Ugggggghhhh Grainfather!

[DefinitelyJon]

I’ve had my Grainfather for about 3 years and during that time I’ve been through 3 replacement controllers and 2 reset switches. And now the reset switch just keeps tripping and it’s not heating at all right. Each time I’m on the phone with Grainfather, then the seller, and back and forth. Then waiting 1-2 months for my replacement part. I replaced the switch yet again and looked underneath and saw this.

Again I emailed grainfather hoping to hear something but This thing has been a giant headache.
With all this said I am looking for another option to brew on in my apartment. I have an extra keggle with a hole cut in the top and three ports drilled. I was looking at making this a boil kettle or a electric biab setup. I’m not the greatest with electricity if any of you guys have any advice or ideas that would be greatly appreaciated

 

[madscientist451]

Brew on your kitchen stove?

 

[DefinitelyJon]

Usually that is what I do if it’s not working. Which can take a while since I’m normally doing 2 kettle turns into my fv. Which is why if I could do all 10 gallons in my keggle that’d be quicker anyways

 

[Jaybird]

I am in the business guys and let me tell you there are a LOT of replacements going out! DAMN! Loads of time being spent on that thing!
Good luck!

Cheers
Jay

 

[DefinitelyJon]

That doesn’t surprise me at all. Seems like grainfather is pretty aware of a lot of these issues. It’s just been pretty irritating always wondering if I’m going to have to drag out my old equipment. Hopefully they can fix it. I just don’t have the time to wait around again for months hoping that this time it actually fixes the problem.

 

[IslandLizard]

I can't see what you're trying to illustrate with that picture.

But keep at it with them, the squeaky wheel gets the oil.
Maybe something is seriously wrong with it... Hopefully they can fix it for you, permanently.

Induction, Advanco IC3500. You will need 240V 20A, like an electric clothes dryer socket, and a kettle that works on induction. Sadly, keggles won't work.

 

[DefinitelyJon]

I can't see what you're trying to illustrate with that picture.

But keep at it with them, the squeaky wheel gets the oil.
Maybe something is seriously wrong with it... Hopefully they can fix it for you, permanently.

Induction, Advanco IC3500. You will need 240V 20A, like an electric clothes dryer socket, and a kettle that works on induction. Sadly, keggles won't work.

Thanks for the reply. Sorry the picture is pretty bad. It’s just supposed to show the reset switch and wiring near it that look fried.
The induction idea does look pretty good. I do have a 240v in my kitchen and a smaller 10g kettle but the outlet is a little hard to reach. But I could make it work. Would their be any reason 1-2 120v elements into a temp controller Plugged into two different outlets would work? Or would the induction burner be the cheapest and best option you think? I do have a spare temp controller at the moment too

 

[IslandLizard]

Thanks for the reply. Sorry the picture is pretty bad. It’s just supposed to show the reset switch and wiring near it that look fried.
The induction idea does look pretty good. I do have a 240v in my kitchen and a smaller 10g kettle but the outlet is a little hard to reach. But I could make it work. Would their be any reason 1-2 120v elements into a temp controller Plugged into two different outlets would work? Or would the induction burner be the cheapest and best option you think? I do have a spare temp controller at the moment too

If the wiring is fraying that may well become a hazard, so maybe it's time to fix it or push for a complete replacement from the manufacturer. Some items rolling off the assembly belt are lemons.

Now 3 years is likely well outside a manufacturer's usually already pathetic warranty window, and chances are you have to pick up the cost of shipping it to them, and they may not even do a thing and ship it right back, even if it were just for kicks.

Not to say your Grainfather is toast and should be scrapped, but you may want to consider a backup of some sort to keep brewing while your Grainfather is off duty.

The IC3500 cost around $180 from Webstaurant.com. It had a 3-4' cord with a NEMA 6-20 plug. You can probably buy or make an extension/adapter cord to reach your 240V outlet. Do a search, there are quite a few threads already on this unit and brewing applications.

