Dear Mr Riddle,

It it with disappointment that I am writing you about my experience with my LG french door refrigerator. I purchased this refrigerator from Home Depot on 12/7/15. It was installed in my new kitchen in April 2016. I liked refrigerator and all of its features so I was upset when it started intermittently making a loud vibrating sound in July.  The sound was coming from the fan behind the filter. As the appliance is covered under the one year manufacturers warranty, I called LG customer service and was told to call a local appliance servicer called "Reliable Appliance Service" myself. The noise stopped by the next day and everything seemed to be working so I never called the service center.

Then, sometime during the week of August 22nd the noise started again. Within the week the fan stopped working. All the food on the top of the fridge was warm and everything on the bottom froze. Additionally the ice and water dispenser stopped working and the letters "E rF" were displayed. I called customer support hoping they could tell me what was wrong. They again told me again to call Reliable Appliance Service. I called Reliable Appliance Service and they said that LG needs to schedule the repair or it will be treated as a cash ticket. I called customer support again and was told that they need to submit a request to their service locator team. Several days passed and I heard nothing. By this time all of my food was spoiled.

On Friday September 2nd I once again called customer support and was told that they still haven't found a servicer. They would prioritize my case with the service locator team and would return my call on Tuesday, September 6. I never heard back so I called customer support again on Thursday September 8th. I was told that they were still trying to find a servicer that would be willing to come to my house 40 miles from Anchorage, Alaska, and that there was nothing more that they could do.

Needless to say by this time I am angry and exhausted. My refrigerator has been broken for over two weeks and your company has conveniently absolved themselves of any duty to fix the problem. Thankfully, Home Depot is willing to pick up the refrigerator and give me a refund. They will be here on Saturday September 10. I will then buy a GE refrigerator.

In the mean time I am telling everyone I know to avoid LG products as the appliances are very unreliable and customer service is unwilling to help. I am sure that you have an interest in keeping your company reputation in good standing with potential customers and therefore I am hoping that by informing you of my experience you can assist your team to make a better product and improve customer service.

At the very least your company should have been willing to pick up the appliance from my home and take it into servicer. Instead I was offered no help what-so-ever. I have spent hours on the phone with absolutely no interest on your company's behalf of helping. If there is one thing that I can hope come of this is that no one who I know buys an LG appliance. This has been literally the worst customer service experience of my life.


This is the only product I wanted in my renovated modern kitchen, and I got it. It is beautiful, European style, tall and has a lot of space actually. But not all gold what is shinning:
Major issues:
1. out of the box the the unit is very nice, and relatively quiet, but, The Crisper Box (middle sections drawer) is sitting on top of the freezer, therefore everything you put in it, is just comes out frozen in a day, so it is basically useless for its purpose (vegetables, fruits, citruses), the only good purpose is to semi-freeze meat or should I say defrost it a bit. I had to actually insulate it with Styrofoam to not freeze the contents of this drawer.
2. after just 1 year, the door handle just broke off completely, amazing most important part of this unit, which need to withstand the most just broke off. After looking at it, I think it was made with the mix of plastic (cheap plastic) and some sort of aluminium. But my question is how is this thing getting tested, with minimal use it just falls off.
After some hassle with the manufacturer (since it was past the 1 year warranty, yes guys ONLY 1 year warranty) they were understandable that this is not normal to have handles fall off their units and sent me a replacement actually really fast, I put it back in myself since it is not that  complicated, so we while I was waiting I moved the handle from the freezer to the main unit, right? why do we need 2 handles))
3. This is the most annoying:  After 2 month from the handle incident, the alarm on the door started to just randomly sound, (it usually buzzes when you forget to close the door, actually very nice feature) but now it started to sound when the door is closed for 10-20 seconds and all temperatures started to reset and after 20 sec it was quite. After another week it started to sound 30 seconds, and didn't stop until we reopened the door couple of times.
(It is still in this condition) I understand electronics in our life could go wrong sometimes, but my main beef is with the manufacturer, not retailer) after some exchanges, they suggested:

"If you feel we are not the company you wish to perform business with, we understand & hope you find another brand that does make you happy."

The problem with this is that I already DONE business with them buy buying this faulty appliance, and this is regular customer service....so my fellow buyers, if you like this unit, like I still do, and want to spend $200-$300 per visit to fix a sensor (or otherwise you will be listening to 1 minute alarms on this frig) or other things which might fall of after 1 year warranty, go ahead and do business with this company!

Or you can get something reliable, not as nice I guess, it is your choice, I just want to warn you guys that after you do business with Summit, they don't want to honor this relationship like it supposed to be.


I was initially amazed at the low price for these Dista water filters but unfortunately now I know why when I tried to actually use the product.
1. Steps to replacing an overpriced outrageously expensive LG OEM 5231JA2006B water filter:  rotate the cartridge counter clockwise to click out of place slightly.  As you pull out the OEM cartridge, there will be less than 3 ounces of water slightly dribbling through the water escape hole underneath and towards the middle of the water filter container housing which is easily captured by a small plate with a raised edge.  When you pull out the LG OEM cartridge completely from the refrigerator, there is ZERO water spillage as you pull out the unit, and replace with new OEM filter.  Amount of water spillage clean-up inside the frig, on the front of the frig, and on the floor is ZERO ounces to remove old LG OEM cartridge and install new LG OEM filter.
2. Replacing a poor quality counterfeit Dista water filter:  rotate the cartridge counter clockwise to click out of place slightly.  Instantaneously there is water GUSHING out of 3 locations simultaneously:  at the back of the water filter container housing close to the back of the frig of about 8-16 ounces pouring down the inside wall of the frig, while simultaneously at least 6-10 ounces gushes through the hole underneath and towards the middle of the water filter container completely overflowing the same exact plate that had earlier easily contained less than 3 ounces released by the LG OEM filter, and also simultaneously water gushing out the front of the Dista water filter onto the front of the refrigerator and spilling onto the floor.  Then as you pull out the Dista water filter to remove it, excess water that had collected on the bottom of the water filter container housing spills onto the front of the frig and on the floor, which never occurred with the LG OEM filter.  Copious amount of water spillage EVERYWHERE inside the frig, on the front of the frig, and on the floor with the poor quality counterfeit Dista water filter.
I thought maybe there might have been air build up the first time I removed the OEM filter and installed the Dista filter causing the Dista filter to release an unusually unacceptable amount of water, so I repeated all steps again by reinstalling the LG OEM filter, removing the LG OEM filter, installing the Dista filter, then removing the Dista filter.  Same exact results after experiment repeated so am definitely returning this for a refund and now its back to searching for a cheaper solution to the outrageously overpriced LG OEM water filters selling for $50 each.
There is no way I want to wait to see if the Dista water filter actually performs its job adequately after such poor quality capability for such a simple process as removing and replacing a water filter.  Too bad we are not allowed to leave a customer review with ZERO stars or even 1/2 star.


I have a 7 year old Samsung 33" bottom freezer, french door refrigerator, model Samsung RF217ACPN. This gist of this post is to tell you that you need to swap out several other parts if you are experiencing ice build up in the back of your Samsung Refrigerator possibly along with water in or under the lower drawers. As I understand it, nearly all the Samsung refrigerators built in the last decade use the same cooling and defrost mechanism. Some models do not have a manual defrost mode, and you will need to unplug the refrigerator to actually melt the ice build up.

About a year ago, the lower crisper drawers began to fill with water. This indicated a drain freezing problem which necessitates the thawing and replacement of an improved drain heater extension part "SAMSUNG CLIP DRAIN EVAPORATOR REFOEM Original Part: DA61-06796A (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008KFG9NO)" This has a longer drain extension that takes heat from the heating element and extends it into the drain hole to prevent icing or improve defrosting. Samsung realized their original clip was a bit too short and released this improved retrofit.

I noticed that the rear of the refrigerator also began to show ice from some of the holes. Normally a 48 hour defrost takes care of it but eventually it would build up to the point that the spinning interior fan starts to hit it. This icing indicates a problem with your defrost system. That's what this heater and bimetal thermostat is to replace.  Either the resistance of the thermostat is bad or the heating element isn't heating up properly anymore, but this OEM replacement should fix it for at least a few years.  A tip for installation is to loop the connector and thermostat wiring BEHIND the entire cooling coils to make the wires reach the connector easier with less stretching.

Another item to replace at the same time while you are back there is the "Samsung DA32-00006S Refrigerator Defrost Sensor (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001KGPERM)" is the second of two thermostat sensors for the defrost system. The other yellow cord sensor senses the low temperature frost conditions on the coils. You should move the yellow defrost sensor from the tube on the right to the more central tube on the left. This helps with sensing the ice that grows from the middle outwards. You should replace BOTH defrost sensors as a pair to ensure that you don't revisit the problem in a month.

One last tip is for you to extend the front floor riser pegs and lift the front wheels off the ground. This will ensure that the defrost liquid drains properly towards the rear. Not all kitchen floors are level and if it is slanted forward even a little bit, the water can leak out the front vents and frost over after the defrost cycle.

So far, I have been frost free and the crisper drawers are dry for months. Don't just replace this one part, you should try to replace a few parts in total. All the components are relatively inexpensive. Good luck in fixing your Samsung refrigerator. I wanted to share this so that others will not have to go through the trouble of addressing this issue piece by piece.


Fits well, have a narrow gap between stove and counter on both sides, < 1/2 inch and these fit well.

