The Home Appliance thread

[sgiitk]

@Soumyajit9; The cheap Canons all have all in cartridges, it is only at the high end do you get separate tanks. The same is true of all brands. I will not be surprised if Canon & HP are the same under the skin!

[prithm]

Originally Posted by diyguy

Wanted to get others opinion of how they keep their dispensers clean?

The problem is with you inlet not the storage. If you fix the inlet source, 90% of your problem will be done.

Not sure if the dispenser is taking water from pipe or from a mounted storage device. If its the mainline pipe, then you can have a inline filter or activated carbon cartridge added to help reduce all nonsense. If its from a mounted storage, you must check if that is a good source of water. Else, you can use one of those disinfectant tablets every month to keep the inner vessel clean.

The service provider in my previous organization used to get a effervescent tablets (size of a water bottle cap) and add it into the inner vessel during monthly cleaning cycle. This used to dislodge any calcium / flouride sediments along with algal or slime growth. Checked the product, but there were no manufacturer name, just "Made in USA" label on top.

Originally Posted by narayan

Is there a catch here or is it that printer prices have come down so much over the years ? For my usage pattern, is it ok for go for such basic models ?

Best solution is HP Inkjet Advantage series. Good quality products, great sales network and cheaper cartridges. Have been using HP printers for last 10 years, haven't found anything that is more economical than those guys.

Only thing you need to do is to get the printer checked and serviced every year. Good work horses.

[diyguy]

Originally Posted by prithm

If you fix the inlet source, 90% of your problem will be done.Else, you can use one of those disinfectant tablets every month to keep the inner vessel clean.

We purchase bubble top drinking water from the Parry and Kingfisher brands. Thanks for the tablet information on cleaning, will check that out.

[prithm]

Originally Posted by diyguy

We purchase bubble top drinking water from the Parry and Kingfisher brands. Thanks for the tablet information on cleaning, will check that out.

Then desi version of this might be the best solution.

http://www.amazon.com/Teavana-30219-.../dp/B0051ZFU04

[archat68]

Originally Posted by narayan

Guys
I am looking for a home use printer ( primarily for black and white A4 size printing for my son's school work ).

If the use not very frequent i'd suggest to buy a Laser instead. I had two inkjets earlier and my use was very less. I often do not print a single page for months but when I print I print 20-30 pages. Both the printer cartridges dried up and can't be revived. The replacement cartridges were too costly compared to the cost of the printer.

So, this time I bought a Ricoh laser printer. It is a basic model. Cost me around 2.5K from Amazon during some discount offers. The cartridge in this printer can be easily refilled by self and Ricoh actually mentions the fact in their promotion. Since the ink is dry there no problem if you don't print a single page for long time.

Otherwise if you purchase a inkjet try to print atleast one page in a week to prevent the ink from drying up.

Originally Posted by diyguy

We purchase bubble top drinking water from the Parry and Kingfisher brands. Thanks for the tablet information on cleaning, will check that out.

You can add some vinegar or citric acid along with warm water in the storage tank, wait for a while and rinse with fresh water. This is the cheapest and most effective cleaning agent. Citric acid may be bought from shops selling bakery items.

[diyguy]

Originally Posted by archat68

You can add some vinegar or citric acid along with warm water in the storage tank, wait for a while and rinse with fresh water. This is the cheapest and most effective cleaning agent. Citric acid may be bought from shops selling bakery items.

thanks this time I did the cleaning by hand and did not use any chemicals as we drink this. Will try it with Vinegar next time. However the slime may not go without a rub I imagine. Maybe the plastic can dispenser is the better option in terms of maintainability.

Originally Posted by prithm

Then desi version of this might be the best solution.http://www.amazon.com/Teavana-30219-.../dp/B0051ZFU04

I have used similar tabs to purify water in my childhood while camping. The ones you point out are not the same I am sure but am concerned about use of chemicals in areas that are the source of our drinking water. I suppose I will open it up once a month and manually clean it by hand each time.