For induction, your (stainless) kettle needs to be "induction friendly." Sometimes there's a stamp or symbol on the bottom pointing to that.
If a magnet sticks to your kettle, it definitely is. If a magnet doesn't stick to your stainless kettle, it may still work fine on induction, but you need to test it on an an actual induction unit.

The best kettles for induction are the ones with a thick, tri-ply bottom, an aluminum disk sandwiched between the vessel's stainless inside bottom and the stainless outer bottom. They spread the heat better, lowering the risk of potential scorching. For reference, all the heat is generated in a small 5-6" diameter round area. I accidentally scorched some chicken carcass in my (cheap) single bottomed 8 gallon spare kettle, when making soup stock a few weeks ago. I found a 1.5" wide, 1/16" thick black carbonized patch on the bottom, that after scrubbing out (using BKF) had left a permanent blue heat mark in the metal underneath. The soup stock turned out fine, although I could detect an ever so slight smoky flavor...

Two 1500-2000W elements, one on an on/off switch the other on a controller, fed by separate circuits will surely work fine too. Try to get the lowest heat density elements, the long, folded over ones are better in that regard than the single loops. They make ULWD 240V long ripple elements for that purpose. You do need good GFCI protection on each circuit, and a well grounded kettle. You can even bridge both circuits to get 240V, 15-20 amp if they're on opposite phases. For using as such, buy a spa panel to get your proper GFCI protection for $75, and make it "portable."

Again, there are many threads here on electric brewing, plenty of information to inform yourself well.

Good luck!
And please keep us informed on progress with your Grainfather woes.

 

[DefinitelyJon]

If the wiring is fraying that may well become a hazard, so maybe it's time to fix it or push for a complete replacement from the manufacturer. Some items rolling off the assembly belt are lemons.

Now 3 years is likely well outside a manufacturer's usually already pathetic warranty window, and chances are you have to pick up the cost of shipping it to them, and they may not even do a thing and ship it right back, even if it were just for kicks.

Not to say your Grainfather is toast and should be scrapped, but you may want to consider a backup of some sort to keep brewing while your Grainfather is off duty.

The IC3500 cost around $180 from Webstaurant.com. It had a 3-4' cord with a NEMA 6-20 plug. You can probably buy or make an extension/adapter cord to reach your 240V outlet. Do a search, there are quite a few threads already on this unit and brewing applications.

For induction, your (stainless) kettle needs to be "induction friendly." Sometimes there's a stamp or symbol on the bottom pointing to that.
If a magnet sticks to your kettle, it definitely is. If a magnet doesn't stick to your stainless kettle, it may still work fine on induction, but you need to test it on an an actual induction unit.

The best kettles for induction are the ones with a thick, tri-ply bottom, an aluminum disk sandwiched between the vessel's stainless inside bottom and the stainless outer bottom. They spread the heat better, lowering the risk of potential scorching. For reference, all the heat is generated in a small 5-6" diameter round area. I accidentally scorched some chicken carcass in my (cheap) single bottomed 8 gallon spare kettle, when making soup stock a few weeks ago. I found a 1.5" wide, 1/16" thick black carbonized patch on the bottom, that after scrubbing out (using BKF) had left a permanent blue heat mark in the metal underneath. The soup stock turned out fine, although I could detect an ever so slight smoky flavor...

Two 1500-2000W elements, one on an on/off switch the other on a controller, fed by separate circuits will surely work fine too. Try to get the lowest heat density elements, the long, folded over ones are better in that regard than the single loops. They make ULWD 240V long ripple elements for that purpose. You do need good GFCI protection on each circuit, and a well grounded kettle. You can even bridge both circuits to get 240V, 15-20 amp if they're on opposite phases. For using as such, buy a spa panel to get your proper GFCI protection for $75, and make it "portable."

Again, there are many threads here on electric brewing, plenty of information to inform yourself well.

Good luck!
And please keep us informed on progress with your Grainfather woes.