Pros:
- Does what is should, keeps the crumbs out.  I cleaned the sides/bottom of my oven before installing these and... yuck, might be crumbs to us but a feast to La Cucaracha!  You know the usual stuff, like that milk or oatmeal that boiled over and ran down the side, grease from frying and splattering, grains of rice, etc. (even though we do the usual Spring cleaning).
- Easy to cut to fit, appears some negative reviews were due to size but appears that was before they had 21 and 24" options.  My stove is 21 and fits nice, in fact had to cut about 1/4 end off the end of each and the width is perfect.  I only had to adjust the length so scissors worked fine, but if I had to narrow/cut it lengthwise would use a razor and straight edge of some kind.
- Easy to clean, wipes off with soap/water as the product description states, can't say for long term as only being using a couple weeks.
- Heat "resistant" - noting I'm careful not to set pans on top of the cover, so nothing has melted yet (but I'm not going to test it).  Think this is same silicon as the baking mats, so only takes heat up to a point (obviously easier to control heat in oven than on a stovetop), the cover "sticks" nice so far so haven't had any issues getting too close to a burner.
- Forms a pretty good "seal" on both the stove and counter sides, better on the counter side because the counter does not had a lip like the stove, but the cover sits on top of the stovetop lip ok (the divider on the underside of the cove is off center, which is perfect as I need it narrower on the stove side so it's not too close to the burner).

Cons:
- It's a very matte black.  Wish it were more "glossy" (like the underside) to match my glossy black stove, but a minor complaint, probably hard to do considering the material.
- It was shipped a little bent (probably Amazon), but still straightened out ok after a day or two because it is pliable, if it had been folder in hald hard to say.
- I would not recommend with a gas stove (common sense says that if this handles <450 degrees F (446 per the description) an open flame that's too close or even a really hot pan is a bad idea (natural gas/methane burns at 3,542,  almost 8 times what the silicon will tolerate.

Overall it's the best solution available to the impossible-to-clean-up mess problem, as others have noted the metal options available out there all suck and silicon is really the only option that takes (some) heat and is also pliable/soft enough to seal.  Also appears from other posts the customer service is really good, and they do follow up after your purchase and troll the reviews to make sure you're happy  (I would have posted a good review anyways).  Bottom line I would buy again and recommend to others.


I purchased this set and installed if a few days ago.  For some reason, the dryer is not heating up, so it is taking hours (and several runs) to dry the clothes.  There are a bunch of diagnostics that the web site suggests you run when you're experiencing this issue.  I have run all of them.  The result of all this diagnostic work?  The dryer thinks there is a blockage at the air vent and won't heat up because of this.  To be sure that this wasn't the case, I just disconnected the dryer hose from the back and let it pour air into my laundry room.  Even when it is not connected to anything, the diagnostics still tell the dryer that there is a blockage.

SO... I tried to get someone to come repair the dryer by submitting a request online.  Filled out all of the information (model #, serial #, description of problem, blah blah...)  Then couldn't hit the final 'submit' button.  I need to call customer service.

SO... I called customer service.  After over an HOUR on hold (Incidentally, I got to hear LG's horrendous hold music the entire time along with their recorded voice saying "Thank you for your patience.  We recognize your time is valuable and we're working hard to personally respond to your call as soon as we can" - OVER 75 times.  (I just quit counting...)

THEN... they picked up.  (Hallelujah!)  The questions he was asking me were so inane that I wondered if I wasn't being punked.  ("Let's try running the dryer 4 feet from the wall, instead of 3 feet from the wall to be sure nothing is blocking the air from coming out of the dryer.  Huh?")

The culmination:
LG: "Well, the diagnostic code says the unit isn't getting enough power to heat, so there must be a problem with your outlet"
ME: "Uh... but there was another dryer plugged into the outlet the day before this was installed. It worked just fine."
LG: "You need to have an electrician come check the outlet before we send our technician to help you"
ME: "But this doesn't make any sense.  The outlet was working yesterday."
LG:  ... call disconnected.
LG: ... has my number, but no call back

SO... I reached out to the chat function.  After taking forever to find my record and then seeing that the other call had gotten disconnected, they told me the only thing I could do was call the customer service line and wait on hold until 'one of their specialists' picks up.  They also told me the only way to talk to a supervisor was to ... you got it ... call the customer service line.

SO... I'm sitting on hold again.  I know it has taken me 18 minutes to write this, because that's how long I've been on hold.

I'll admit - writing one star reviews is a good way to pass the time when a company is treating you this way.  I think I'm feeling better now.  Then again, one of these dunderheads is likely going to answer the phone in another 45 minutes.  All bets are off when that happens.


<input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/A1ZPXqXdz-S.mp4" class="video-url"><input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91XfG8aBuyS.png" class="video-slate-img-url"> Just don't. I bought this from a nationwide home improvement chain. The item was delivered and DEAD ON ARRIVAL. Waiting to be contacted for a repair. I won't hear from the repair company for 1 to 2 business days...then they will have to schedule a repair date. I'll be without a washer for a week. That's IF the repairman has the part required and doesn't have to order the part. And...that Samsung TV I was interested in? Not going to happen.
*EDIT*
I was called same day for service the following Tuesday. Tech showed up and couldn't fix the machine. He threw in the towel and told me to return it to the home improvement depot chain. I don't blame the tech at all, nice guy, worked with Samsung tech support and just couldn't fix it. Now I have to burn another vacation day and go to the laundromat after work tomorrow. Suggest you steer clear of this product. For me it's turned me away from this brand.
*EDIT*
I spent two hours on the phone being bounced back and forth between departments at Samsung and the depot home. The big box home improvement chain doesn't want to exchange. Samsung doesn't want to honor the warranty. I'm in the middle after having spent $1000 and wondering why I can't do laundry at home. I went to the laundromat today and paid $9.00 to use the Magnum Load machine. It was HUGE. I washed everything.
I started over with Samsung. I asked if my machine is under warranty. (of course it is, I've had it for 5 days) I offered to read they warranty to them. They weren't interested. They are going to send another service company to try to fix it. As of now I don't know when they're coming. I figure I have two weeks worth of clean clothes...will become unhinged if this isn't fixed soon.
*EDIT*
Yesterday I thought I'd see if I could find contact info for the CEO of Samsung. I found Mr. Lee's email address and sent a polite message. My jaw dropped when I received a reply on his behalf. We exchanged emails and I received a phone call that has me optimistic that this 157 pound space waster might actually wash my clothes soon but (there's always a 'but') after reading the Yelp reviews for the repair company they're sending I'm a bit concerned. Not well reviewed at all. Adding a screen cap of my Verizon call log that substantiates the two hours on the phone mentioned in the previous edit.
*EDIT*
Day 11 with a dead washing machine. Started looking at legal options and contacted the local TV news consumer watchdogs. Ugh. More gray hair. Thanks Samsung!
*FINAL EDIT*
Working with Samsung to get a refund.


<input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/D1Q0WSAKqqS.mp4" class="video-url"><input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/A1ngR1hCyaS.png" class="video-slate-img-url"> Never, ever, buy an Electrolux washer and dryer! My husband and I purchased an Electrolux washer (Model EFLS617SIW) and dryer (EFMG617SIW) in September of 2016. We have had nothing but problems with them. We first had them looked at in April, through a place recommended by Electrolux. The repairman ordered parts for the dryer (new board and switch) but did nothing for the washer. We continued to have problems with both machines and then found out the store where we purchased them could service Electrolux. After looking at the machines, the repairman made a few adjustments on the dryer and found that the washer also needed new parts! We went to the store and spoke with a manager. We were told to go ahead and have it fixed, and then we could take it to the next level. Well, we had the washer fixed, and its still not working right!

The dryer design is so poor. When drying, clothes come out over the lint trap. The dryer senses that the trap is full, and the machine stops and says clean lint. We understand the concept of saving energy, and that the dryer will stop before the set time if the clothes are dry, but the clothes aren't dry when this happens. Its very annoying to have it stop every few minutes and have to restart. Also, clothes don't dry evenly. For example, if I wash a load of towels, some of them will be dry and some still very damp. It doesnt matter if I do a large load or small, I have the same problem.

The washer still vibrates and is loud even after being fixed. When it spins, it sounds like its going to take off. It doesnt matter if its on low, medium or high spin. It all sounds the same. We again contacted the store manager. Apparently taking it to the next level means having them fixed yet again. We don't want to keep having them fixed! What happens when the warranty is up? Electrolux denied the claim that we need new machines. We don't want new Electrolux machines! We want our money back! Electrolux Customer Service is a joke. They just say they are sorry about the problems and understand our frustration. No they dont.

We are so disappointed in these machines. They aren't even a year old! Our old washer and dryer lasted about 16 years and never needed serviced. We consider these machines to be lemons. Were tired of dealing with this, and feel that no matter how many times they are fixed, they will never be right.


Common sense and openmindedness are at the heart of Alan Gregerman's tome in praise of strangers. In clear and affable fashion, Gregerman guides his readers in an almost Socratic manner to embrace the insights and wisdom that are available to us once we look beyond the known.

Oddly -- or fortuitously -- enough, you and I are engaging in one of the practices he suggests in his book. One of the hallmarks of Amazon is its growing library of peer reviews and images. We don't know each other, and yet you paused in your consideration of this book to find out what earlier readers thought about it. And this is not a one-way street; there's every chance that you may use the "comment" function to add a question or other thought that would transform this from one person's observations and reflections into a conversation.

Meantime, back to The Necessity of Strangers: The Intriguing Truth About Insight, Innovation, and Success. Gregerman begins with context, reviewing reasons for the common mistrust of strangers before illustrating how small even the largest personal network is likely to be. The nod to Socratic method begins with him asking readers to think about effective ways of gathering information, improving product, and thoroughly understanding our underlying mindset -- why we think the way we do, and how we can stretch ourselves beyond the status quo.

