Re: New Fridge - setting up monitoring

["Robert Green" <robert_green1963@xxxxxxxxx>]

<trader4@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:c06b06f2-ebe4-4780-b75b-7d0ea9c8e288@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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.>>

Even when you're traveling and away from the house?  How do you do that?

--
Bobby G.