Yeah I’m talking back and forth with grainfather now but I’m not expecting a whole lot this time around. Hopefully it can be resolved. It definitely is worth it to have a backup though I should’ve considered this a while ago.

Thanks for the recommendations, it looks like I’ve got quite a few options. The induction burner still sounds like a good idea it would just be the extra cost of getting a bigger kettle or staying small with the 10gallon. I like the idea of the 2 1500-2000w elements since I’m still renting and I have two separate GFCI circuits near each other in the kitchen. I’ve been doing a lot more research on here and trying to piece things out. It wouldn’t be cheap but it seems like doing those elements with the tri clamp connections and building a little controller might be the best option for now. Then upgrading later on. I’ll keep looking into it and hopefully I’ll hear something good back from Grainfather. Either way I’ll keep you updated with the latest from them and keep pricing these things out to get somethin built to brew on. Thanks again,
Jon

 

[couchsending]

Bypass the reset switch. Takes 30 seconds. Mine was tripping at 180 a month ago. Bypassed it and been good to go ever since.

 

[DefinitelyJon]

I’ve thought about and seen some people have done it with success. But since it’s getting pretty hot and discoloring some wires in there I’d rather not take the chance. After talking with someone at grainfather it sounds like their going to replace the controller and boiler but it’ll be a few weeks before it’ll ship.

 

[DefinitelyJon]

They said it has something to do with the defect in the controllers. It sucks having to do this multiple times but at least they’ve been pretty good with everything even after the warranty expired

 

[rjmaillie]

Hey Jon, I have been feeling your pain and it's nice to know I'm not alone. In a year and a half I've gone through two connect controllers and finally on the last brew day the reset went. But I think I've had better luck in getting replacement parts. When the controllers went I've had new ones sent out in a few day and when the reset went they replaced the whole unit and I had it within a week. I attribute the excellent customer service to the owner of my LHBS where I bought the unit and his distributor. But ... When i received the new unit the gasket coming from the pump had a pin hole and the pump stopped pumping in the middle of my initial testing. I was able to get new gaskets and after disassembling the pump and rebuilding it's been working fine. My point being their QC needs some serious work. The only reason I've stuck with it this far is because when it works, the grainfather is an amazing device and produces great beer. Brewing today and so far so good (knocking on wood ...)

 

[EnglishAndy]

I’ve thought about and seen some people have done it with success. But since it’s getting pretty hot and discoloring some wires in there I’d rather not take the chance. After talking with someone at grainfather it sounds like their going to replace the controller and boiler but it’ll be a few weeks before it’ll ship.

It's hard to see how the box of electronics is related to overheating wires at the element. Your overheating is caused by unexpectedly high resistance somewhere in the high current line and I'm betting it's at one of the end connectors.

I've seen the strands inside cable that's overheated actually go black and oxidized so If I was you I'd replace the overheating wire with a heavy duty cable from the hardware store and some new crimp connectors on the ends.

If you can't do that, then at least unscrew the crimp connectors and give both sides of the connection a good scrub with an abrasive cleaner until they're shiny again. Add some high temperature contact grease and then screw them back as tight as you can. To be honest that's probably all there is to fixing the overheating issue.

 

[Sparkncode]

from the hardware store and some new crimp connectors on the ends.

most wire from a hardware store isnt suitable. That looks like high temperature wire so you need the right stuff.

 

[DefinitelyJon]

Hey Jon, I have been feeling your pain and it's nice to know I'm not alone. In a year and a half I've gone through two connect controllers and finally on the last brew day the reset went. But I think I've had better luck in getting replacement parts. When the controllers went I've had new ones sent out in a few day and when the reset went they replaced the whole unit and I had it within a week. I attribute the excellent customer service to the owner of my LHBS where I bought the unit and his distributor. But ... When i received the new unit the gasket coming from the pump had a pin hole and the pump stopped pumping in the middle of my initial testing. I was able to get new gaskets and after disassembling the pump and rebuilding it's been working fine. My point being their QC needs some serious work. The only reason I've stuck with it this far is because when it works, the grainfather is an amazing device and produces great beer. Brewing today and so far so good (knocking on wood ...)