After exploring context, which he calls framework, Gregerman asks readers to consider how to translate interacting with strangers from abstract to concrete: using these new relationships to spur innovation, collaboration, leadership, and customers, both existing and new (yet more "strangers"). Before setting us loose on a newly inviting world, Gregerman provides a succinct toolkit of strategies and techniques that we can begin using in everyday situations, as well as ways to spur our thinking and reflection.

He makes many thought-provoking points, and I believe they are best read in sequence. In fact, if you have an e-reader, you may want to buy the digital version so that you can highlight and annotate particularly salient thoughts.

However, it is worth touching on the four guiding principles that are at the heart of this book. "Humility--the belief that we don't know everything and that we can always be better at the things that matter most. Curiosity--our innate gift for being open to new ideas, new people, and new possibilities. Respect--the belief that everyone matters and that we learn and grow by engaging other people on their own terms. Purpose--our reason for being that guides our efforts to learn and grow."

Although most of  Gregerman's examples and prescriptions deal with the workplace, they are readily applicable to life beyond the office, and even to one's own reflective practice. Indeed, one of the overarching principles is to seek out differences -- different outlooks, different areas of expertise, and even different lands -- and almost immediately to build human bridges of commonality. Particularly dear to my heart is his repeated statement that travel enriches the traveler and brings the world closer. In that vein, if you'd like, please do feel free to treat this review as the start of a conversation.


Update 2/12/14.  After 1 yr+ operation, I have to give the Heartland 21000 dryer vent closure a 5 star rating.  It performs without all the problems that the flapper-type vent closures typically have--getting stuck open by lint, or by rusting of the springs.  When the dryer is not operating, the Heartland closes tight & keeps out fumes from lawn movers, etc.  In 1+ yr of operation, it has never stuck open & never gotten clogged by lint.  The only problem encountered:  during an extreme cold & ice storm, the Heartland "valve" froze in place--apparently due to condensation buildup.  But it was easily loosened.

As to my original downgrading of the Heartland due to install problems:  I agree that install would have been a quick easy job IF the correct dryer vent pipe had been installed in our house.  However,  previous house owner had cemented-in the vent pipe coming to outside & it had no crimped end extending outside.  That's why we had such difficulty.  So if you're lucky enough to have a vent pipe outside end with crimping, it will be a "5 star" install for you.  If not, you'll have to adapt it like we had to.

Success!  Finally got it installed and functioning but it took two of us 1.5 hrs.  Why?  (1) the product description and instructions say that it will fit on a 4" diameter vent pipe, but it won't.  The pipe receptacle on the Heartland vent contraption is just barely 4" in diameter; so a 4" diameter aluminum vent pipe will NOT slide inside the Heartland receptacle for the pipe.  To get a 4" diameter vent pipe to fit into the receptacle on the Heartland dryer vent, we cut 1" slits in 3 places on the aluminum vent pipe opening.  These slits allowed us to squeeze the end of the vent pipe into a slightly narrower diameter than 4", so it could be pressure fitted into the Heartland pipe receptacle.  (2) My house has lap siding, and the dryer vent exhaust hole in the side of the house wall was located such that the square base of the Heartland contraption partially overlapped the house brick and partially overlapped the siding.  So we had to adapt a piece of styrofoam to fit under the Heartland base so it would sit level.  (3) the instructions say that 6 screws are included with the kit, but there were NONE in the package anywhere.  So we had to use our own screws.
Now that it's installed, it's working fine presently.  And I like its design better than the more common metal "flap" that opens when dryer exhaust air flows through the exhaust duct.  Over the yrs, I've had several different brands of that style, and after a while, the flap on all of them would not close tight when the dryer was off.  Because they wouldn't close tight when the dryer was off, they let lawn mower fumes, etc from outside get into the house.  This Heartland vent closure contraption looks like it will prevent that problem.  It's made out of thick plastic that looks like it may holdup well over time--we'll see.


(Editing/updating the below review I wrote nine months ago.  Machine still going strong. I use it differently now.  I found it's good enough to start all my louds on the light wash cycle. It cuts down alot on the time.  I add bleach to the whites on the light wash.  And I always add fabric softener to the rinse cycle.  A small percentage of times after the rinse cycle there may be a little water left at the bottom & the clothes down there didn't spin dry so well.  No prob, just restart spin cycle for a couple minutes.  It spin dries the clothes so well sometimes that there's even little dry spots.  Very happy w/little machine!  It is apartment ready & perfect for apartment dwellers!)

Works perfectly. Have had a small percentage of unbalanced loads that stopped during spin cycle...no big deal because who starts a load of wash or dry & just leaves it unattended anyway.  Need to be there when loads are finshed to take out so won't become wrinkled from sitting too long. A little suds & water came out the bottom the first time because I used too much soap. The next loads I only used 1/4 C or 4 tbsp laundry detergent & there was no leaking whatsoever. The machine really moves the clothes around & washes them great. Not only does it pulse thru the clothes but imitates agitator machines by reversing pulse directions swishing the clothes back and forth. #6 Wash only is a good 6.5 minute prewash. #1 Heavy soil which is 19 minutes long consisting of mainly soaking with a few agitations. #2 Normal wash which is a 15 minute agitation/pulsing wash, then the water is drained.  #3 light wash the water is filled up again & washed for 5 minutes. #4 rinse cycle where it is drained & filled up again & pulsed for 3.5 minutes. #5 spin cycle drained & spinned is 5 minutes. #4 & #5 have a safety feature (because it's spinning) the machine will/should stop when lid is lifted. The other cycles you can lift the lid & look inside if want.
I found that if I lightly just drop the clothes in to the top it's the right amount. I add liquid fabric softner to the #4 rinse cycle.  Works like a charm! Only wish would've got it years ago! :) Can also check with your stores & on-line to see if they offer extended warranties.
P.S. Machine does make clicking noises while operating. This is normal (wash & rinse cycles turning off & on)& no big deal. And it does play jingle bells to warn of the ending of the spin & wash only cycles. No big deal, it's usually sufficient to stop spin cycle then anyway.  If not just restart it at the beginning or middle of the cycle & let spin couple more minutes.) As soon as my warranty expires, I'm gonna cut that wire!:)  I kept my internal connector on from the attachable power swivel faucet (you can find by dish soaps in some stores) which made attaching even quicker/easier for me & works great! In regards to the drain pipe...I just lay it over the edge of the sink without hooking on anything.  It hovers a little above the sink bottom.  But the weight of the water brings it down when draining. The way the hose is made, it won't move out of the sink or spray all over.  I've done several loads now & couldn't be more pleased.


It was 'ignaugurated' at a party I hosted, and the 5 gal keg didn't last long!  (Of course, it was a good beer...locally brewed Pacific Coast Emerald Ale.)

Be prepared:  After it's set up and you've had people over, you're going to be QUITE popular!  Expect comments like "I'm going to be over at your place every afternoon."  Haier America should realize their best marketing ploy is satisfied customers.  I've had it two weeks and Haier may be selling 3 additional units soon.

OK, so what about the product rating, especially in light of all the negative comments provided earlier?  Well, here's my take on it:

- Set up was fairly simple, if you discount the fact that one part was missing (see below).
- Quality seems to be adequate.  They use quality parts, e.g., the CO2 regulator and dispensing valve.
- It's keeping my second (post party) keg perfectly chilled and pressurized.  (Since the first keg only lasted several hours, we can't base much judgement on that.)
- It's wonderful to come home to a fresh, draft beer!
- Finding a place to refill the CO2 canister can be difficult.  Most commercial places will only exchange (take your brand new canister and give you a used, filled canister).  I finally found a fire extinguisher service that does refills after making MANY calls.

Does this make it perfect?  Hardly.

My experience confirms that Haier America has poor customer service.  I purcased the unit a week in advance of a party I was hosting.  After getting it home and setting it up, I realized (according to the manual) that it was missing the washer that goes between the CO2 tank and the regulator.  I called Haier customer service the following morning and was shocked by how they treated me.  The basic tone of their response was "tough luck."  I would have to follow their procedures which were:  1) fax or send via US mail my purchase receipt 2) Allow them two business days from their receipt of this to get back to me 3) After doing a 'confirmation' they would send me the washer within two weeks.

I was irate and told them so!  I had purchased the unit specifically for my upcoming party and now would not be able to use it!  Their reponse:  "These are our procedures."

I did two things after this:
1) I located the manufacturer of the CO2 regulator and contacted them about the possibility of getting a washer.  They informed me that the regulator was redesigned and did not need a washer.  Haier was supposed to include an update with their user manual (they didn't, and customer service obviously wasn't aware of this change).
2) I located information on Haier America and faxed their CEO an scathing letter telling him what I thought about spending $500 for something and not being able to use it at the function I bought it for!  Lo and behold, the next day I received a call from their corporate offices saying they would be overnighting me the missing washer.  I explained I had learned it wasn't needed, but the woman calling me wasn't taking any chances.  She overnighted it to me anyway.  Moral of the story:  Make your voice heard when you recieve bad service.

Anyway, my 'washerless' set up is now working fine and I'm loving the unit.


