ACU_RITE Refrigerator Wireless Thermometer 00986
I found this to be an awesome product for the money and for even more money it would be worth it. I read terrible reviews about the Chaney thermometers but like the new LG Refrigerator I put this thermometer in they are both great. What customers have to realize however is that the temperature in either a freezer or refrigerator changes as the compressor cycles and as the defrost cycles. The walls where one might stick the suction cups are usually warmer than the interior. The wetted suction cups stuck hard and fast. Using a good calibrated other refrigerator thermometer and putting the Acu-Rite next to it on a shelf the readings were exactly equal. Then putting the Acu-Rite 14 inches away from that other thermometer and on the interior wall about 1/2 way toward the back the temps run from 36 to 43 depending. The main thermometer in the center ofr the refrigerator always maintains an even 34 as it is set for. Freezer set for zero runs from -1 to +6. Again normal operation. I have the readout module magnetically attached to the side of the refrigerator. It is not made to transmit through walls or into another room so if it works for you like that all the better. I like it on the side of the refrigerator.
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I'll keep it short and to the point. It works perfect. It is great to be able to adjust your temps to where you actually want them. The suction cups do not work that very good in my refrigerator but the clips hold onto the shelves just fine. It recommends a lithium battery in the freezer side but so far a standard battery is working fine for me. If you want a wireless unit this is the way to go.
BalasHapus
BalasHapusI've had this little gizmo for a week now and I simply love it. I was a bit worried because of reviews from people who had problems with this, but for me it worked as advertised. I ordered the Lithium batteries for the freezer (#2) unit, and used regular alkaline batteries for the main unit and the fridge sensor.
BalasHapusI put the batteries in the main (display/receiver) unit first, then the #1 and #2 sensors. I waited a minute or two until the display showed the current room temperature from both sensors. I then placed the sensors in the fridge and freezer as instructed and attached the magnetic receiver display unit to the front of the fridge. (I have a top-mount freezer, so the display is on the freezer door.)
I watched as the temperature reported from the freezer unit went down to 68, then 54, then 41, 29...until it stabilized around 0 degrees.
Each time I passed by the fridge, I reset the min/max indicators so I could see how the temperatures fluctuated.
By carefully observing, I was able to calibrate the settings in my fridge more accurately, as I noticed that initially the fridge temperature was dropping down to 29 degrees, while the freezer was going up to 9 degrees. You should give the fridge and freezer a chance to stabilize for a few hours after you change their settings before making more adjustments.
My old fridge had built in temperature indicators and settings that used actual temperature. I decided to buy this temperature indicator because my new fridge has just number settings 1 - 7 and it's impossible to tell what 4 means. I used the default 4 settings, but after installing the Acu-Rite I lowered the freezer temperature slightly and raised the fridge a bit. The too cold fridge helped explain why my plums became mushy in the fridge. They froze and thawed. Not a good thing for a plum.
Bottom line: This thermometer converts any old-fashioned fridge to the latest high tech temperature measurement and indication and lets you set you fridge precisely and alerts you to any potential issues.
May be I got lucky, but this wireless thermometer worked right away for me. Put the AAA alkaline batteries in the main, had the AA alkaline and lithium batteries ready and put them immediately in the fridge and freezer sensor respectively. Waited to see temperature shown in the main (80 and 80, from holding the things).
BalasHapusPlaced the sensors in the fridge and freezer, temperature started to change gradually ( the sensors do not transmit the temperature continuously, I don't know what is the interval).
I am using this to monitor an old subzero that has alarming fluctuations in the fridge section, but appears normal when the repair service comes to check. The main shows the max and min so I will know what happened when I come back from work.
I suspect this system is like the wireless weather stations I have around the house. The outdoors transmitters usually fail in a year, or some are temperamental and do not transmit.
Anyway, I put the main on the counter across the refrigerator, just a few feet away.
If the system fails too soon, I will report back.
It certainly beats having to keep opening the doors to check the temperature or coming home to find 43F in the fridge and not knowing whether it went higher than that.
Incidentally, a subzero technical support person we contacted about new subzero models with digital temperature control told us that the new subzero refrigerators simply use an algorithm to show an average temperature. I don't know whether this us true, but if it is, I will still need an independent check even if my refrigerator had digital temperature display.
I found this to be an awesome product for the money and for even more money it would be worth it. I read terrible reviews about the Chaney thermometers but like the new LG Refrigerator I put this thermometer in they are both great. What customers have to realize however is that the temperature in either a freezer or refrigerator changes as the compressor cycles and as the defrost cycles. The walls where one might stick the suction cups are usually warmer than the interior. The wetted suction cups stuck hard and fast. Using a good calibrated other refrigerator thermometer and putting the Acu-Rite next to it on a shelf the readings were exactly equal. Then putting the Acu-Rite 14 inches away from that other thermometer and on the interior wall about 1/2 way toward the back the temps run from 36 to 43 depending. The main thermometer in the center ofr the refrigerator always maintains an even 34 as it is set for. Freezer set for zero runs from -1 to +6. Again normal operation. I have the readout module magnetically attached to the side of the refrigerator. It is not made to transmit through walls or into another room so if it works for you like that all the better. I like it on the side of the refrigerator.