Wow yeah it seems like you’ve had to go through pretty much the same things I have . I got mine through amazon which at first they gave me a little crap since I guess if your not buying it through them it’s not under warranty. Some of the waiting I did was waiting on the amazon seller to send parts then waiting on grainfather to send parts from new Zealand. Like you said it seems like their QC needs some work with all these problems I’ve had and been hearing other people have had. It’s great you finally got yours up and running though. Hopefully this is the last time for me haha

 

[DefinitelyJon]

It's hard to see how the box of electronics is related to overheating wires at the element. Your overheating is caused by unexpectedly high resistance somewhere in the high current line and I'm betting it's at one of the end connectors.

I've seen the strands inside cable that's overheated actually go black and oxidized so If I was you I'd replace the overheating wire with a heavy duty cable from the hardware store and some new crimp connectors on the ends.

If you can't do that, then at least unscrew the crimp connectors and give both sides of the connection a good scrub with an abrasive cleaner until they're shiny again. Add some high temperature contact grease and then screw them back as tight as you can. To be honest that's probably all there is to fixing the overheating issue.

That’s what looked like the problem to me too but if their sending a new controller too then hey that’s cool. But I think I am goin to try that if I’m still holding onto the old boiler.

 

[wilserbrewer]

I wouldn’t use a keggle, especially in an apartment.

My suggestion would be to stove top BIAB w/ supplemental heating with a brewhardware hot rod heat stick.

Simple yet effective.

 

[DefinitelyJon]

I wouldn’t use a keggle, especially in an apartment.

My suggestion would be to stove top BIAB w/ supplemental heating with a brewhardware hot rod heat stick.

Simple yet effective.

I can see how you don’t like kegs. Their bulky, and heavy but I’m just using what I have on hand now. I’m putting weldess tc connections in for the elements so I can switch out the element later if I’d like and put a blind on the keggle. The kegs are free from work and I’ve had a couple I started a few years ago and never finished so it’s just the easiest option for now

 

[bbohanon]

I wouldn’t use a keggle, especially in an apartment.

My suggestion would be to stove top BIAB w/ supplemental heating with a brewhardware hot rod heat stick.

Simple yet effective.

I second this suggestion..I know alot of folks are getting good mileage out of their grain-fathers/picobrew/all-in-one units, but honestly, I have never liked nor trusted them..to me, there is only so much you can cram into an all-in-one unit before things get weird (and unsafe) for the sake of space consolidation and when things break, you have to deal with the vendor/seller and its alot of back and forth before the problem gets solved (which means no brewing).

There are some really good small DIY BIAB apartment setup threads on here as well as leveraging the suggested heat stick for heating water/boiling wort.

I have brewed over 1000 gallons on my DIY setup over the last 3 years and only had to replace two $2 lights on my controller (they burned out), one 3 way switch (which was just worn slap out) and one plug outlet (some water condensation built up on the plug and shorted it out which was 100% my own fault).
None of these failures were unexpected nor major enough to take out a brew day. They were not more than a 15 minute fix and together no more than $25 to replace as I keep spares for these events.

Were I you, I sell the unit and move on from it. Dealing with multiple bad brew days sucks due to excessive equipment failure and after a while, it just wears you out.

 

[bleme]

The induction burner still sounds like a good idea it would just be the extra cost of getting a bigger kettle or staying small with the 10gallon.

I've done 12% ABV barleywines with a 10 gallon brew pot and 2 gallon HLT pot. There is no need to 'stay small'.

