I thought it might be fun to start a W.O.S. post of manufacture defects. I'm sure lots of you out there have stories and pictures of stuff that was messed up from the factory.
I just got a callback from a custom Randell chef's table that we installed (about a 30' long prep table with cold rails and hot wells). What I found was that one of the evap fans in one of the under counter sections wasn't spinning because they put the solenoid valve right up into it. This same unit was also leaking water from a solder fitting that has to do with the hot wells, and I'm pretty sure they put old school incandescent light bulbs in the cooler sections with no door switches to turn them off.
My boss doesn't believe me on that one and says there must be switches built into the hinges, but I don't think so. I think they are on pumping heat into those coolers 24 hours pre day.
Also, this thing was ordered with R22 expansion valves so that it could be hooked up to the existing old junker of an outdoor condensing unit from the old chef's table that we tore out.
That last one isn't the manufacture's fault though.
Whatever.
Does anyone else have any pics or stories of manufacture screw ups?
If at First You Don't Succeed, Skydiving Is Not for You.
Should just post a pic of every unit with a smartvalve in it
Officially, Down for the count
YOU HAVE TO GET OFF YOUR ASS TO GET ON YOUR FEET
I know enough to know, I don't know enough
Why is it that those who complain the most contribute the least? MONEY CAN'T BUY HAPPINESS. POVERTY CAN'T BUY ANYTHING
... and I'm pretty sure they put old school incandescent light bulbs in the cooler sections with no door switches to turn them off.
My boss doesn't believe me on that one and says there must be switches built into the hinges, but I don't think so. I think they are on pumping heat into those coolers 24 hours pre day.
No need to guess. Put an amp clamp on the wires supplying the lights then open/close the doors. That will tell you real quick if the lights are switched.
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Quickly, I must hurry, for there go my people and I am their leader!
I live 30 miles from the manufacturer so I see a lot of their product.
When I worked at a local university we had a new dining facility renovated. It included about 20 cold pans built by Randell. Within 5 years over half of these cold pans began having refrigerant leaks in the static evaps which werent accessible.
They basically extended our warranty with the first few which happened within the first 3 years but the university bit by the time I left there the university had to pay to replace an additional 6 or 8 while I was still there. The manufacturer rep admitted that if I were to attempt a repair I should look in the corners of the pan. Which is great, except I am not skilled enough to cut and repair stainless steel.
Its made in the usa when the staff is paid well and takes pride in his or her workmanship to day the latter is gone.
It's bam bam get it done move on to the next one mintaility
I had a unit where the wiring for the HP switch was landed on the fan cycle switch, and the fan cycle wiring was landed on the HP switch. Took me a bit to find that one.
I've got a basic 5k BTU GE branded POS window shaker here that I picked up by a dumpster. It had the usual case of bad ball bearings in the fan motor because they use shielded instead of sealed bearings in these things now and water gets in them. I fixed that and it was still noisy from the compressor straining and over-amping with audible gas going through the cap tube.
This thing had major non-condensables in it from the factory. It ran great once I R&Red the charge via a piercing valve. It's sitting empty now waiting for me to braze in service ports.
I know you usually don't fix these things but this is an "Eh, why not?" project for me.
I've got a basic 5k BTU GE branded POS window shaker here that I picked up by a dumpster. It had the usual case of bad ball bearings in the fan motor because they use shielded instead of sealed bearings in these things now and water gets in them. I fixed that and it was still noisy from the compressor straining and over-amping with audible gas going through the cap tube.
This thing had major non-condensables in it from the factory. It ran great once I R&Red the charge via a piercing valve. It's sitting empty now waiting for me to braze in service ports.
I know you usually don't fix these things but this is an "Eh, why not?" project for me.
I would be skeptical of that. You may want to do a pressure test on it before you call it good.
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Quickly, I must hurry, for there go my people and I am their leader!
Had a 4 door Randell pizza prep table that was delivered to my customer the day before opening with all the refrigerant piping dry fitted, not one braze made. Stamped off by their QC staff as passing leak checks and operation. I thought the owner was going to stroke out, I couldnt help but chuckle
Hmm, looks like you bumped yourself right into banned camp.
Anyways, here's another one.
This was a headmaster valve that ruptured and released the charge from a little process chiller that has something to do with distilling whiskey. The unit was made by a company called "Thermal Care".
I was sent there to install a new head pressure valve that took us two weeks to get, and I noticed right away that it was a 180psi valve on a R410A unit. I thought "well that can't be right" so I started making some phone calls to Sporlan and Thermal Care and to the tech who originally diagnosed the unit and ordered the replacement valve for me to install.
The customer wasn't very happy when he found out that he needed to wait 2 more weeks without his chiller because apparently this is an oddball size headmaster.
If at First You Don't Succeed, Skydiving Is Not for You.
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Originally Posted by ammoniadog
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