I've had this washer for about a month now and really have enjoyed not going to the laundromat!  I guess Haier made some adjustments to the confusing parts because my bottom metal plate was labeled "This towards floor."  The holes also do not match up well but I found the best way to get the plate on properly is to put in the screws opposite on the diagonal, like when putting a tire on a car. And the lint trap has markings for up & down and can only fit the one way.  Took me about 15 min to set up.  It is noisy but usually only during the first spin after the wash for the rinse cycle.  It sounds like a regular washer's spin cycle but coming from such a small machine I think that's why it sounds horrendous. The most noise comes from the spinning in the rinse cycle, not the actual spin cycle which is a little odd.  It doesn't last more than 5 seconds.  The heavier the fabrics and larger the load the more noise it makes.  The high water level does throw some water (maybe a tablespoons worth) around but it comes from the top of the machine and doesn't get on internal components.  It also throws some water on the lower settings with heavier fabrics like towels and jeans.  The clothes do come out pretty wrinkled but I have found if you smooth out the fabric before hanging to dry this gets rid of most.  But ironing is not that difficult.  My landlord lives right behind me, we share the wall where I use this machine and I have not heard any complaints.  If I run my dishwasher at the same time I can't hear the washer at all.  My dishwasher is actually louder.  When I turn on the vent in the bathroom (where the machine is), it masks the sound of the washing cycle fairly well.  I use All brand HE detergent & drain the water into a 2 gallon plant watering can (for each drain) & use it to water my non-edible plants.  This type of All is biodegradable, safe for grey water use.  Not sure about other brands of HE detergent.  I use approximately 1/2 of a tablespoon's worth.  Clothes come out clean & rinsed well.  I also use borax powder and have had no trouble with it dissolving.  The Downy ball also works great for the rinse cycle but I recommend putting it in after the wash cycle.  It doesn't open during the wash but does slide along the tub & makes more noise.  Something that confused me at first was how the water worked.  There is no indication in the manual (which is less than useful, there's no point in even attempting to read it) if the machine beeped or anything when adding water.  You just hook up the hose & turn the faucet on.  Physics prevents it from overflowing or spraying or wasting.  The capacity on medium is about the same as an extra small load for a normal sized washer. I can usually fit about 3 days worth of laundry on a medium load. I usually spent about $10/week at the laundry so this should pay for itself in about 6 months after figuring the cost of electricity.  I have been able to wash 1 sheet at a time & was even able to wash a crocheted twin size blanket and a queen size fleece blanket. For the most part this is a wonderful machine for the price mostly because it is more convenient than going to the laundry.


We needed a small countertop dishwasher for our rec room, and after a few months of use, I can say this one is working out very well.

It shipped quickly, with no damage (the box was pretty tattered, but the packing material and the actual dishwasher were fine). It's large for a countertop device, certainly bigger than most microwaves. Be sure to measure your available space, especially clearance to any cabinets above your installation site.

I hit some minor bumps getting it installed. The dishwasher hose nozzle is supposed to connect to your kitchen faucet using a threaded  quick-connect coupler included in the box. The coupler is supposed to screw onto the end of the faucet, but the faucet on that sink was a removeable spray handle on a long hose. There's no way for the included adapter to hook up to this, so I wound up having to install a new faucet (this isn't as bad as it sounds, as we were planning to replace the old one anyway).

I brought the quick connect adapter to the hardware store with me to be sure it would fit the threads on the new faucet. Everything seemed okay in the store, but when I got home and installed the new faucet, I had some trouble. It turns out that the included adapter isn't particularly good quality, and didn't fit the faucet threads tightly enough to stay in place once the water pressure was actually turned on.

I blew the hose nozzle off the end of the new faucet a couple of times until I finally went back to the hardware store and picked up an off-the-shelf adapter. Fortunately, it looks like Danby is using all standard-sized parts, so I was able to replace the flaky adapter with a new one that works well for only a couple of dollars.

Once I had the thing up and running, it was easy to load and use. The basket is built to hold four full place settings, but I find that with some creative jiggering I can get it to take in any odd collection of dishes, mugs, baby cups, storage containers and what have you. The basket insert is removeable, converting it to an all-glasses tray, which we found useful for party cleanup.

The machine really heats the water, so dishes come out clean. Even sticky stuff like melted cheese usually cleans right up. I've never had to use the heat-boost "sanitize" setting.

It uses a very small amount of dishwasher soap and rinse fluid, and you want to be careful NOT to add too much. I made the mistake of overfilling the soap holder (spilled a little too much, figured it would just rinse out, oops) and wound up flooding my countertop in suds. This has only happened once and there was no damage. Call it a learning experience.

I saw in some of the other reviews that the timer knob occasionally won't advance when you start running the machine, and this did happen to me once as well after I'd had it for about two weeks. It hasn't recurred since then, either becuase I've been particularly careful to set the timer in the right start position, or the timer's "wearing in."

Been using it steadily several times a week for a few months now, and after the initial hiccups, it's been working fine. No complaints, and now I'm looking for a Danby under-counter mini-refigerator to replace one in the same rec room. I'd recommend this dishwasher, provided you don't mind a little effort getting it dialed in.


I bought this after blanching a bit at the $/gallon for some pitcher-style filters and learning about the limited range of substances filtered. I have a stainless restaurant counter and a wall-mount faucet, neither of which lends itself to undercounter filters.

Shipping was quick and the filter was packed will. The vendor was kind enough to use cornstarch packing peanuts, so I didn't have to deal with more unrecyclable packing material -- thanks to them for that! Two threaded adapters, with appropriate rubber washers, were included for a variety of faucets -- the unit happened to fit mine correctly without use of an adapter. The threaded mount spins independently of the plunger/aerator component, so you can tighten/untighten without having to spin the hose and filter around. It's knurled, so I got away with screwing it on finger tight using a rubber band to get more torque rather than using pliers (the knurled grip would also hide tool marks better had I not been able to get it tight enough without resorting to a tool). It's also good practice to use a strip of teflon tape when joining threaded plumbing parts, but the CuZn threaded mount had good tolerances -- no tape needed, and no feeling like it was going to cross-thread as I installed it.

The aerator on the faucet neck mount works nicely.

A narrow hose runs from the faucet to the unit (OK, that's obvious). That means you've got loose hose either dangling from your faucet, or wrapped to keep it trained, zip tied, etc.  I don't think it's reasonable to ask the vendor to include clips to train the hose on the diversity of faucets this can be installed on, and I was totally satisfied with what was included. A buyer may wish to think about how discretely you want your hose run and what kind of clip or tie that will involve.

The filter is activated by pulling a plunger on the faucet neck mount. The plunger is spring-loaded and held in position by water pressure. Mine's fine, but note that if you have poor water pressure at your faucet you may need to keep the plunger pulled with one hand while filling (so, YMMV). This means that turning off the water "deactivates" the filter -- that's fine, too.

I have municipal water that tastes pretty good, but filtering water makes a noticeable difference. The first couple gallons from this filter were gray with fine charcoal silt, but that's to be expected. No inconvenience there. Water from this filter tastes delicious -- noticeably better-tasting than from my Brita pitcher with a fresh filter. The difference extends to coffee -- the other major drink in my life. I like dark coffee that's at least a bit bitter, and I'm ever-so-slightly bummed that this water produces the taste that most sensible really like -- what we tend to call "fuller-bodied, etc." This doesn't qualify as an issue with the device, and after all I can use unfiltered tap water to make my bitter coffee.

Why four stars? First, I want to emphasize that I'm 100% satisfied by the filtering and usability characteristics of this thing. While it's not top-heavy, it's not bottom-heavy, either. Putting it in a location to fill a tall vessel like a pitcher has tipped it over a couple times. Because the housing looks like three sections of PVC, I've figured I could glue a flange to the bottom to address this issue. After a week of pretty heavy use (it's summer and my family's thirsty...) I can't say I've been frustrated by this, but have thought "if I were to improve one thing about this device it would be its balance."


Our Western NY location requires a tight house for winter so odors linger without an exhaust fan. We now use the fan often because of the low mechanical and airflow noise. The kitchen heat build-up which previously effected the entire house heating (and hopefully cooling) is now negligible.

The improved direct task lighting was an unanticipated benefit. We use 2 - 4.8 watt A15 LED bulbs providing 300 lumens each (80 watt total incandescent) which will probably operate for less than $2.00 a year. Their use may reduce the lens replacement issues often noted for the Broan hoods. We don't use the one-setting nightlight but it is nice with dimmable bulbs.

Broan rates the QT230SS as an intermediate value hood and I agree it is above all makers economy models quality after visiting the big box displays (all non-working) for a visual reference. It has a slight 60 cycle hum and fan balance vibration which seems to quit after several minutes, costing it the fifth star, that we don't find objectionable. The 3" x 10" damper provided is flimsy and I took precautions with it during installation. But overall we found the cost and benefits outweigh the minor issues.

The Broan replaced a seldom used 10" Nutone which sounded like a jet starting. Ours is horizontally vented thru the wall with the Broan #639 Exterior Wall Cap. It needed a piece of 3-1/4 x 10" x 3" long duct to extend through our thicker wall. All duct connections were sealed with silicone caulk and a good foil tape to prevent air leaks and whistling noises. I sealed around the duct running inside the wall with insulation and fireblock spray foam to rigidize it. Where the duct terminated on the interior wall I installed foam weatherseal (3/8" W. X 3/16" Thk.) on the wall around the duct opening perimeter so it would provide an air seal against the back of the installed hood. I rigidized the provided 3" x 10" damper by installing it on the hood in a bed of silicone caulk and let it set. When set, I pulled the electrical feed through the knockout, then positioned the hood by inserting the attached damper into the wall duct opening while lifting it in place against the weatherseal and shelf above and fastened it with the provided screws. (5/4 x 12-1/2 x 30-1/2 laminated Doug Fir shelf)

After connecting the power and running at full speed the attached damper opens 100% and the wall cap damper about 90%. The dampers occasionally flap on windy days but there is little backdraft compared to the old Nutone damper.

FOR THE PURIST/ENGINEER and PROBABLY NOT APPROVED BY BROAN, I also placed the same wall weatherseal on the inside of the provided damper for the movable blade to rest against in its closed position to minimize backdraft/airleakage prior to installing it on the hood. The damper is fragile unattached and it was a delicate and tedious procedure to get 100% contact of the blade against the weatherstrip so be duly warned and verify the blade moves freely as you do so. I didn't do this to the exterior wall cap damper because the moisture from cooking vapor will condense and may freeze the blade shut in frigid weather, however the interior damper should be immune to that.