 

[DefinitelyJon]

I second this suggestion..I know alot of folks are getting good mileage out of their grain-fathers/picobrew/all-in-one units, but honestly, I have never liked nor trusted them..to me, there is only so much you can cram into an all-in-one unit before things get weird (and unsafe) for the sake of space consolidation and when things break, you have to deal with the vendor/seller and its alot of back and forth before the problem gets solved (which means no brewing).

There are some really good small DIY BIAB apartment setup threads on here as well as leveraging the suggested heat stick for heating water/boiling wort.

I have brewed over 1000 gallons on my DIY setup over the last 3 years and only had to replace two $2 lights on my controller (they burned out), one 3 way switch (which was just worn slap out) and one plug outlet (some water condensation built up on the plug and shorted it out which was 100% my own fault).
None of these failures were unexpected nor major enough to take out a brew day. They were not more than a 15 minute fix and together no more than $25 to replace as I keep spares for these events.

Were I you, I sell the unit and move on from it. Dealing with multiple bad brew days sucks due to excessive equipment failure and after a while, it just wears you out.

I understand your guys not liking the keg but for me it’s the cheapest option since it’s pretty much ready to throw wort into. It’s just a matter of drilling a hole for an element. Plus I can always get broken kegs at work if I screw it up haha. Eventually when I have money I’ll probly invest in a nice spike kettle or something I’m not sure yet.
It’s great grainfather has been willing to replace these parts but like you said it’s very annoying having to postpone brewdays because of that. I’ll probly end up using the grainfather still somewhere in my process. But If I can get 10 gallons all in one go with the keggle that’d be much easier than 2 kettle turns with the grainfather and my old kettle.

 

[DefinitelyJon]

Plus after a little sanding I’m a lot more motivated to fix this crappy keg haha

 

[DefinitelyJon]

I've done 12% ABV barleywines with a 10 gallon brew pot and 2 gallon HLT pot. There is no need to 'stay small'.

Im doing 10 gallon batches mostly. 2x kettle turns in the grainfather. My normal process is mash/sparge into old kettle. Then mash/sparge into grainfather. Boil 30 minutes apart and cast out into my fv. It seems much easier to be able to do all 10 gallons in one if I can in the keggle or using the keggle somewhere else like boiling all 10 gallons. That’s why I’m looking to go bigger. I can get a 15 gallon kettle but I have these keggles on hand already

 

[bbohanon]

I used to brew my 10 gallon batches in a keggle much like the one in your pic with a Camco element (pre SS ones)..worked great but I figured space was an issue from your previous posts but from the looks of your place, if you are rocking a Spike conical, you must have a pretty big place.

I just picked up my first CF15 Spike Unitank with all the amenities and cooling system/jacket and I love it..even built a DIY glycol chiller for it from an AC window unit. Awesome setup.

The only thing I would say when doing batches in a keggle is watch for boilovers. That was my biggest concern as I had 2 of them and they sucked..I moved to using fermcap in the boil which helped and just kept the PID set at 210 for a steady (but not crazy) boil and once the hot break hit, it was fine.

Either way, do whatever works for you and your wallet man I say!

 

[DefinitelyJon]

I used to brew my 10 gallon batches in a keggle much like the one in your pic with a Camco element (pre SS ones)..worked great but I figured space was an issue from your previous posts but from the looks of your place, if you are rocking a Spike conical, you must have a pretty big place.

I just picked up my first CF15 Spike Unitank with all the amenities and cooling system/jacket and I love it..even built a DIY glycol chiller for it from an AC window unit. Awesome setup.

The only thing I would say when doing batches in a keggle is watch for boilovers. That was my biggest concern as I had 2 of them and they sucked..I moved to using fermcap in the boil which helped and just kept the PID set at 210 for a steady (but not crazy) boil and once the hot break hit, it was fine.

Either way, do whatever works for you and your wallet man I say!

Well we’ve got a little room lol I like the convenience of the GF I guess so keeping it simple and small was pretty much the plan. One keggle won’t take up too much room and keeping it 120v is even better. I went with the ULWD elements from brewhardware. Looks like they are all about the same these are just the ss and triclover ones to make it a bit easier to take out and won’t rust.

