[alto99]

Originally Posted by d_himan

Am not using one. Only a Belkin spike guard.

I discussed this with multiple people in Hitachi Pune office and it is recommended in Pune. Today I got a stabilizer but it tripped too frequently due to loose fitting plug and so it will be replaced. But for whatever time it worked it showed high voltage so I guess it is indeed required.
The specs of the refrigerator mention a very narrow range by the way unlike others.

[sgiitk]

@alto99: many of the specs can and should be taken with a huge pinch of salt. I had a German Zanussi 3-door with similar narrow specs. After fooling with a few stabilisers I just dropped them. it worked for over five years - no problems. Finally, a door hinge gave way so I had to dump it. What is a refrigerator - one (or two compressors),a nd then electronics. The former is an Induction motor - can take a lot of fluctuations, the latter has its own solid-state power pack so is pretty immune.

[carboy]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

@alto99: many of the specs can and should be taken with a huge pinch of salt. I had a German Zanussi 3-door with similar narrow specs. After fooling with a few stabilisers I just dropped them. it worked for over five years - no problems. Finally, a door hinge gave way so I had to dump it. What is a refrigerator - one (or two compressors),a nd then electronics. The former is an Induction motor - can take a lot of fluctuations, the latter has its own solid-state power pack so is pretty immune.

I have never used a stabilizer for anything in the last 12 years.
Out of this, I have spent 3 years in Mumbai, 3 years in Pune, 2 years in Hyderabad.
I think I used a spike guard in Hyderabad but not even that in other places.

Stabilizer is just an add-on sale for the sales guy with a very good profit margin.
Likewise fancy cables for music systems etc.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by carboy

I have never used a stabilizer for anything in the last 12 years.
Out of this, I have spent 3 years in Mumbai, 3 years in Pune, 2 years in Hyderabad.
I think I used a spike guard in Hyderabad but not even that in other places.

Stabilizer is just an add-on sale for the sales guy with a very good profit margin.
Likewise fancy cables for music systems etc.

In Delhi the power does fluctuate, and at time you get a long "low voltage" time. Still I stopped using stabilisers for fridges ages ago (> 30 years), and used it once in AC before getting rid of it.

The motors in fridge and AC can withstand quite a lot of power fluctuation, but at low voltage they run slower while at high voltage they run faster, if that is OK, then there is no need for stabilisers. But the electronics; as experienced by a lot of us; can be fried at high voltage.

Some "automatic" stabilisers are quite dangerous; as they are slow to respond; especially if there is wide fluctuation in a short time. Take the case where the voltage goes from 180 to 250, before the stabiliser can adjust (happens when a large load is removed from the distribution line). Assuming the stabiliser is set to 230V, you will be getting a voltage of 230/180*250 ~ 320 at that instant. The motor can survive, the electronics will be fried. I have seen this happen at a friend's house.

[reachbennym]

Bought a Hitachi 3-door recently and was recommended that I use a stabilizer for it.

Previously home protectors used to be quite common - These devices stop supply to the entire home whenever there are fluctuations or spikes and restore supply when the supply normalizes.

Anyone can suggest a good home protector that supports 3-phase supply?

- Benny

[alto99]

Originally Posted by carboy

I have never used a stabilizer for anything in the last 12 years.
Out of this, I have spent 3 years in Mumbai, 3 years in Pune, 2 years in Hyderabad.
I think I used a spike guard in Hyderabad but not even that in other places.

Stabilizer is just an add-on sale for the sales guy with a very good profit margin.
Likewise fancy cables for music systems etc.

I have myself never user stabilizer. But all the equipment I had till date had a pretty wide range of operation mentioned in its spec.

About the sales guy talk - thats what I assumed and called hitachi local office directly and it is recommended by them too. This was also mentioned to me clearly that hitachi (or for that matter any imported one) will require a stabilizer but Samsung/LG wont even before I had made a decision to buy.
Sales guy at Vijay sales and hitachi sales/service guys mentioned that you are free to buy your own stabilizer. Vijay sales for that matter does not sell stabilizers.
I was unable to buy a stabilizer myself and hence asked hitachi service to provide one. Yesterday there was a "demo" and the sheet captured whether stabilizer was installed or not.