BalasHapusJust what the doctor ordered. A great item that does exactly what the add said it does. Bought another as a gift.
BalasHapusI'll preface this by saying I bought this b/c my relatively new fridge seems to hold temperature poorly, so I've had a small mercury type fridge/freezer thermometer (hereafter referred to as "Mercury") since shortly after I bought it. The problem with these is that you have to open the door to read it, and I wanted something that I could have a Min/Max reading throughout the day to note down in case I need ammunition to use against the company/warranty. Being able to monitor both fridge and freezer temps is a big plus!
BalasHapusBOTTOM LINE: for those not wanting to read my drivel below -- The AcuRite 00986, after a week of use, works great for me... note that I had no battery issues like some have had. See next part...
BATTERY TIPS: doing a Google search on battery characteristics, I found information [...]on Alkaline versus NiMH versus NiCd versus other battery chemistries. One of the very useful pieces of info was operating temperature range. Of note: Lithium operates down to -40C (-40F). Alkaline: 0C (32F). NiCd: -40C. NiMH: -20C (-4F). Well, I have a zillion NiMH rechargeable batteries for kids toys and since I really only care if the freezer goes above a few degrees F, then I figured I'd try NiMH for my sensors, before shelling out $$ on the Lithium AAs. Results: my freezer sensor has captured a temp as low as -13F, so I'd say the NiMH option was a smart move. Even if I have to change the batteries weekly, I swap them out with another set of NiMH and put them on the charger for a few hours. So, my advice to you is to get an inexpensive NiMH charger from somewhere ($10 maybe) and a package of at least 4 (~$7-10), but 8 would be nice, NiMH batteries. I'd recommend any low-discharge NiMH, such as Sanyo Enloops. If you really want to cheap out, get NiCd, but they don't have the capacity that the NiMH batteries do. I know the investment is a tad high upfront, but one set of Lithium AAs is $6, and it's single use. With the NiMH, you can use them hundreds of times, and when no in your fridge/freezer sensor, the back-up ones could be in your kids RC car, flashlight, etc. You'll save $$$$$$ in the long run, if you switch your household to rechargeable in general for AAA/AA type applications.
Ok, all the important stuff over, here is the boring, wordy review/information:
I received the AcuRite version (I'm guessing the Chaney branding has gone extinct) of this product, opened it, installed batteries (more about the batteries later), and within seconds, the transmitters were sending temperature information. I let it sit on my desk for a while, and after the sensors stabilized, they were within 1 degree Fahrenheit of each other, and right at what my home thermostat was set to. Good so far!
I then moved to the kitchen and put the sensors in the fridge/freezer, and mounted the display on the side of the fridge next to the freezer. It probably took between 10 and 15 minutes for the sensors to stabilize at the fridge/freezer temps. I bought another mechanical dial type thermometer (Taylor Classic #5924) from Amazon so I could compare the results with the AcuRite and Mercury. I started my "analysis of performance" by placing AcuRite #2 and Taylor in the freezer, and AcuRite #1 and the Mercury in the fridge. They all seemed to line up well, and I monitored things this way periodically over the course of the next few hours. Because my fridge is my biggest worry, I then moved Taylor to the fridge as well, and placed it somewhere else in the fridge away from AcuRite #1 on a different shelf. This way I could tell if temps across fridge were consistent. Again, everything seemed to read similar temperatures, so I'm confident the AcuRite system is A-OK for me.
I bought this for our RV refrigerator. We have a wired thermometer but I wanted a wireless type to get rid of the wire from the sensor to the display that runs under the door gasket. I was a little skeptical that a wireless thermometer would work but it worked so well I could bring the receiver in the house and watch the refrigerator cool down the night before we left for a trip. The display has magnets for mounting that don't stick to a our fridge (all plastic door), we just stick the display to our stove cover as its metal and right over the fridge. The remotes have two mounts; a suction cup and a spring clamp. The display has a min/max function, alarms and it's large enough to be seen easily. All-in-all its perfect for our needs.
BalasHapusShipped quickly, suction cups do not hold suction, but clips work well for the remote sensors. I hung sensors under the racks in the freezer and refrigerator, and haven't had a problem. Saw reviews about battery compartment not being sealed, and so far that has not been a problem either. Using alkaline batteries although lithium were recommended, and they are still working after almost 2 months. Love being able to see that fridge and freezer are at desired temperatures and high and low temps of both as well. The high and low temp readings are informative, but brief temperature fluctuations are recorded just as long periods are recorded which lessens the significance of those numbers. ie. defrost cycle raises air temperature for 30 minutes, solid items stay frozen and is a normal occurrence, but temp increases for longer periods would be a problem. This device does not include how long the temperature was above a set threshold. That being said, it would complicate this device to include adjustable threshold triggering of an adjustable timed alarm... although I think that would be ideal.
BalasHapus