I do love the crap outta that fermenter haha. I still need to get a jacket for mine. I was thinking of building a chiller for a long time and ended up goin all out on ssbrewtechs haha. Really pricey but it works awesome and looks real pretty.

I’ve seen other people post having that problem with the PID. I’m pretty good about fermcap though. Rather put that in then have my girlfriend upset with me haha. I even throw it in at F.O to try to keep Krausen from blowing off onto the floor since I like to keep that conical real full

 

[Bubbles2]

More American made crap with Chinese parts in em. Like a Maytag washer, 600 bucks with a 45 dollar Chinese circuit board in it. Not to say China is making bad parts but the circuit boards, vibration and moisture just don't work well together. Like my 4000 Kenmore fridge made by LG that lasted 30 months and with one warranty visit that cost 320 at 18 months. /Rant

"Would their be any reason 1-2 120v elements into a temp controller Plugged into two different outlets would work? "
I do not know what 1-2 means?
Do you mean wouldn't?


Those GFI's in your house are they on the same breaker? Some install GFI's and do not understand that only one is needed in the line, but they put two like they are on different breakers...Check it before you go thinking that line will handle that load.

If you need 220v to run that, you need to dedicate a line with a 220 10g I think it is... You have one but it is hard to get to? Is that behind the stove? And is it used for your Stove?

I would dare to guess that if you are uncomfortable bypassing a safety switch you are going to be uncomfortable with wiring period. That wire (bad pic) looks pretty flimsy to be 220v. Maybe the reason it kicks the breaker due to heat or cannot handle the draw.

Not knowing the set up you are at, garage, washer dryer area, BBQ allowed, etc. You might have to switch gears and do partial grain, via DME with a 7 gallon pot on the stove top, until you move or buy.

 

[Bovronius]

More American made crap with Chinese parts in em.

Grainfathers are New Zealand bru!

 

[Bubbles2]

Grainfathers are New Zealand bru!

Put them on the list too....LOL

 

[hedgie57]

New Zealand yes, but still made in China

 

[augiedoggy]

That doesn’t surprise me at all. Seems like grainfather is pretty aware of a lot of these issues. It’s just been pretty irritating always wondering if I’m going to have to drag out my old equipment. Hopefully they can fix it. I just don’t have the time to wait around again for months hoping that this time it actually fixes the problem.

Grainfather is not alone it seems with this issue... every all in one system I know of on this forum seems to be one its umpteen revision with field fixes and upgrades or worse... the lack of any support causing many to get frustrated and throw them away.
The main difference here is grainfather costs about twice as much as most of the other competing systems so they really shouldnt be having these problems as much.

 

[augiedoggy]

New Zealand yes, but still made in China

Ditto New Zealand company designed them from a repurposed hot water urn and likely has them made in china CHEAPLY like just about everything else.. which is why these problems exist. Grainfather should take some of the huge markup profit they make off each one and put it into better engineering/build quality.

makes me wonder about the new blichmann/anvil chinese made competitor "the Foundry" that does 10 gallon batches, runs on either 120 or 140v and is half the cost of the grainfather... seems to answer many of the requests mentioned here, but how will the quality stack up.

 

[augiedoggy]

More American made crap with Chinese parts in em. Like a Maytag washer, 600 bucks with a 45 dollar Chinese circuit board in it. Not to say China is making bad parts but the circuit boards, vibration and moisture just don't work well together. Like my 4000 Kenmore fridge made by LG that lasted 30 months and with one warranty visit that cost 320 at 18 months. /Rant

