Chaney Instrument 00985 Wireless Refrigerator Freezer Thermometer Alarm Set
by Chaney
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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: Chaney Instrument 00985 Temperature Alarm
Summary: 5 Stars
Chaney Instrument 00985 Temperature Alarm works better than expected for local low-impact equipment and room temperture monitoring. I purchased this item to monitor and alert an air conditioner failure in small computer equipment room, and it does the basic job very well! Economical to purchase and easy to install when compared to other Hi-Tech alarm sensor and alarm systems that are out there, this battery-operated unit has two separate and independent zone-monitoring capabilities, digital readouts, and min-max temperature data storage. Each alarm can be programmed to sound-off the built-in tone alarm warning at different temperatures. The main receiver/monitor panel is wireless, in turn has two remotely-located wireless wall-mounted transmitters (that can be placed into different areas), uses common AA and AAA alkaline batteries, and allows two different physical zones to be temperature monitored with custom-programmable temperature values.
Originally designed to read-out separate refrigerator and separate freezer compartment temperatures and notify when these temperatures are exceeded; I was able to use this system to monitor both a computer room and next-door photocopier room using the same main panel, but programmed-in two different temperature ranges. The computer room is now set-up to monitor the performance of a small dedicated built-in air conditioner pre-set at 67 deg F. The Chaney Alarm is set to sound-off if the room temperature goes either below 62 degrees F / or heats up over 70 degrees F (this is zone #1). The photocopier room is set up to be monitored when its temperature exceeds 78 degress (this is zone #2). The Chaney Alarm has a built-in alarm sound-off delay of 15 minutes, which prevents false alarms from sounding when an area door is opened or momentarily left open to service equipment, access supplies, or if a sudden (short time) change in room temperature should occur such as with heater or AC cycling.
The two wireless transmitters are each separately placed inside the 2 rooms, and each is wall mounted using a standard screw. The receiver panel is located on the other side of the wall from the 2 transmitters, approximatley 5 feet away. Current temperatures for each of the two room zones are continuously displayed on the main receiver panel along with Minimum and Maximum Room Temperatures. The alarm tone is very noticeable (like a microwave oven tone) but is not ear-splitting as is the case with some formal or wired alarm devices. This system does not auto-dial an outside phone number, doesn't offer a recorded message, doesn't hook-up to a larger alarm system, transmit information over long distances, or sound a large outside bell as do some systems.
However, for the purposes of monitoring the temperatures of 1-2 rooms, 1-2 small zones, monitoring equipment compartment temperatures; or as an econonomical approach to wireless local monitoring (with Human responders sitting or working close-by); the Chaney 00985 unit is a very good equipment purchase. Weatherbug.
Customer Review: I purchased this item after reading the reviews, and am happy to confirm that it does indeed work
Summary: 5 Stars
I read many of the reviews prior to purchasing this item, and was concerned about negative reviews suggesting that they didn't work as described for some buyers.
I wonder now if those buyers have since changed their minds after writing their reviews, as I too thought that it wasn't working correctly when I first set it up.
Putting the batteries in the devices I immediately noted the sensors flashing and the room temperature register on the display. I put the sensors in the fridge and freezer compartments, and looked eagerly at the display waiting for the temp to immediately fall as the sensors got colder. It didn't happen.
Something wrong here I thought.
I opened the door of the fridge and waited until the sensor flashed, and immediately noted that the display changed to the current temperature. I opened the freezer door; waited for the sensor to flash and sure enough; the display showed the current freezer temmperature.
Damn thing won't work with the doors shut I presumed, just as other reviewers had written about.
I then set about testing the device to see if I could establish a pattern of when it would work, and when it wouldn't.
Imagine my surprise when after a few hours testing I realised that the device works perfectly.
The problem was that in my haste to see it working, I didn't wait patiently enough to allow the sensor to transmit a signal to the display module. I suspect that as the temperature approaches the set temperature, the transmitter activates at longer time intervals (I may be incorrect in saying this) to conserve battery life, which was what was confusing me as I was expecting a faster response after putting the sensors in the fridge.
Anyway I took the sensors out of the fridge and waited until the display changed to the room temperature and then put them back in the fridge; I did this with the display next to the fridge, 5 mtrs away from the fridge, and in the house which is 25 mtrs from the shed where the test fridge was.
The sensors outside the fridge would transmit all the way to the house, but after putting them back into the fridge they would no longer transmit that distance.
I now have the sensor about 5 mtrs from the fridge and it works perfectly.
The High / Low displays are very reassuring, and the alarm function is turned off but I will probably use that function when we go camping.
