welcome.
> > > Bad attempts at comedy or remarks on my sanity, with much less cheer.
(-:
>
> > > --
> > > Bobby G.
>
> > Did you ever use a kill-a- watt meter, they are accurate, easy to use
> > and record Kwh usage over several days. They are great for doing you
> > own energy audit of most all apliances and devices.- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> Yes. And I've always been able to spot a fridge failure without a
> dozen sensors monitoring my fridge. After all, it's a fridge not a
> Boeing 777.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

<His frige may outlive him, I could understand monitoring boiler flue
temp or furnace temp at the coil or computer core temp, but right its
no aircraft.>

You have a great faith in modern manufacturing that I don't think is
warranted considering all the refrigerator issues that crop up regularly on
this list.  But in your house, you can do what you please, obviously. In
mine, I like to use technology to keep ahead of the repair curve.  Someday,
items like refrigerators will contain an ethernet jack and can be remotely
monitored for abnormal conditions with ease.  In the next house, we'll have
an autostart generator, but where I am now, the power rarely goes out but I
want to be on top of it if it does.

FWIW, I do have a number of extra heat, CO and other sensors covering the
furnace, the hot water heater and the A/C if only because I have a great
interest in home automation.

For now, I am quite happy to know that I've taken as many precautions as
required to prevent coming home and finding all the frozen food melted and
refrozen.

--
Bobby G.