Patio Refrigerator and Freezer Question?

[dlctcg]

Prior I have been in the rental / maintenance / repair world... So what does your lease / agreement state? That is your first line of defense prior to doing all this proving it is not your liability. If your lease agreement is written correctly you have nothing to prove... I would check that first.

 

[ultrarunner]

I use a hand held SureTest current/voltage tester made by Polytronics.

Current test pass is less than 5% loaded voltage drop at 15 amp load.

Voltage pass is 120 volt +/- 10%

I used it to find spliced and taped Romex and loose solder in old knob and tube...

 

[ultrarunner]

Prior I have been in the rental / maintenance / repair world... So what does your lease / agreement state? That is your first line of defense prior to doing all this proving it is not your liability. If your lease agreement is written correctly you have nothing to prove... I would check that first.

Defective wiring is a habitability issue in my city...

 

[dlctcg]

Defective wiring is a habitability issue in my city...

I can understand that... I live in New England (very old wiring grid)... but what does your lease / agreement state you are liable for? If it was written correctly it will not include tenant electronics / appliances unless they "the tenant" can prove fault.

 

[ljjhouser]

If you are kind to him and replace the unit, be prepared to do that with ANYTHING he wishes to complain about. If there are not burn marks on the outlet or did not find a significant voltage drop (which would in turn increase the current draw on the unit), I do not see how you could be responsible. Seems to me you are in the rental business, not home warrantee business. Might suggest he purchase a home warrantee to cover any of his appliances. But, of course, good luck with that.

Another thought, if you do choose to replace the unit. either remove the outlet or put a faceplate on it making it unusable so he cannot do it again out there. There are other things that can be a problem - such as close lightning strikes. Those effects are unpredictable outcomes, sometimes simple.

 

[4570Man]

I wouldn’t give the guy a cent. Freezers aren’t made for outdoor use, they aren’t made to use on an undersized cord and they’re probably not supposed to share an outlet.

 

[ultrarunner]

I can understand that... I live in New England (very old wiring grid)... but what does your lease / agreement state you are liable for? If it was written correctly it will not include tenant electronics / appliances unless they "the tenant" can prove fault.

If you are kind to him and replace the unit, be prepared to do that with ANYTHING he wishes to complain about. If there are not burn marks on the outlet or did not find a significant voltage drop (which would in turn increase the current draw on the unit), I do not see how you could be responsible. Seems to me you are in the rental business, not home warrantee business. Might suggest he purchase a home warrantee to cover any of his appliances. But, of course, good luck with that.

Another thought, if you do choose to replace the unit. either remove the outlet or put a faceplate on it making it unusable so he cannot do it again out there. There are other things that can be a problem - such as close lightning strikes. Those effects are unpredictable outcomes, sometimes simple.

There is a language barrier... the wife speaks no English and husband broken English.

I've made 3 visits with most recent last Saturday... The first I pointed out the extension cord with adaptor... Saturday I did the load test...

Today a co worker of mine said I'm the manager of the house her friends rent and then went on and mentioned the house Eats refrigerators... Ugh

It's what prompted my post...

Of course their refrigerator in the kitchen continues to be trouble free and it's a 25 cubic feet they brought from the home they lost in Foreclosure.

Only issue are the ones outside on sharing extension cord.

 

[jyoutz]

Take him some sand, then tell him to pound it.

No freezer or refrigerator should be on an extension cord.
If they were on a light weight extension cord, that is probably why they failed.
Also, fridges and freezers have listed environmental conditions that were probably exceeded by them being outside.

Sounds like user error.

Depends on the extension cord. I have a refrigerator in the garage on a heavy extension cord that I made from romex wire with 12 gauge plug ends.

 

[ljjhouser]

This application of using an extension cord can really be a problem. Many people fail to understand the difference between using an extension made from parallel zip cord (lamp cord - the cheap $6 cord) and the importance of using a good cord with a current rating which is within the rating of the freezer. Kinda like throwing a alligator in the fish bowl.

 

[jaxs]

Form decades of experience in building maintenance,I'd say this is likly not attributable to defective electrical system in home. If not the extension cord or eccess load on circuit/outlet,possibly exposure to the elements and moisture induced corrosion somewhere like relay,defrost control,condenser blower,connector or other things. Do we know for certain compressors failed or could one of the above issues prevented operation? I've examined countless appliances that servicemen pronounced dead when the problem was actually quite minor.