Summary:
This device works perfectly as described.
It will give me reassurance when camping that all is good with the fridge/freezer.
Just be patient and give the device time to function correctly.
Customer Review: Story with a happy ending
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this thermometer/alarm when my refrigerator seemed to be having intermittent problems with the controls, although it would work fine for weeks at a time. I just didn't want to trust my luck.
After using this Chaney unit for about three weeks, I awoke at 2:00 AM yesterday to the piercing sound of the temperature alarm, and I discovered that my refrigerator's thermal control had finally failed entirely. With no backup and no time to waste, I disassembled the freezer section enough to hot-wire the compressor and fan so they would run constantly, but without any thermostatic control. In that state, unplugging the unit was the only way to turn it off, but it sure kept my food cold. Many hours later that day, I was finally able to get the refrigerator properly diagnosed and repaired. The happy ending is that I was able to entirely avert the loss of a freezer full of food, as it was still just beginning to thaw by the time I finished hot-wiring the refrigeration unit. Without the alarm, all the food would have been a soggy, bacteria-laden mess by the time I even discovered the failure.
When I ordered the Chaney unit, I decided to try rechargeable batteries instead of more expensive lithium, so I also ordered some Sanyo Eneloop AA batteries for both freezer and refrigerator sensors. The Eneloop batteries have been working fine on their original charge (they ship precharged) for the last three weeks, even down to -8 degrees F. at one point, although typically in the 0 to 4 F. range. I will expect shorter battery life between recharges, though, because of the low temperatures, but at least they work.
This Chaney unit's features are terrific, and the only item on my wish list would be slightly more frequent temperature transmissions. One sensor transmits readings every six minutes, and the other sensor does so every 7.5 minutes.
I'll wind this up with a mini-rant against Chaney and many other manufacturers who violate this basic design principle. If unit size is not critical, USE AA BATTERIES INSTEAD OF AAA! The Chaney external receiver/display uses those little AAA batteries, which store MUCH LESS THAN HALF the energy of the AA cells and therefore have to be replaced much more often. The tiny size increase necessary to use AA batteries in the external display unit would be meaningless. No one would be complaining if the display were 1/8" thicker to accommodate the extra size of an AA battery, and the increase could even be taken up in width rather than thickness. This utter infatuation with AAA batteries is madness! (Rant over)
Customer Review: Works as advertised
Summary: 5 Stars
I read all the reviews and thought that this might just be a piece of junk but it has done what it says it should. I wanted it for putting in my mechanical room that is attached to my house. When it get really cold in the winter it sometimes causes the room to drop below freezing which is bad because my plumbing is in there. I have a space heater in there that is supposed to turn on before it gets to freezing. It has had some issues so I wanted something wireless and with an alarm so that if it gets below freezing in the room an alarm will sound in my bedroom to wake me up and I can go and check on it. It has done just that. After a week of cold weather I was able to adjust the space heater so that it kicks on before it gets to freezing by monitoring the temperature in the room on the wireless display. I also have a chest freezer in the mechanical room that I placed the other remote in so that was an added bonus.
I have had it lock up on me within the first week I used it. I reset the receiver and it worked all winter. As for range, my mechanical room is on the back of my house on the first floor. I placed the receiver on the second floor about 12 ft from the back wall above the mechanical room and the signal works fine even for the one that is inside my freezer. It might not be perfect but for the price there doesn't seem to be anything on the market like it.
Customer Review: I was nervous, but this alarm works perfectly!
Summary: 5 Stars
We have an upright frost free freezer in our garage. Our young kids have a habit of not closing it all the way, leaving us with much ruined food! We desperately wanted an alarm that we could hear in the house to let us know if the temperature of the freezer was too high. An alarm right on the freezer is better than nothing, but not as helpful.
We were concerned about this alarm, because of the mixed reviews. Some people say that it works great, but too many say it doesn't work. Since we couldn't find any other options that would work for us, we decided to give it a test.
It's been 2 months, and it has worked beautifully, IN OUR HOUSE. We have the alarm in the laundry room which is the opposite wall that the freezer is on, and we can see the temperature of the freezer fluctuate a bit throughout the day. The alarm is about 10 feet away from the freezer and works through a wall. It still works 25 feet away in the kitchen.
It did take about 1/2 hour for the temperature to register on the thermometer, but I don't think that was a big deal. We love being able to adjust the thermometer to the temperature range we want. Most of the other thermometers don't allow you to do that and you are forced to use their preset temperatures, which usually doesn't work well for a frost free freezer.