13A Plug with indicator

[davecooper]

Is it possible to get a 13A plug with a built in blown fuse indicator. After having a freezer defrost due to a blown fuse recently, it struck me that if there is no external indicator on the freezer (which mine hasn't) you could have a blown fuse and not know until it was too late.

 

[OwainDIYer]

Something like this will detect not only mains failure but also door left open, etc

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fridge-Freezer-alarm-thermometer-sensors/dp/B001LB6R3G

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Fuses don't blow for no reason.

Unless yours was undersized, and gradually weakened, don't be surprised if the fault in the appliance which caused it to blow does it again.

 

[Taylortwocities]

I agree. Even if you could get a plug with an indicator, that would rely on you checking it very regularly (every 4 hours, perhaps).

Better to have something that will detect a mains fail and also over temprerature. And for that to provide an alarm.
A very short search on the Inerweb thingy will give you all sorts of options.

After 0.0000001 of a second i found this:. It monitors temperature and power loss and sends you a GSM text message to tell you that your lobster is melting

http://easylinkuk.co.uk/page63.html

 

[Notch7]

I agree. Even if you could get a plug with an indicator, that would rely on you checking it very regularly (every 4 hours, perhaps).

Better to have something that will detect a mains fail and also over temprerature. And for that to provide an alarm.
A very short search on the Inerweb thingy will give you all sorts of options.

After 0.0000001 of a second i found this:. It monitors temperature and power loss and sends you a GSM text message to tell you that your lobster is melting

http://easylinkuk.co.uk/page63.html

For a £100, I would just buy another lobster

 

[ericmark]

I think if the plug fuse blows then the freezer is faulty, unless you have a spare freezer then not much help knowing it has failed. I have considered some way to monitor if the RCD has tripped, and any device which can be remotely accessed will do this to an extent. With router powered by one RCD and the device from second RCD not signal means failure.

However l have a remote camera and the number of times it does not work with no fault in either house is really too high. So in real terms you would not want to to leave work, only to find nothing wrong. However something like a thermostat which you can control with your phone would at least show when all is Ok.

 

[JohnW2]

I think if the plug fuse blows then the freezer is faulty, unless you have a spare freezer then not much help knowing it has failed.

I do have 'spare' (well, multiple) freezers but, even if I didn't, I have neighbours with freezers (and have taken advantage of that fact in my time - as has also happened vice versa).

On more than one occasion, my freezer alarms (I have them on all freezers) have enabled me to shift contents into another freezer before it became unusable.

However, in terms of the OP's question, I agree that a neon indicator, or whatever, is not the answer since, as has been said, most people would not look at it often enough for it to serve the purpose.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ericmark]

Now I have freezer which show highest temperature reached during a power cut, however until I got these the problem is you should not open door so you have no idea as to state of the food.

I had a freezer fail as I was standing next to it, I had an old fridge/freezer used for brewing so switched on and left for half hour to cool before starting the transfer, even then found food at top had defrosted. I had been lead to understand if door not opened food OK for around 4 to 8 hours depending how full, this was clearly not the case.

So when we find a RCD has tripped unless the freezer has a read out, we have no idea how warm the food has got, so is it safe to eat? I did find a dialer at £80 but not sure if any real help unless the unit displays the temperature at point when power was turned on again.

 

[JohnW2]

I had a freezer fail as I was standing next to it, I had an old fridge/freezer used for brewing so switched on and left for half hour to cool before starting the transfer, even then found food at top had defrosted. I had been lead to understand if door not opened food OK for around 4 to 8 hours depending how full, this was clearly not the case.

The traditional 'teaching' is that it will remain OK for up to 48 hours, if not opened and pretty full, and I have certainly personally experienced many hours of failure without any of the contents actually 'defrosting'.

Are you sure that it had been 'failing' (in the sense of not maintaining the required temperature) for some time before it finally 'died' whilst you were standing next to it?

So when we find a RCD has tripped unless the freezer has a read out, we have no idea how warm the food has got, so is it safe to eat?

The food should, in fact, be 'safe to eat' if cooked properly, regardless of how long it has been at too high a temp. It may not necessarily taste 'right' (or even 'nice') but, with only few exceptions, should be safe if it has been raised to an adequate temp during cooking.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ericmark]

It may be that the auto defrost was to blame. However within a very short time stuff in the top had defrosted but bottom was still frozen solid. The motor went bang and started to buzz so it seemed likely that was when it failed. But it could have been at end of defrost cycle.

My point is if you need to lose money dashing home, then you need to be sure you can rescue the food.

 

[Taylortwocities]

For a £100, I would just buy another lobster

I suppose that living in the Cayman Islands means that you have no concern for the World's natural resources?

 

[JohnW2]

It may be that the auto defrost was to blame. However within a very short time stuff in the top had defrosted but bottom was still frozen solid.

If the auto-defrost was to blame, that would worry me a bit, and is one of the reasons why I'm inclined to steer clear of freezers with that 'feature'! Anything which allows food at the top of a freezer to repeatedly 'defrost' is surely bad news?

Kind Regards, John

 

[John D v2.0]

For a £100, I would just buy another lobster

Every time? At least you can reset the alarm and use it again

 

[OwainDIYer]

I think if the plug fuse blows then the freezer is faulty, unless you have a spare freezer then not much help knowing it has failed.

At least if you find out quickly enough you can throw the food away while it's only slightly soggy instead of waiting until it's liquified into putrefaction.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The food should, in fact, be 'safe to eat' if cooked properly, regardless of how long it has been at too high a temp. It may not necessarily taste 'right' (or even 'nice') but, with only few exceptions, should be safe if it has been raised to an adequate temp during cooking.

"only a few exceptions"?

Raising to an adequate temperature will kill any bacteria which have thrived, but will not destroy the toxins they left behind whilst thriving.