I've waited nearly a year to review this product so that I could better speak to it's durability over time.  I have to say, I was a bit wary of buying this because of some of the negative reviews, but I'm so glad I did!

I live in New York City and have never had a dishwasher.  My kitchen sink was always chock full of last nights dinner plates, utensils, pans, etc.  I absolutely hate to hand wash dishes.  Every time I'd visit a friend who had a dishwasher, I'd salivate just thinking how great it would be to have one of my own.  So, I put the Danby 496W on my wish list last year and received it in mid-December.  To date, I've had NO problems whatsoever.  It runs like a dream, hasn't leaked, and cleans amazingly well.  I was so psyched to use my new dishwasher that I literally washed every single thing I owned the first day I had it.  Does this sound extreme, well, if you're someone who'd rather insert bamboo spikes under your fingernails than hand wash dishes, than you understand my elation.

I do think you have to be careful when you use it so that you don't have some of the problems others have had:

TIPS

1. Clean out the food screen each time your run the dishwasher.
2. Run the hot water first to get it really hot before connecting the dishwasher.
3. As soon as your cycle is done, crack the door open so dishes can dry quickly.  This will also help save your window's seal and it will be less likely to leak!
4. Clean out the dishwasher once per month.  I pour two cups of white vinegar into the bottom of my empty dishwasher (make sure to do this after water has filled the machine, just before the cycle starts) and then run it through the longest cycle.  It will help dissolve any buildup and will keep your dishwasher running well.
5. Be careful how you load the dishwasher.  As another reviewer said, if you have a dishes or utensils in certain places, they will hang down too low and the spinner arm will hit them and not work properly.  This isn't that complicated, you figure out how to best load it by trial and error.  It's amazing how much you can cram in this and still get a sparkling clean load!  For example, I've put six 10.5 inch dinner plates, 4 salad plates, 3 bowls, 4 mugs, two 10-inch knives, two wooden spoons.
6. Let's be honest, the 'cup' rack/shelf on the upper left side of the dishwasher is useless for cups.  I've found it very useful for washing small bowls (i.e. cereal bowls).  This frees up more room for mugs in the bottom rack.
7. Once you've got your dishwasher fully loaded, slide utensils like long chef's knives, wooden spoons, etc. in between your other dishes so that they are lying on their sides.  Just make sure that they aren't hanging down too low!
8. I find that powdered detergent works better than gel detergent. I have no idea why, but I really thing it cleans better.  Make sure to use detergent that contains enzymes as they help dissolve leftover food from your plates and utensils.

UPDATE!
Just wanted to circle back to let everyone know that my Danby is STILL going strong after two years.  I've had zero problems with it and continue to love it!

YEAR THREE UPDATE - December 2009

Today was the THIRD anniversary of my beloved Danby dishwasher.  Still running perfectly.  I will try and post a video showing how it runs and how much you can fit in it.  Glad people are finding the tips helpful!


Most of the reviews are spot on and were extremely helpful for me in setting up this Kegorator.  A few exceptions to note:
1. Again, they could do better with the instructions; the tower seal can be found on the plug (that would be used if you were using this as a fridge only and were not installing the beer tower).  It is very difficult to twist the tower into the locking position with the seal on there.  I got help from a friend and one pushed the tower down while one twisted it.  I guess you can use some sort of non-toxic lubricant as well.
2. The spring that you remove from the coupler does not get reinstalled at all.  I assume it is strictly there for shipping.
3. The spare parts are exactly that, spare parts.  Dont worry that you have a lot of parts left over after assembly.
4. DO NOT PURCHASE A 15.5 GAL HALF KEG AS YOUR FIRST KEG.  Trust me on this, it took me a few days to get my temperature/pressure just right. You cannot see the gauges with a full keg so purchase a  (7.75 Gal) so you can see and reach your regulator for adjustments.  Also, you could lose some beer during the dial in process.
5. The regulator that comes with this unit is JUNK!  Mine came with an allen wrench, but there was no setscrew in the regulator to turn.  Plus, the thing leaked so bad through the adjustment I just went ahead and purchased a Taprite dual guage regulator from Cornykeg.com for $47.95, as well as a new 6 5/16 hose.  The unit is still a terrific value even with the terrible regulator.
6. I like cold beer (~34 degrees), but at the highest setting out of the box the fridge only got to 42 degrees.  I purchased a cheap fridge thermometer from Walmart and keep in the Kerorator to ensure Im getting the temps right before making any adjustments. Kudos to the person who first posted these directions on adjusting the thermostat.  On the back of the unit youll find your temp adjustment knob. Place the knob halfway between min and max and remove the knob.  Remove the two screws holding the box onto the unit, then remove the two screws holding the thermostat to the box.  There is a screw just over where the shaft for the knob is.  Turn that one full turn clockwise. Wait a few hours and see what your temp goes to.  If you have a keg in there it could take longer. I didn't put the thermostat back together until I had it dialed in perfectly, but the choice is yours. You should be able to regulate the temp with the knob now between 32-38 degrees (thats what mine does).
7. I suggest purchasing an additional Co2 tank and keeping a rotating pool.  When the regulator that came with the unit leaked out all my gas in two days I was prepared with the new regulator/hose and a fresh tank.
8. Now that Im dialed in Im ready for a 15.5 Gal keg!

Aside from the crappy regulator and ambiguous instructions this unit is really a value buy at $383.00 delivered to your door.  I definitely recommend it to those who love the taste of fresh draft beer in the comfort of your own home.


The quality control about this product has been a total joke.

I was new to the different types of kegs, etc., when I looked into getting this for the office. Just the same, I saw that this was compatible with D-link and Cornelius kegs. I ended up buying a Cornelius pin-lock (incidentally, I'd recommend now getting a Cornelius 'ball' lock, which is a lot more common with home brewing, and was confused until I figured out what was going on when this thing came in. Be aware that this Kegorator is configured for D-link kegs, which are only used commercially and un-cleanable for normal folk without specialized equipment.

First things first. The kegerator came with a dented door, and the first night of going through the directions and the parts, I noticed the air hose and connector intended to connect the coupler and the CO2 regulator was missing. It was also missing the gasket that goes between the tower and the top of the fridge. The good thing about dealing with Amazon was that they agreed to refund me $100 for the dents and that it might cost me extra money to obtain replacement parts from Nostalgia.

So to adapt the parts to a pin lock keg, I had to go to the local supply store and purchase some extra stuff, some red hose line for the CO2, the things to attach the lines to the keg, and various adaptors and barbs from a couple of home improvement stores. Then, when I had everything together and turned on the gas the first time, the regulator that came with the kegerator had a small leak at the gas capacity gauge.

I haven't tested the temperature of the fridge yet, but was annoyed to see that the temp dial was in the lower back corner, where I intended to have the kegerator sitting in a corner. Terrible place for that dial. For anyone who would put the kegerator anywhere except sitting totally out in the open.

After all was said and done, it took a lot of time and several trips to various places, and quite a bit of improvising, to get this up and running properly, and I still intend to contact Nostalgia to have them replace the regulator, because I'm leaking minute amounts of gas. Amazon was a good sport, of course, with customer service, but this would have been a major pain to just return and exchange via Prime. I'll update the review with the results of dealing with Nostalgia directly, as well as the temperature and other new developments.

---

Update:

The beer isn't as cold as ideal, but it is okay I guess. My thermal imager is gauging it in the high 30's.

I contacted Nostalgia about the regulator, and after having me describe it (to determine whether or not it was a warranty issue), they sent me a replacement regulator and tower gasket without hesitation.

---

Update (2014)

When we moved offices, I replaced the regulator that Nostalgia sent, but there's still a small leak somewhere in there, so we're stuck with leaving the gas off until we want to pour some beer, at which time I'll turn it on until it's pressurized, then turn it off again. The pressure valve is finnicky and requires frequent readjustment. The beer is cool, but at max refrigeration settings, this kegerator cannot achieve ideal temperature. Keeping an eye out for a replacement.


I bought this model in January 2012.  It's worked great so far and we have enjoyed many 1/2 barrels and 1/6 barrels of beer.  As stated in other reviews, don't pay attention to the old reviews.  This is a good, quality kegerator.  FYI - 1/2 barrels are the ones you see at keg parties and are approximately 15.5 gallons and weigh about 160 pounds.  1/6 barrels are the same height as a 1/2 barrel keg, but are much skinnier and are approximately 5.5 gallons and weigh about 60 pounds.

There have been a few items that I wish I would have known about, which would have prevented some frustration along the way.  These may be common sense to some, but as a newbie kegerator owner, I didn't have a clue.  I wanted to share in case other newbies can benefit from my experiences.  I found these things out on my own or after searching the internet.

Faucet
 * Clean it after every keg.  It comes apart, so disassemble it every time and clean it thoroughly.
 * To keep the faucet from sticking, take a small spray bottle of water and spray water up into the faucet.  It sticks after a day or two of not being used and sometimes it's really difficult to pull the faucet.  Something about the sugars in the beer are exposed to air which makes the faucet stick.  Consider getting a Perlic faucet to prevent this.

Cleaning
 * Clean everything after every keg.  This may be a little overkill, but I didn't clean it after three 1/6 barrels of the same beer and I got beer stones in my lines.  Basically, it discolored my beer lines making them look dirty.

CO2 Bottles
 * This comes with a 2.5 lb. bottle, which works just fine.  Probably lasts for 5-6 kegs.  I now have a 5 lb. bottle (which does fit on the back shelf even with the regulator on it) and it's lasted me for seven 1/2 barrels and it's still showing that I have quite a bit left.

