Chaney Instrument 00985 Wireless Refrigerator Freezer Thermometer Alarm Set
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List Price: Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Chaney Instrument 00985 Wireless Refrigerator Freezer Thermometer Alarm Set
Customer Review: Handy Device for Verifying Temperatures
Summary: 5 Stars
I have a fairly new refrigerator with a digital readout of the temperatures in the refrigerator and freezer cabinets. A great idea, but they are inside, where you can't normally see them.
I bought this to verify and monitor the temperatures. Following the instructions, I put Lithium ion batteries in the sensors and alkalines in the receiver. Before I put the sensors in the refrigerator and freezer cabinets I checked them against two calibrated probe type thermometers, and they were spot on. I then put the sensors in the boxes and the receiver on the front of the door.
The sensors have been in use for about a month now and both work fine. One thing I did discover, tho. The factory installed refrigerator and freezer readouts are about 4-5 deg higher than the actual box temperatures. No wonder the veggies in the veggie drawer were freezing. I have now adjusted the refrigerator box thermostat up a couple of degrees.
UPDATE 1/13/11
Its been 14 months since I put this into service and all is well. I am still on the original batteries and have had no issues at all.
Customer Review: Better than you might expect
Summary: 4 Stars
For the price, this is an excellent device. I haven't tested it's range that much because I haven't had a need to. At the moment it is just held to the outside of one of the freezers by the magnets on the back of the receiver. Some of the reviews rated this unit poorly, but what they wrote did not instill confidence they really knew what they were talking about. I took a chance since there really isn't much readily available to compete with this remote thermometer in it's price range. One of the things I suspected by the poor reviews was that the expectation was much too high for such an inexpensive device. Inexpensive electronic thermometers ususally do not update right away. Infact, they may take a minute or more to update the display with the sensor. Such is the case with this unit. It takes a while to update. Under the circumstances of what this thermometer is supposed to do, this is quite acceptable. It monitors the temperature, records a min/max, allows any custom cold temp alarm setting you may need, sounds an alarm outside of your setting, wirelessly, all at a very affordable price.Customer Review: Chaney WIreless thermometer - limited range
Summary: 4 Stars
I am very satisfied with this product, except for the fact that the range of the wireless readout is VERY limited. The only way I could get it to work reliably was to mount the readout on the outside of the freezer!
I have two freezers in the garage and had hoped to be able to have the readout in the kitchen - a distance of about 10', through 2 walls. That didn't work, so I put it in the laundry room adjacent to the wall that the freezers were on. Even that didn't work. So I had to put the readout right next to the freezers. So the temperature alarm is not as useful as being in the house. However, since we do go out to the garage often (at least once a day), it's better than not having the alarm.
The problem we had was that the freezers are plugged into a GFI circuit, and the GFI breaker would trip periodically. So we wanted the alarm to prevent melting everything in the freezers.
You do need to buy the lithium batteries though, alkaline batteries just won't work very well in a sub-zero environment!
Customer Review: Does the job
Summary: 4 Stars
If you have invested in a freezer full of food a temp alarm is essential insurance. This dual unit is cost effective. Using one in refrigerator and other in chest freezer on porch about 20 feet away - no issues with wireless signal. Magnetic main unit conveniently attaches to side of refrigerator for easy viewing of temps. Be sure to use lithium batteries in the freezer sensing unit - alkaline won't handle the low temps. My experience with lithium is they last a very long time, so the extra cost shouldn't deter you. The alarm delay feature is nice. Customizing min/max temps is easy. Sensing units can be attached with clips or suction so should work in any configuration. Only negative is the freezer temp sometimes seems to fluctuate dramatically - always within safe range, but occasionally it will set off alarm for min temp. I don't think it is the freezer as another older thermometer doesn't show the same fluctuation. Perhaps I'll try moving sensor to another location and being sure food isn't packed against it.Customer Review: Abysmally unreliable
Summary: 1 Stars
Unfortunately, whilst the temperature readings are quick, accurate, and the display provides informative information, this set is too unreliable to be of any practical use.
I have an under counter fridge and a separate freezer, and the receiver is less than 2 metres away on a nearby shelf. Very frequently (approximately 2-4 times a day) the receiver will show an undocumented error code "-E-" in one or both windows. Resetting the receiver (using a paperclip) removes this error code, but unfortunately, does nothing to restore the monitoring. Rather, one sees "---" permanently. To resume operation, one has to dig out both thermometers, unplug and re-seat their batteries, before readings once again will occur. Doing the latter on its own does not clear the "-E-" errors.
As one might gather, performing these three operations several times a day is not my idea of fun. And, given the intention was to remotely monitor a freezer in my garage, this alarm set is best forgotten about.