Imagine this: you go out to your local entertainment big-box
store and purchase the top of the line “HUMONGOUS” television. When you get home, you don’t think anything
about it and just go ahead plugging it directly into the wall socket, right? What’s that you say, ludicrous? Of course, we would only plug that piece of
beautiful technology into a UL rated surge protector!
So, I gave it away in the first paragraph: a UL rated surge
protector. But, don’t you want to know
why? Or what happens if you don’t? Anyone that knows me has heard me say that I
usually ‘learn the hard way – at least once!’
So, when a top-end ductless installation went wrong after months of
perfect operation, I had to ask the question, why this one?
You see, poor Mr. Jones’ house lost power during an
electrical storm. The fact his cable box
and other minor electronics failed should have been a giveaway as to what happened. Everyone knows when these electronic boards
are put together in the factory they come with little canisters attached. In these canisters is a specific amount of
smoke, and power fluctuations have a way of letting this smoke out. No smokey = No worky.
Unfortunately (depending on the view here), this high end
ductless system was resilient. The unit
would turn on, operate for about a minute or two, and then shut down with no
error codes or reason. Frustrating,
right? So, we call the tech support line from the house and they determine I must
replace the main control board – parts and labor (my generosity as part of the
install) warrantied.
Two days later, yes it snows in New England and it would
have been longer if this was in 2015, I return with the part. Install the latest and greatest control
board, smearing white heat sink paste all over anything within eyesight, and…no
luck! Another call determines a
combination of control boards should be replaced together. Thanks for that one OEM Rep! Another few days later, replace the boards,
and once again the same symptoms. This
time, I have to offer the customer a new condenser.
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| My Preference: The Intermatic AG3000 |