[reachbennym]

Originally Posted by alto99

I was unable to buy a stabilizer myself and hence asked hitachi service to provide one. Yesterday there was a "demo" and the sheet captured whether stabilizer was installed or not.

lucky you - you actually had the Hitachi guys come over for a demo? Its more than a month now since I bought the fridge - no demo as yet.

[khoj]

lucky you - you actually had the Hitachi guys come over for a demo? Its more than a month now since I bought the fridge - no demo as yet.

I am sorry but this 'demo for fridge' business eludes me. Why would one want demo for a fridge?

[alto99]

Originally Posted by khoj

I am sorry but this 'demo for fridge' business eludes me. Why would one want demo for a fridge?

I had 20 yr old Godrej 165L and was unaware of many of developments. There was a feature which was new to us - auto ice maker. Although I read the manuals and understand it, the manual is like a online auto-translation of some other language. Lots of spelling and gramatical mistakes in it. Chinese toys have better documentation.
Demo was helpful for female members of the family as it was in local language and also because they dont read the manuals usually.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by khoj

I am sorry but this 'demo for fridge' business eludes me. Why would one want demo for a fridge?

ha ha... this was my first experience of such demos in India, when I bought my fridge. I said, "I have lived with fridges for 40 years: why would I want a demo?"

What's more, how many of these "demo" guys know that the fridge should stand in place for a few hours before turning on?

Have to admit that I didn't know that. As IT Manager and known shopoholic, I once got deputed to buy a new office fridge. The delivery guy told me. But it was in the manual too.

(dishwasher, too. I did servers, desktop machines, printers, kitchen --- but wouldn't have anything to do with the phone system, faxes or photocopiers!)

[oss]

Originally Posted by Rocky_Balboa

After a lot of discussions on buying an Oven and its usage, settled for a Pigeon Induction Stove.

Bought the RapidoPlus model on a combo offer for ~3.4k, which included a steel bottom 3 litre pressure cooker and a big steel pan. Wasnt intended to buy the recent one which had touchpad, better off with regular buttons. Got this from a Pigeon outlet with one year warranty on everything (including the ceramic plate).

Got the model home on saturday and could see the impact in just one day - cooking has never been faster.

Rocky, How do you find the Pigeon I.S. now that you've used it for a long time.

I don't find many shops selling Pigeon in Chennai, and there are lots of bad reviews about Prestige. Any idea about Preethi Induction Cooktops?

[shyamhegde]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

@alto99: many of the specs can and should be taken with a huge pinch of salt. I had a German Zanussi 3-door with similar narrow specs. After fooling with a few stabilisers I just dropped them. it worked for over five years - no problems. Finally, a door hinge gave way so I had to dump it. What is a refrigerator - one (or two compressors),a nd then electronics. The former is an Induction motor - can take a lot of fluctuations, the latter has its own solid-state power pack so is pretty immune.

I guess these stabilizers that are recommended for refrigerators have a delay feature which is helpful. If the mains power cuts and resumes in short while (like in a second or two) , it protects the equipment. I suppose bouncing power within short period is not good for refrigerators.

[alto99]

Originally Posted by shyamhegde

I guess these stabilizers that are recommended for refrigerators have a delay feature which is helpful. If the mains power cuts and resumes in short while (like in a second or two) , it protects the equipment. I suppose bouncing power within short period is not good for refrigerators.

Yes the stabilizer has a delay. The refrigerator specs mention that after shutting it down, it should be restarted only after 5 (or may be 7 mins).

[Rocky_Balboa]

Originally Posted by oss

Rocky, How do you find the Pigeon I.S. now that you've used it for a long time.

I don't find many shops selling Pigeon in Chennai, and there are lots of bad reviews about Prestige. Any idea about Preethi Induction Cooktops?

@OSS,

We've never had any problems with the Pigeon induction stove until now, with an average use of 2 hours during weekdays. We've had numerous liquid spills on the stove, but the stove has held so far.

I am not sure if Prestige's service has improved now, which was the prime reason for me not buying the Prestige stove. And I havent heard or read about Preethi's induction offering.

[ramki067]

Originally Posted by alto99

Yes the stabilizer has a delay. The refrigerator specs mention that after shutting it down, it should be restarted only after 5 (or may be 7 mins).

Hi,
Can refrigerators be connected to a normal 3-point plug and not an AEH plug? Will it work fine with normal 3-point plug?

Thanks,
Ramki

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