homebrewandbeer.com

Yeah Lethal I agree, for most blokes it should be no trouble, but it stimulates a bit of discussion, highlights the dangers and even reminds those of us in the know to be on the ball as well! It is the blokes who post requests for information that bother me the most, although often the more overconfident ones tend to overlook things. Any way, the message is out there now and it is up to the individual to make up their own mind how they go about it, just remeber if in doubt, get someone to check it out, it may not be you that gets fried, might be one of your kids, friends etc.
Keep at it mate.

Well i still havnt done mine been to lazy to

Too right R Mantaray,

The more stupid the person is the more confidence they have in doing the job and completing it in what they think is a safe manner. Could be compared to drunk drivers believing they are better drivers when they're drunk. It's not actually true, but you can't tell them that.

And if you're of a darwinian view that stupid people should die, let him kill himself. Well that's just as stupid, I"m sure there's no invisible force field around the fridge that stops other people touching it.

Stupid people need to be protected from themselves and I don't think this greedy fridgmate guy should be selling them unwired just so he can undercut his rival who does wire them up properly but unfortunately sells them for $60 more. As I say, I think if he got an electrician to do maybe 20 boxes in 1 sitting he should still be able to retail them at $65 and that would include an extra bit of tiny profit for his extra effort.

Just make sure you start drinking the homebrew AFTER you've finished assembling the fridgemate

thats proberlly why i havnt done it as yet been drinking to much stout

This discussion is getting a bit to tense for me, everyone should make thier own mind up, i gave my opinion and i have done one myself, either listen and take note or dont i really dont care, i think maybe this is being a little to over dramatised but again this is only my opinion, use your own brain and nut out the best sollution for you, if you think your capable then do it and if you dont then dont, your life is in your own hands so do with it what you will

atropine wrote:Stupid people need to be protected from themselves and I don't think this greedy fridgmate guy should be selling them unwired just so he can undercut his rival who does wire them up properly but unfortunately sells them for $60 more. As I say, I think if he got an electrician to do maybe 20 boxes in 1 sitting he should still be able to retail them at $65 and that would include an extra bit of tiny profit for his extra effort.

I think you might find that selling a new electrical appliance, that you or your employees/agents has wired up or done anything to at all, without an authorised electrical manufacturer certifying it, is asking for more trouble than its worth should something go wrong. A greedy pig might go ahead an wire up a bunch and sell them on, hoping nothing goes wrong. Taking a risk on peoples lives. Another retailer may go ahead and get them wired up, certified etc, and pay the public liability insurance etc as req'd and charge $65 or more for them and he's entitled too.
What the guy who sells them at $47 is doing, is realising that it doesnt take an electrician to do the electrical wiring req'd, safely, and is selling them at the lower price to assist the DIY inclined homehandyman/homebrewers have the best equipment at the best prices. He doesnt have insurance worries or have the threat of legal action against him, because he didnt do anything, but on-sell it to you.

Ultimately its your choice as the consumer to decide where to buy the item from or not.

Well said

I work for clipsal so i didnt even think about getting a sparky to do mine errrrrrrrrrr but having a good read at the wiring details last night it seems pretty simple. What i will do i wire the sucker up and tke it around a mates joint and switch it on at his joint so if it goes boom my house is ok hahahahahahahaha

Only kidding

Been a good debate tho

I was lucky, I went to the electrical supply to get all the gear and a sparky who was shopping for himself asked what I was doing. Before I knew it he had it wired up. The only problem I had to redo it to get it in the box.

Mabe just hang around the store with all the bits and pieces and a six pack of CSA

Well I got over my discinclination to wire one of these up.... Called around a few sparkies and even went to an appliance store and didn't get a quote less than $150.... Sydney

It all seems pretty easy but I'm a little concerned that the diagram seems to indicate that you would need three extra pieces of wire that its not mentioned on the instructions: One to take your Blue(N) to the Fridgemate after it joins, and another two to take your Brown (L) to ports 1 and 5.

I guess it all looks pretty simple but the instructions say you should only need Wire connectors to join two wires not three...

Suggestions including "Just hurry up and get on with it" and "Go to a sparky before you bloody kill yourself" humbly accepted.

Crow, sounds like you are as apprehensive about wiring it yourself as I. Fortunately for me I had a skilled tradesman who went to town on it and it's just as well. I watched on and the instructions, and even all the photos et al that I found through this website and other searches were inadequate for the "dummy". There are too many pitfalls, especially since the live wires are connected directly adjacent to your probe - waiting to happen

What I can say is that you're observation of extra wires is correct but they can be cut from the extension cord; as one of the better photos shows, you're best wiring loops through a junction box (strip of six squares - looks a bit like white lego) to connect the power in and power out through the thermostat.

If I were you I'd rack my brains for a friend who knows what a junction box, jiffy box (aka zippy box) and cable glands are.

Sorry that isn't a solution in itself but I do agree that it needs someone at least semi-skilled.

ps, it's worth pursuing, even to the point of bribery, because it's a wee ripper once installed.

Cheers

Thanks B&B,

Sound advice I guess, I had a think about and thought despite the ease at which it would be to put one together I best get someone with some know-how and called in a mate in Nowra who's a retired sparky.

It's worth knowing it's safe with an 18 month old screaming round the house and more than a little interest in "Dad's project" in the garage.

Ash

Crowash,
Sounds like your making a good choice with a toddler running around.

I too have an 18mth old who's 3rd word after mumma and dadda was "beer". He goes off if I dont take him out in the garage with me when theres beer involved.

If any body is apprehensive about wiring a fridgemate just send me an email and I can organise to wire it for them.
Only cost for postage plus about $20 for leads and box.
I am a Qualified "A" or "E" grade electrician and only trying to help out those who need it.

Cheers
Reg

What about your house electrics ???

Whilst I concur that if you have no electrical knowledge then find someone who has, I'm a tech so no probs, no one has mentioned what I consider very important. A safety switch (aka - ELD (earth leakage detector), RCD (residual current device)) installed in the fuse box (distribution board).

Regardless of how technically correctly the device is wired and installed it is a mains voltage device being used in a wet environment and any electronic device has a risk of failure.

FYI an RCD simply compares the current flowing in the active and neutral wires. If they are not equal it means that current is 'escaping' to ground somewhere (possibly via YOU) and thus the device instantly switches off the power.

How many electrical items are in my home working in a moist or wet area? Fridge, garden pump, stove & microwave, hot water system, bathroom power point - oh and soon a Fridgemate

If there was one more instruction I'd like to see Frank put on the Fridgemate it would be that it is strongly recommended that the mains circuit is protected by an RCD / ELD. My life was spared at work by one of these but that's another story.

The bottom line is that even if the wiring of the unit was badly stuffed up then all that would happen is the power would shut down and no one gets zapped.

But really, a 3 pin plug! Those who have called Frank a cheapskate must surely have some competitive grudge. I say thanks very much for an inexpensive accessory that will let me brew in the hot weather AND control a heater in the cold weather.

Cheers, Geoff.

Reg,

After contacting many unhelpful electricians and repairs centres I know that is a very generous offer. Mine should be all boxed up by next week but thankyou.



Biggles,

I'm in a similar boat one of my son's 1st words "cheers!".
My wife and I took a week off the booze after that one.

Ash

Crowash wrote:...I'm in a similar boat one of my son's 1st words "cheers!".
My wife and I took a week off the booze after that one. ...

I'd've just changed the toast.

Cheers,
Greg

"I'd've just changed the toast. "

Yeah we were actually quite impressed when he started picking up wine corks and sniffing them, just got to teach him to say "hmmm slight hint berry with some pepper overtones"