Replacement parts
 * This kegerator comes with a few parts, but it's a good idea to get a few more, especially the rubber washers.  Also have some extra beer line on hand, with the proper connectors.
 * The parts it does come with are OK, but I have replaced the faucet and lines with better quality units, which make it even better.

Other notes
 * Let a keg sit at least 2-3 hours after transporting it to let the beer settle, otherwise you could have very foamy beer.  It's even better if you let it sit overnight.
 * You can transport a keg on its side without issue, just let it sit for at least a couple of hours.
 * Not all kegs are created equal.  Most foreign beers (and some domestic craft beers) either will not fit in this kegerator or need a different keg coupler to connect to this kegerator.
 * I actually have this model built into my bar.  While it's not designed to be put into a bar, I made sure I have plenty of ventilation by putting 2-3 small fans near the back of the unit to keep everything as cool as possible.  I use small USB computer fans to do this plugged into a regular outlet.
 * This has drastically reduced my bar tab at some of my favorite establishments as I don't need to go out much anymore.

Hope this helps someone out there that has or is looking to buy this kegerator.


I too was a little skeptical at first, but it all worked out fine.  First off; read, read, read others reviews for installation tips.  I did and it all worked out for the best.  First off, if you're going to go ahead and upgrade to a 5-gal CO2 tank, do it and order at the same time you order your kegorator.  You'll end up saving a few dollars.  I didn't and instead of paying $60 through Amazon, I paid $90 + tax for an empty tank. Here are more recommendations:
1.  The instuctions are a little vague, but try to follow them and the recommendations of others.  There are lots of extra little gaskets and misc. parts that are shipped with your unit.  Don't panic and think you've missed a step.
2.  As recomended, use teflon tape on all fittings.
3.  It doesn't tell you in the manual, but do as others recommende and USE the rubber gasket when you install the beer dispenser tower. I sprayed the gasket with WD-40 first.  It was still a bit of work to twist and lock the tower, but if you omit installing this gasket, you'll lose cold air.
4.  When you first instal your CO2 tank to set your pressure, be sure to turn the regulator valve all the way off, the open the tank valve (just one turn), then open your regulator valve to the required pressue (7-11 psi).  I found it easier to set the preferred pressure at the CO2 valve and when it stabilized, I used the allen wrench to lock the regulator valve at that pressure.  Note:  Be patient when making this adjustment.  Turn it slighly and wait for it to stabilize.
5.  I was one of the unfortunate few who's kegorator did not get cold enough at first. The coldest it got was 40 degrees with it turned to MAX and waiting overnight for it to cool down. I followed the recommendation of others, removed the thermostat housing and thermostat, adjusted the screw a few turns clockwise and reinstalled thermostat. Now the temperature sits at 36 degrees with the thermostat set just a 1/2" before the max setting.

Now for the not so good part.  After all was said and done (e.g. correct temperature and CO2 pressure), I tapped my keg and discovered that I had a faulty beer line.  It had a pin hole at the 90-degree bend of the beer line tail piece.  Beer went everywhere which of course rendered the unit unuseable.  I called the number in the instruction booklet, explainded my issue and they sent a complete beer tower at no cost. BTW, I went ahead a purchased a replacement metal tail piece at a local Home Brew store, cut the plastic tube, inserted the new piece, clamped it down with one of the 'extra' clamps provided and it works fine.  I have an extra beer tower just in case.

I now have ice cold Yuengling Lager on tap.  So, if you follow the recommendation of others, and with a little patience, you shouldn't have many, if any, issues.

Update:  It's been well over a year and my Kegorator is still working like a charm.  Cold, cold beer! Cheers.


A few things to note.

The packaging was poor.  There was a black metal tray that was dented and bent, thankfully it doesn't seem to be a required piece of the unit, so that is good.  At least I haven't been able to find it located in the parts list or in the installation manuals.

The bag holding all the small o-rings and various parts was torn and ripped open, so I had to literally examine every inch of packaging hoping to find all the lose parts that had been thrown about, some of which even fell out of the box as I first opened it up (the bag was zip loc, not sealed, which only exasperated the situation).  Thankfully, most of these are extras, so even if I had lost some of them I would have probably been fine, except for a few special o-rings.

Everything was filthy, dirty.  I had to clean and disinfect every inch of every part, including the inside of the main unit itself, because they were covered with dirt, dust, packaging goop, tape stick-um, etc. etc.  I had planned on wiping down most things anyway, but the amount of crap everywhere was ridiculous.

The little tiny allen wrench in the parts bag is used to loosen the control knob on the two stage regulator, who's screw is on one side of the regulator knob body.  Just an FYI because there is no picture of its location, only a lacking explanation.

The screw caps on the bottom that are used to level the unit if the wheels are not installed are cheap, and one of mine was broken off, so the unit will not sit level, unless if I were to install the wheels, which I don't need to do for my purposes, but may have to in order to keep the unit from wobbling.

FYI, the values they have for length and width are actually backwards.  The width (side to side) is actually the 20", and the length (back to front) is the 25".

The temperature control knob is actually behind the unit, on the left, beside the compressor.  In case you go stick it in a cubby hole, make sure you adjust this knob first so you don't have to pull it back out to reach it.  Regardless, the unit isn't all that heavy, so its not that bad to move, just a bit large is all.

Having said all of that, everything went together relatively easy.  The shear amount of parts seems daunting at first, but once assembled its really not all that bad.

The unit itself looks really nice.  I wish the hole where you mount the tower was a little further forward, but whatever.

I have not actually used it thus far as anything other than a fridge (I need to modify my bar a bit first before I can officially install it), so I cannot say whether its main function actually works as intended, but up till now, at a medium temperature setting, it has gotten very cold.  I need to measure the temp, but coming from my main fridge at 35, to this unit, the beer does not seem any warmer, so that is something.

When I eventually try it out as a real kegerator, I will update this review to account for any new findings.  Until then, the fridge works well, and the parts go together easy enough, and look like they should work w/o a hitch.  The unit gets cold, and it got cold fast, so you should be fine in that regard.  It seems to have frosted up a bit near the back plate, hopefully that goes away.


UPDATED 14April2012.
I've had this keg-o-rator for a few months now.  I really wanted it to be good and started it a four stars.  I now have to drop it to two stars as I would not recommend it.  The price is great, but I would suggest getting one that works from the start.  Or better yet, build your own out of an old refrigerator.  On this model, I like how they added a concave door to a mini-fridge to accommodate a full sized keg (1/2 barrel).  I also like how the CO2 connections are threaded.  Hose clamps are included but not needed for this set up.  Actually there are a lot of parts included that are not used in the set up.  They must be leftover from the original design.  You can tell this design is very different from what is described in older reviews (2010 and before).
I gave two stars because of four issues.  I will list them in order of my concern.
1. When the compressor is off the unit is quiet (of course).  At the coldest setting the compressor kicks on about every 15-20 minutes and it is too loud for a living room.  I have it in the next room over and it is still annoying.  There is no insulation to absorb the compressor sound.  I considered insulation, but that would restrict needed air flow.
2. Originally at the coldest setting the temperature inside is 40-44 degrees.  After reading another post I learned that there is an adjustment screw under the thermostat cover.  I took off the thermostat cover and gave the screw two full clockwise turns.  That made it too cold and I was unable to adequately adjust the temperature with the thermostat.  I had to turn the screw back about 3/4 of a turn.  Now the temp ranges from 34-39 degrees at the coldest setting.
3. The included CO2 bottle is less than a standard 5 pound bottle.  This is probably so you can get it up on the little shelf in the back of the keg-o-rator and out of the way for a full sized keg.  My local supplier does not refill CO2 bottles.  He only swaps out standard bottles.  I had to buy a 5 pound bottle for $100.  Future swaps are only $14.  The 5# bottle will not fit inside the included CO2 bottle strap.  I did get the 5# bottle onto the shelf, but the shelf is too narrow to keep it from falling forward.  This is very dangerous for a compressed gas bottle, but I was able to keep it up there by tying it down with line to the brackets installed for the smaller bottle.
4. My last concern is small, because I have a personal preference for German beer.  Most people will drink use local beer kegs which fit fine.  This unit will not hold a keg of Spaten with the coupler installed.  This unit comes with the US style coupler which matches most kegs.  I like Spaten which required me to purchase a German slider coupler.  I easily attached the new coupler because of the threaded connections, but it was about two inches too tall to fit inside the keg-o-rator.  I took out the keg plate at the bottom of the keg-o-rator and was still off by an inch.

Bottom line is I spent $350 for the keg-o-rator, $100 for the 5# CO2 bottle and $80 for the new coupler (which was optional).  It is noisy and I had to modify the thermostat to get it cold enough.  If I had it to do over again I would stick with bottled beer or build my own keg-orator out of an old (quiet) refrigerator.


For those wanting measurements for the mounting holes, here are the measurements from the manufacturer and I even took the time to verify the measurements against my set:
A.  The two outer holes for the fan blade measure 3 - 15/16" apart on center.
B.  The distance from either outer hole to the single center hole is 2 -5/8".
C.  The two holes to mount the arm to the motor measure 2 -1/16" apart on center. (Measured from the center of both holes)
I've provided a customer image to help explain.

I doubled checked these with my fan blade arms and the measurements check out.  I hope that helps someone out!  Just don't get mad at me if the manufacturer changes things up at some point.

I just used a set of these to save an aging ceiling fan in my parents' house.  I was helping my momd dust an old ceiling fan and I just lightly touched one of the blades and it fell off. It must have been cracked and waiting to let go. I'm just glad I found it this way instead of turning on the ceiling fan and discovering it the hard way.