Off topic but I,m 99% sure both those "brands" are now just marketing tricks for companies like electrolux, they make like a large percentage of all the worlds appliances now and sell them under all sorts of brand names we thought were good independant companies still like whirlpool, kenmore , amana, hotpoint, LG, GE and the list goes on... some of the companies are still independent like GE but no longer make much of thier own appliances and instead, lease the rights to exploit thier name to electrolux to take advantage of brand recognition and our ignorance. some make thier own smaller appliances but have electrolux make the bigger ones. many of these companies now make thier competitors products for them like beer producers do. http://www.appliance411.com/purchase/make.shtml
Also im fairly certain electrolux closed their US manufacturing lines a couple years ago and moved to Mexico. I remember hearing about the small town being devastated on NPR when it happened.
This is why I just rebuild my 12 year old Frigidaire (electrolux too btw) front loaders rather than replace them with newer units designed to last 3-5 years that have gone up over $100 each in the last year thanks to the tariffs.

 

[Bubbles2]

I

Off topic but I,m 99% sure both those "brands" are now just marketing tricks for companies like electrolux, they make like a large percentage of all the worlds appliances now and sell them under all sorts of brand names we thought were good independant companies still like whirlpool, kenmore , amana, hotpoint, LG, GE and the list goes on... some of the companies are still independent like GE but no longer make much of thier own appliances and instead, lease the rights to exploit thier name to electrolux to take advantage of brand recognition and our ignorance. some make thier own smaller appliances but have electrolux make the bigger ones. many of these companies now make thier competitors products for them like beer producers do. http://www.appliance411.com/purchase/make.shtml
Also im fairly certain electrolux closed their US manufacturing lines a couple years ago and moved to Mexico. I remember hearing about the small town being devastated on NPR when it happened.
This is why I just rebuild my 12 year old Frigidaire (electrolux too btw) front loaders rather than replace them with newer units designed to last 3-5 years that have gone up over $100 each in the last year thanks to the tariffs.

I love my 20 year old Roper Dryer, nothing but a 'click' timer, light bulb and electric pilot, gas unit.
I just tossed that Kenmore and now have bought two full size uprights, one a freezer with no Icemaker, Water Filter, T.V, and a fridge the same. The Whirlpool said made in USA with a Panasonic Compressor as is the Fridgedair Freezer. The repair guy stated when he came out to fix it the 1st time that LG knows they are sending defective Compressors, and once cut out and removed, no vacuum will get the fine particles out of the system and will continue to break down. You are right about the a few manufacture's and badging. I bought both for 1800 and with a no questions 0 deduct 5 year warranty. IF they do not sell a warranty with their junk I do not buy it. Heck even the warranty if I never use it I am credited back after 5 years BUT I MUST request it or all bets off. FWIW, taped a note next to info inside to do just that.
Back on Point
The G.F, and all the others, need to use a circuit board(s), we understand, however they need to be sealed and shock resistant as a tablet vs a desktop (those are computers for you youngins)
I cringed when I saw Williams advertising dented inventory for a 100 off retail and they show you how to change the circuit board and how readily available they are....That is a HUGE Flag.

 

[IslandLizard]

FWIW, taped a note next to info inside to do just that.

Put it on your calendar! That's the only reminder you need, and timed just right.

I'm totally with you on the inferiority of products flooding the markets, with meaningless warranties. With today's technology appliances should be able to last 10-20 years without any repairs, just routine maintenance that can be performed by the consumer, even when the population pool seems to get dumber by the year. Those appliances should not cost a dime more than they already are.

 

[Bubbles2]

Put it on your calendar! That's the only reminder you need, and timed just right.

I'm totally with you on the inferiority of products flooding the markets, with meaningless warranties. With today's technology appliances should be able to last 10-20 years without any repairs, just routine maintenance that can be performed by the consumer, even when the population pool seems to get dumber by the year. Those appliances should not cost a dime more than they already are.

I don't have a calendar for five years in advance.