[sgiitk]

I find my Canon Pixma will fire even after six months of neglect. Epson was not happy with even a month. I was using my HP (when I had it quite regularly) sometimes taking a page or two to get going, but that time they were all-in cartridges.

Over the years, I lost my first Pixma as Win8 (or was it 7) drivers were not available.

Now my main printer is Samsung SCX-3400. My son has 3200, and earlier I used a (I think) 5400. Only crib I have heard is that the cartridges cannot refilled. HP I think are more foregiving.

[carwatcher]

Hello Bhpians, need some info.
We have a Voltas Geyser which is more than 25 years old. The thermostat was changed once around 10-12 years back and it really is working perfectly. While changing the Thermostat the electrician was praising the build quality etc.
Now I just wish to know as to whether the new Geysers are more energy efficient, when to replace the Geyser as I find the Geyser to be little slow in heating or am I just looking for an excuse to change it.
It is used by us in Jaipur and there is no problem of humidity, etc. so the outer body is rust free majorly.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by carwatcher

We have a Voltas Geyser which is more than 25 years old.

Now I just wish to know as to whether the new Geysers are more energy efficient, when to replace the Geyser as I find the Geyser to be little slow in heating or am I just looking for an excuse to change it.

Water heaters use plain heating elements and can't offer any energy efficiency unlike inductive loads. If it is working fine, why would you want to discard it ?
It could do with a cleaning. The inner tank may have accumulated deposits due to hard water.

[Soumyajit9]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

@Soumyajit9; The cheap Canons all have all in cartridges, it is only at the high end do you get separate tanks. The same is true of all brands. I will not be surprised if Canon & HP are the same under the skin!

I own a Canon Pixma MP280 since 3 years.
The cartridges are different. Once both (free ones) got over, I purchased only a black cartridge. Cost for the colour one was too high.

And I found out that these cartridges cannot be refilled at any local shop either.

[diyguy]

Originally Posted by Soumyajit9

I own a Canon Pixma MP280 since 3 years.And I found out that these cartridges cannot be refilled at any local shop either.

I have a pixma mx860 and I purchase copy cartridges from the US. These cartridges have a chip and their counter needs to be reset else the printer considers the tank to be empty. There are various hacks for injecting ink into the empty cartridges too and many a shop that offers these refilling services. The copy cartridges cost me 1/10th the cost of an oem set.

[TheTeacher]

Originally Posted by Prowler

Water heaters use plain heating elements and can't offer any energy efficiency unlike inductive loads. If it is working fine, why would you want to discard it ?

This may be true, but there's a tremendous difference in monthly energy consumption between such old geysers and modern 5-star ones. The power consumed to heat is the same in both cases. But the new ones preserve the heat very well unlike the old ones which dissipate heat like crazy. This means the new ones will use less energy to keep the water at the desired temperature once that temperature has been reached. I know because I replaced a 10+ year geyser with a 5-star rated one and for the same usage the power bills came down significantly enough to make me happy.

The new ones insulate the tank very well. The old ones have no insulation at all - I've seen them being taken apart for repairs.

[v_2rahjo]

I am currently on the lookout for a fully automatic washing machine. I have had an IFB for around 10 years but is failing more than what I would expect. Wanted to check on the feedback for Bosch. Are they really good? Or should I just stick to IFB?

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by v_2rahjo

I am currently on the lookout for a fully automatic washing machine. I have had an IFB for around 10 years but is failing more than what I would expect.

You did not mention front or top-loading. I presume from the context you are looking for a front loader. I will avoid IFB at all costs. I was a loyal customer, but after the total failure of the service network, I gave up. Now I am on my second LG and have been very happy with them.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by v_2rahjo

Wanted to check on the feedback for Bosch. Are they really good? Or should I just stick to IFB?

Good but basic. Like buying a VW, I suppose: expect great build, but low on bells and whistles.