These blades fit perfectly on an old fan that isn't even a Westinghouse brand. The only measurement I was concerned with was the width of the bracket going to the motor.  The holes lined up just fine but the bracket width of the motor mount area itself was a little larger. Fortunately it wasn't significant enough to cause any fit issues. (I was worried about possibly needing to grind down the ends of the mounts at first glance.)  These feel a little lighter than the originals but they still feel sturdy and well made.

PROS:
+  Affordable and much cheaper than replacing an entire fan (This saved my parents $100 )
+  Easy to install if the holes line up
+  Hardware to mount the blade to the arm is provided.  (You need to reuse the old screws that mount the blade arms to the fan motor itself)
+  A set of 5 maintains balance so you don't get a wobble or off balance fan from using a mix of old and new arms.
+  Even if the holes don't line up correctly for the fan blades you can drill new holes (Just make sure you follow the instructions and keep things centered.)

CONS;
-  If the holes don't line up you may need to drill your fan blades
-  I understand why but you can't buy these unless you buy an entire pack of 4 or 5.  If you'd break a replacement mount again in the future you'll still need to purchase 4 or 5 because that's how they're sold.

TIPS:
-  You really should replace ALL of your old fan blade arms even if only one or two are damaged. This is recommended to maintain proper balance.  These replacements almost definitely have a different weight than the original  fan blade arms. Having a lighter arm on one side and a heaver arm on the other can lead to balance problems, wobble and more. Play it safe and take the extra time to replace them all.

-  Save your old/existing screws that mount your fan blades to the fan itself. (2 per fan blade arm) These screws aren't provided with your purchase and you'll need them to reinstall the fan blades.

-  The most important/critical measurement is going to be the measurement for C. (the distance between the two holes that mount the fan blade arm assembly to the fan motor itself.  You can always do a little drilling on the fan blades themselves if the other 3 holes don't line up properly.


The edgestar countertop dishwasher is a very good dishwasher. It is short enough to fit under my cabinet doors, and just the perfect size to fit between my sink and oven. You will definitely want to measure hieght, width, and length of your countertop next to your sink before purchase, since if it  is even a little too large, it obvious won't fit and makes it's relative usefulness 0.

The product in question cleans my dishes well. Some dishes have to be placed in the dishwasher at an angle. You can fit most pots and pans in there, as long as you are willing to dedicate a wash to just one or two pots or pans. The only thing I haven't been able to fit are cookie sheets.

On a daily basis, I usually must preform 2-3 washes between me an my fiancee to keep the dish sink empty. The item is relatively light weight, and with the exception of it's size, I had no problem lifting it up to the counter.

If you are restricted to a small apartment without a dishwasher, this is a great idea in order to keep your dishes clean.

The product recommends attaching a permanent water line, which kind of defeats the purpose of a portable dishwasher. However, the sink attachment works great. Both hoses are attached together, so you don't have to worry about one flying out of the sink. It easily detaches and reattaches, no leakage as long as you make it secure. It also has a release button to release pressure safely before you remove the attachment.

The dishwasher consists of three cycles. Normal/short/ and rinse. When you start Normal cycle with the eggtimer style clock it will continue on through short cycle. After short cycle is done, it stops. You will need th start rinse cycle manually, but since this cycle is only a convenience, not a necessity, it's up to you whether to use it. There are two other buttons, the power button (self explanatory) and the saniwash dry button. The sani button superheats the water in order to be sanitary. It also seems to help with the after drying, seeming to be kind of a steam dry. It is very useful if you accidentally let some bacteria start growing on something you washed to be extra sanitary. I would not recommend using all the time however, since the hotter temp it uses probably puts more wear and tear on the dishwasher, although thats just a theory, nothing confirmed.

Anyway, great device for people who hate doing dishes and want a slightly easier time. It's noisy, but not much more than any standard dishwasher. Make sure it fits and you shouldn't have any difficulty with it.

Update:

About two months after getting it, the attachment to the sink broke. I called them back, they asked for my tracking number, which I had to obtain from the seller. After that, they sent me the attachment free no questions asked, arrive in 5 days, not a bad deal...

UPDATE 2:

I no longer have this dishwasher. The attachment I spoke of breaking I ended up having to replace 3 more times before I finally used my own hose attachments and rigged my own attachment that was metal and held up better. Shortly after, the dishwasher started leaking through the glass door. This was roughly two years after getting it. At that point, I had to put it to rest, as I was unable to repair it. It does seem to be the best dishwasher out there for that size, but I have found it riddled with  problems and there always seemed to be something with it breaking. It's great if you don't have a choice, but for $100 more, most cheap full size dishwashers could outperform this one any-day.


After I moved into my New apt. and had to pay for my water for 1st time I decided to buy a Brand New Washer & Dryer set,at the time I had a little X-tra money and seeing I was going to be on a Fixed Income now that it might be a good idea,washers & Dryers usually last at least 10 years or so and it was an Energy Star,save more money and being a single mom this was good.
 Well things went well for awhile the washer cleaned well and spun so much water out they took no time at all to dry esp. in my New Matching Dryer,then one day I goto check my wash and find my Basement is Flooded & water is Comming out the Front Door of this Washer,so I run to shut it off,and clean up the water that I have to Pay for,then we try again and yep it still is leaking out and I end up having to call a Repair Guy,he comes and finds the problem but doesn't carry the needed part but charges me about 60.00,I order the part & Install myself to save a few bucks and it works fine,for awhile anyway...
  A few months latter Again we have the Flow of Water out the Front Door of the washer but no real reason for it,and again I have to clean up water all over the Basement & then it seems to be fine and working. So a few months latter I throw in a load of laundry and when it was done I went to get it,well I can't seem to get the Washer Door Open and Nothing I did would get it to Open it's holding my wash Hostage and I was SO MAD Now What? I looked,I fiddled,I even called my electrician friend to see if he could by pass a switch or something but Nope that didn't work & I just didn't have the money to get the repair guy over again so I left the wash in there,either that or I break the door to get my wash & I allready wasted enough I felt,thank goodness I still had my old washer to use.
  Not long after washer Nightmare I went to dry my wash and the Dryer was making a Horrible noise,so I look around inside mabey it's change or something,Nope,I was afraid to use it,it sounded that Bad. So after going to the laundromat a few times I said this is Stupid,so I went & took the Dryer apart to see if I could see anything,well let me warn you if U ever need to look inside yours be Carfull it's Super Sharp inside,guess they couldn't bother to grind the sharp edges,my son ran & got me a couple Band-Aids & I kept going,I didn't see anything wrong and put it all back together,the noise isn't as bad as before so I'm just gonna keep using it as long as I can unless I find a new affordable set.
 I only used the "Set" for around 2 years & Less before I started having problems with Washer.
  When they say it's Energy Efficient there Not Lying esp. when the washer uses No Electricity when it's Not Plugged In/Working & Great on Water esp. when it's no longer hooked-up!!
  I wish I had the X-Tra 400.00 for extended Warranty but I could've bought a brand new one for that much.

  For Sale Energy King,Queen: Broken Fairly New Washer/Dryer Set,Excellent on Water & Elect. Kidding....


Updated Review...

I may end up saving a lot of peoples aggravation with this unit with this information.

When I purchased this unit, I owned it for about 6 months and the "Water Out" was flashing when there was water in it.  Drained it all out, put new water in, and same problem.  Called support, ended up paying $$$$ to send it back in for repair/replacement and got the new one back.

After about a years of use, and I use it daily and love it, same problem last month.  The only thing I did was did a clean as recommended in the instructions with vinegar and water, used it for about a week, and presto, back to the same problem.  The unit is out of warranty, and I was just going to toss the whole thing into the trash I was so fed up.

Instead, I got online, poked around and heard about how this guy tore the whole unit apart, because of the same problem.  I did the same thing, but I should have continued reading.

There is a filter in the water intake like a mesh screen (in the little notch in the water reservoir) that was clogged.  Unfortunately, I tore all the plumbing out, forced a plastic straw down the water intake pipe, it popped out and sure enough, it was clogged.

I put the everything back into place, while pieces of the unit were sitting all over the kitchen with my girlfriend looking at me like I was going nuts or something, plugged it back in, loaded it with water, and off it went making ice again.

In the parts diagram in the book, it does not show you this piece which kind of ticks me off because I spent a good part of the afternoon ripping the unit apart and putting it back together again.  And then thinking of all the money I spent to send it back to Newair with them not mentioning this to me.  And the part must cost .05 cents tops!!!!

I don't have fingernails, I keep them trimmed up, but I could have easily had the problem resolved in a few minutes had I known that was the problem.

And I almost ended up just trashing the unit.

Original Review.

Was a little skeptical about this machine, but when it arrived, I had to check it out.

Did the recommended cleaning, rinsed it all out, poured a gallon of water in it, and it took off making ice like you would not believe.

One other thing I was curious about is how much electric does this thing really suck up.  I have a Killowatt meter and started measuring how many kilowatts it uses.  To my surprise, a all 1/2 day hook up and running full time does not even generate 1/2 killowatts.  Amazing!!!!

No problems with smell  have no smell, and I did a clean cycle with viniger), works great out of the box, and not a big energy user but it sure sounds like it sucks up some power but my Killowatt is not showing signs of that.

In the past being on well water, with the hardness, I don't think I would want to try that out.  I am sure it will clog things up over a short period of time.  I am on nice clean city water.

Once this baby starts making it first batches of ice, it just rocks and rolls.

Very nice product.

A little big, a little noisy, but that's ok.  Picture shows it as being smaller.

Very good price for what I received and does more than what I expected.

Good job NewAir.


We use tons of ice, for blended shakes and ice tea/soda, usually at least three 7lb bags a week. But reading the reviews it seemed like ordering this could be hit or miss and spending this kind of money on a 50/50 chance made me beg off. But my Wife got it for me for Christmas, and I have to say it has worked great and we love it so far.