 

[augiedoggy]

I

I love my 20 year old Roper Dryer, nothing but a 'click' timer, light bulb and electric pilot, gas unit.
I just tossed that Kenmore and now have bought two full size uprights, one a freezer with no Icemaker, Water Filter, T.V, and a fridge the same. The Whirlpool said made in USA with a Panasonic Compressor as is the Fridgedair Freezer. The repair guy stated when he came out to fix it the 1st time that LG knows they are sending defective Compressors, and once cut out and removed, no vacuum will get the fine particles out of the system and will continue to break down. You are right about the a few manufacture's and badging. I bought both for 1800 and with a no questions 0 deduct 5 year warranty. IF they do not sell a warranty with their junk I do not buy it. Heck even the warranty if I never use it I am credited back after 5 years BUT I MUST request it or all bets off. FWIW, taped a note next to info inside to do just that.
Back on Point
The G.F, and all the others, need to use a circuit board(s), we understand, however they need to be sealed and shock resistant as a tablet vs a desktop (those are computers for you youngins)
I cringed when I saw Williams advertising dented inventory for a 100 off retail and they show you how to change the circuit board and how readily available they are....That is a HUGE Flag.

I am not sure im understanding your comment here. You say you bought made in the USA whirlpool and Frigidaire appliances with panasonic compressors (a japanese company who makes these compressors supposedly all over the world) But the confusing part is then you commented about LG knowing they are sending defective compressors? its a bit confusing unless you just speaking about what a repair guy mentioned about something other than what you have?

Again it really depends on which actual model as to who actually makes it where the brand has little to do with this now. I have an LG fridge myself which was made by electrolux... I know because it was a $2,300 fridge that I cannot obtain replacement parts for because 5 years after they were no longer made the parts were discontinued and I have a broken icemaker as a result... No I did not buy it new. but my research of the defect led me to a common issue and an electrolux part..

as far as these GF and the like go, they are being built as cheaply as possible for max profit. as a result the proper mechanical or solid state relay and wiring are not always being implemented but rather a less expensive all in one on board solution which often causes more heat and premature failure. Add the fact that these were designed for European 220v power where the amp load on the components is literally half of what it would be in a 120v application and you have a bad situation more prone to failure in our country.
from a manufacturing standpoint the GF likely costs less than $50 per unit to manufacture.. without better competition they can do this without worry, they are banking on the fact that many of the people that buy these dont stay in the hobby long term or will upgrade and will sell these off to others before failures occur. more than half of the people that dabble in homebrewing fall into this category.

 

[Bubbles2]

I am not sure im understanding your comment here. You say you bought made in the USA whirlpool and Frigidaire appliances with panasonic compressors (a japanese company who makes these compressors supposedly all over the world) But the confusing part is then you commented about LG knowing they are sending defective compressors? its a bit confusing unless you just speaking about what a repair guy mentioned about something other than what you have?

Again it really depends on which actual model as to who actually makes it where the brand has little to do with this now. I have an LG fridge myself which was made by electrolux... I know because it was a $2,300 fridge that I cannot obtain replacement parts for because 5 years after they were no longer made the parts were discontinued and I have a broken icemaker as a result... No I did not buy it new.

as far as these GF and the like go, they are being built as cheaply as possible for max profit. as a result the proper mechanical or solid state relay and wiring are not always being implemented but rather a less expensive all in one on board solution which often causes more heat and premature failure. Add the fact that these were designed for European 220v power where the amp load on the components is literally half of what it would be in a 120v application and you have a bad situation more prone to failure in our country.
from a manufacturing standpoint the GF likely costs less than $50 per unit to manufacture.. without better competition they can do this without worry, they are banking on the fact that many of the people that buy these dont stay in the hobby long term or will upgrade and will sell these off to others before failures occur. more than half of the people that dabble in homebrewing fall into this category.

Yep, two manu's of compressors, Korean and Japan. LG, GE Junk. Just as you mentioned Max profit. Order a 1.00 breakfast you get 10. cents worth of food. Hence kickin it old school, in a pot.

 

[Spartan1979]

I don't have a calendar for five years in advance.

You don't use the calendar on your phone?

 

[Bubbles2]

You don't use the calendar on your phone?

I don't have a phone.