Re: New Fridge - setting up monitoring

["chaniarts" <chaniarts@xxxxxxxxx>]

Dan Lanciani wrote:
> In article <i3e52p$lf4$3@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
> robert_green1963@xxxxxxxxx (Robert Green) writes:
>
>> Someday,
>> items like refrigerators will contain an ethernet jack and can be
>> remotely monitored for abnormal conditions with ease.
>
> Of course, you will have to pay a monthly fee to the monitoring
> service.
> The protocol used will not be available to the consumer for "safety
> reasons".
>
>> In the next house, we'll have
>> an autostart generator,
>
> I'm working on this now.  I told the propane company that I wanted a
> remote tank level indicator in the house.  They said they had a great
> service where I could check my tank level on the Internet.  I
> explained
> that I wanted a wire from the tank to a box in the house that showed
> the
> level and had alarm contacts for low level.  (I even showed them some
> sample devices in catalogs.)  They said they could program their
> "modem"
> to call me when my tank was low.  I said that I didn't want to involve
> their "modem" at all.  They said I shouldn't worry about it because
> something could always be done after the tanks were installed.  I
> pointed
> out that the nice monitor device in the catalog supported only two of
> the four popular tank gauge fittings (not including snap-in) so it
> would
> really be better to work this out before the tanks were in the ground,
> especially since I'm buying the tanks.
>
> It's been several weeks and still no quote. :(
>
> Dan Lanciani
> ddl@danlan.*com

expect an outlandish bid, in effect telling you that they don't want to do
the job. i own my own tank and call around for quotes before every fill,
which has saved me hundreds of dollars. i did find someone who will match
any fill quote from anyone in the area; unfortunately he didn't say that
he's beat any quote.