Here are my thoughts and recommendations based on the doubts I had after reading the bad reviews.

First, let it sit, we let our machine sit upright for over 24 hours before we used it for the first time.
Second, clean the interior with a very mild soap solution and then rinse it very well and dry it off.
Third, toss the fist few batches of ice just to make sure you get rid of any batches with lingering flavors from the plastic.
Fourth, use filtered or some other source of clean water that tastes good to you.
Fifth, if you want to put the ice in the freezer use 1 gallon plastic bags.
Sixth, Profit!

One of my biggest fears was that people said putting the ice in the freezer turned it into a big giant frozen blob, and this would make using it in shakes very hard, but we found an easy solution for this. Instead of putting the cubes into a ice bucket we put the cubes into a 1 gallon plastic bag. Each time we add ice to the bag we simply break the ice in the bag up, it is very easy to break apart and once you do it usually stays loose. The bag is a very easy way to move and pour the ice into a glass or a blender.

It takes about one Britta pitcher full of water to fill up the machine and that makes about two full 1 gallon bags of ice on the small cube setting. And we usually run the machine for one full water cycle a day and that has kept us in plenty of ice, enough to make 3 shakes a day and have 2 to 4 cups of tea/soda a day.

How long the machine runs is up to you, once the basket if full, about 4 to 5 batches, the machine will shut off until you clear the basket, so if you stay on top of it, it will only take about 3 to 4 hours to make the entire batch. The ice tray drains right back into the water reservoir so even though the machine interior is cold you do not have to worry about melting ice if you forget.

The machine is relatively quiet but it does have a fan on the side that runs from time to time. And even when the machine says its out of water there will still be about a half inch of water in the reservoir. So if you plan to leave it off for a while you may want to drain the water.

I have noticed that if the basket fills up and the machine shuts off, once you clear the basket it may not start making ice again right away. There is a small metal probe that the basket sits on, this is a thermometer, and if ice is touching the probe it shuts down. So to get the machine started right away after you dump the basket just put your fingers on the metal probe to warm it up and it will start making ice right away.

So far this is a complete win, we are saving over 250 dollars a year on ice, and even if this machine only lasts 6 months, and we have to buy another one we are still saving money. Plus add the convince of not having to constantly buy ice and it just keeps getting better.

If you have any doubts just go for it, and follow these instructions, you can always get a refund so there really is no risk.


I have had this unit for almost 2 years and it has been plugged in and running 24/7. We bought it originally because we do lots of shakes and smoothies and my refrigerator icemaker never came back to life after 3 attempts at repairs. We got tired of buying bags of ice, and we use way too much ice to use trays, so we bought this icemaker from amazon in 2013. It is awesome! I keep it right on my kitchen counter between the sink and the blender. I fill a pitcher with water from the sink and pour it into the unit, and I scoop the ice right from the unit into the blender. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because the plastic water tray that holds the water where the ice is actually made just got a crack in it, and now the unit will not make any ice. I live in an area with very hard (well) water and we put water right out of the faucet into the unit. I wonder if the plastic just couldn't handle the minerals in the water here(?). Anyway, after 3 frustrating weeks of doing ice trays and bags, and since my 14 year old refrigerator doesn't seem to be on its deathbed, I'm back on amazon contemplating buying another one. Even though the first one lasted only 2 years, for the price I paid vs. the extraordinary convenience I feel like it is worth it AND much cheaper than buying a new refrigerator. Here are a couple of items to note:
1. If you leave the unit on, it will stay cold enough to keep the ice in the bucket mostly frozen, and as long as you use the ice at a steady pace, you don't need to dump the extra ice in your fridge freezer. Note, however, this unit is not a freezer. The inside is basically cold like a refrigerator is. At the times when we've wanted extra ice on hand, we simply dump the ice into our fridge freezer more often and this unit just keeps pumping it out.
2. If the unit has been unplugged for a while, or if you are using faucet water (vs. cold water from the fridge), or if the unit is running outside (at a campground or picnic for example) we have noticed that it takes longer to make the first couple batches of ice. I think this is due to the fact that when the unit is warm, or the water is warm, then it has to take extra time to cool itself down. But once it's been on a while, the batches come fast and steady and there's no slowdown unless it runs low on water or if it fills up the basket.
3. If the power goes out or the unit is shutdown mid-cycle, follow the directions on the label in the unit to get it to restart properly. Restarting it can be a little unreliable if you don't follow the directions.
4. It does make some noise when it's running, and of course you can hear it when it dumps the ice in the bucket, just like with a regular refrigerator ice maker. I noticed the noise the most when it was running low on water. It was never noisy enough to really be a bother, however, and i could certainly talk on the phone or have conversations and not get distracted by the noise. The best way i can describe it was almost like having white noise in the background. Visitors to my home frequently noticed the unit in my kitchen, but only because of the bright red box on the counter, not due to the noise. And I think a lot of them were a little jealous of our cool little icemaker.


This gets a 5 star rating from me. It's built really well and it's very quick at putting out ice. My wife and I are bartenders and have get togethers with friends at least once a week. We make so many cocktails that the refrigerator ice maker couldn't keep up with us. Rather than buy bags of ice, or bag the ice during the week from the fridge to save for "cocktail nights" I looked into getting something else that made ice without the pain of freezing ice cubes in trays (I hate to be lazy, but I wasn't going to do that every week).

For those confused about how this thing works, it's pretty basic and any bad review about having to do this or that to keep the machine making ice should be ignored. It has a holding area for water. Keep that filled. We have a blender next to this thing and we just fill the blender basket with water and dump it in the ice maker (takes two fills and about 20 seconds to do). You're all set for quite a bit of ice after that. In about 15 minutes you'll have your first dump of ice cubes. The tray that holds the ice cubes inside of the machine has slits on the bottom so when the ice in the machine melts, it goes right back into the process of making more ice. We always use the large cube setting and the ice melts nicely with the drinks. I'm not a huge fan of "red", but I don't really care since this icemaker does its job very well. We have it sitting on the kitchen counter and the window on the top of the door is kind of pointless, but who cares... if you had it sitting lower it may be really useful to someone.

There is very little effort to keep the icemaker focused on its job... making ice. The lights on the front do exactly what they're supposed to. Green means on and the size of cube choice. Red means either "I'm out of water... fill me", or the bin is full of ice. There is a big metal sensor on the inside right of the machine. If you want an insane amount of ice, just do this trick... If an ice cube comes in contact with this sensor, just take the little scoop it comes with and move some of the ice away from it. It'll pump out a ton of more ice. If the sensor didn't exist then this machine would keep making ice until it ran out of water. The only thing I noticed is that if you let it run out of water, and then fill it, it may not continue to make ice. Just press the power button and wait like 10 seconds. The machine will turn off and then the pump releases the water back into the holding tank. Turn it back on and you'll hear the pump fire back up and it will begin the icemaking process all over again.

I love it, and we have used it EVERY day since it arrived. One thing to note is that it does not have a freezing/refrigeration type of cooling to keep the ice frozen. It will and does melt back into the icemaking process. We don't really care because it's in a constant rotation of making ice and don't consider it any kind of deal breaker. It would greatly increase the cost, I'm sure. Along with the size and probably the electricity it would use. I could definitely see this as an RV must have, or even on a boat.

Bartender tested and approved.


After less than two years, the dual MR16 lights stopped working. I sent an email to tech support at the company, and they advised I bypass the 110V-12V transformer, and install GU10 bulbs instead (running the lights at 110V instead of 12V). They even sent me pictures showing what needed to be done, and offered to sell me their very own $50 kit, which made it all plug and play (and convenient).

Before ordering anything, I looked over the unit a bit more. No power in or out of the 12V transformer. I looked over the circuit board, and found a blown 5x20 glass fuse hidden on the main circuit board. I had to pull a wire off the board to gain access, which was secured with a crimped-on female push-on terminal. When I tried pulling the terminal off the board, the entire male end that was soldered to the board pulled out along with it! I pushed it back in enough to make contact, but this connection is not solid, and cannot be trusted. Moving on, I replaced the fuse, and there is power into the transformer now, but nothing out. Obviously a blown transformer, but still wondering why the fuse blew.

Having much DIY electrical experience with homes, boats, and cars, I knew I could easily re-wire these lights without buying a silly $50.00 kit. It's a two hot and neutral wires split to two light bulbs, not a NASA space shuttle for God's sake.

After the re-wire, the lights work, but do not turn off. They are always on regardless of button position. Now the company is telling me I need a new circuit board (conveniently, again a $50 cost), and apparently they claim their units do not have a fuse on the board at all (even after I sent them pictures of mine). They also recommended I solder the male terminal that pulled out back to the board. They also had no explanation as to how the "mystery fuse" and board blew, and just blamed me for rewiring the lights without using their kit (typical). I'm guessing when the transformer shorted, the fuse did not blow fast enough to protect the board from damage. They refuse to acknowledge that, and will not cover any parts under good will, and will not even discount anything. They seem to believe 2-years of use is a long time.

Also, to make matters worse, because I had the grills off, my wife decides to wash them in the dishwasher, since the RangeHoodsInc website says they are dishwasher safe. They came out looking horrendous! They are severely discolored, with white powdery spots and dark blotches and a very uneven tone all around. They blamed this on phosphate-free dishwasher soap! I clean a lot of metal in my dishwasher and have NEVER seen this before. And these are $60 to replace! No where on their website does it state to use a certain type of soap in the dishwasher. On the range hood product page, it says they are dishwasher safe not once, but TWICE!

What a great way to treat a customer, especially for a 5-year young company, and a 2-year old $500 product!

Anyway, just wanted to share my experience to those shopping for a new range hood. I found very little on this company before I ordered it, and still find very little. Go for something better quality, and with real customer support.