[Soumyajit9]

My good old 5 years old LG Microwave oven stopped heating !
So we summoned a LG Engineer via their customer care helpline.
The guy reached within 24 hours.

Opened up the casing to find a fried up heating coil. He had already called me before hand to confirm the issue and already carried a replacement heating coil setup with him. I asked him to go ahead and replace it. The item costed Rs.1500/-.

However the surprise came after he replaced and ran the microwave. There was a strong burning smell that came out. He stopped and checked something using his voltmeter. He said that the Transformer was also fried. Since the heating coil was gone and we had tried running the microwave, all the current flew into the transformer and had fried it also. So now, all it would do is burn out the transformer. I asked him, ok, go ahead and replace the transformer, to which came the shocker !

The transformer and the heating coil would cost me a total of around 4.5k !!
He said since it is a huge repair and the product is already 5 years old, there could be chances that things start failing after this also.
So instead of repair, go ahead and buy a new microwave. He recommended LG, Samsung or Panasonic brands only, and not IFB, surprisingly.

So I was looking at Flipkart for an exchange offer. FK is offering some 2k in exchange, and the new products are only high end (convection, huge capacity) ones.

My budget is within 7-8k because we do Grill sometimes, but never needed a convection feature. I stumbled upon my current model (with some cosmetic changes), costing me close to 8.6k. But there is no exchange offer on this particular product.

I am now confused what to do ? Should I check out stores like Pai, Girias or E-Zone or Croma for any exchange offers ?
The basic product price at these stores would be high, so even if there is exchange, it would cost me almost same as online offer (without exchange).

Guide me please !

[sgiitk]

We have had LG microwave cum grills since 1999 or maybe earlier, and have been very happy with them. The reason we opted for LG was that it has an ninfrared grill, which heats almost instantly.

[Soumyajit9]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

We have had LG microwave cum grills since 1999 or maybe earlier, and have been very happy with them. The reason we opted for LG was that it has an ninfrared grill, which heats almost instantly.

Even the one in our hometown is doing its duty since 2006 with no issues apart from one time replacement of the touch panel.

The service engineer said that the transformer or heating coil can go bust if the microwave is run for longer times at a higher wattage. He suggested to run it at a lower wattage for a longer time.

To this point I could immediately recall that we cook rice for 25 mins at the highest wattage (650 or 800 W - forgot which is the highest). This is a daily affair, apart from heating food items (in tupperware containers) for 3-4 mins.
Being a working couple. we eat a lot of heated food, and mainly rice cooking daily for about 25 mins.

[fine69]

Quick update on my newly purchased LG 6.5 kg Front Load F1296WDL24.

The best rate I got for it was 34,500/- (no extra charge on credit card + shipping it to my place).

After having a tough time getting the engineer to visit the house (took 1 week) I was finally able to use it yesterday. Honestly, I never imagined LG's customer care to be so bad. 1/10 and 1 is only for them picking up the phone.

I ran 4-5 rounds of different clothes & fabrics and am very impressed with the wash quality. All white clothes which had turned creamish were white again (I had a 15 yr old Videocon semi-automatic earlier).

The wash cycle ranged from 0:40-2:15 mins depending on how loaded I ran the thing. I did a Pre-Wash + Main Wash mostly so was expecting a high time. Was worried a bit initially when I saw incredibly low foaming but the result made my jaw drop. I had never seen such an excellent wash quality.

I used Surf Excel's Quick Wash as Pre-wash detergent and Surf Excel's Matic as the main detergent.

Questions:
1.For clothes that lose color when being washed, can I wash them in the machine somehow? I didn't see a program specific for any such thing so not sure whether its a good idea to wash such clothes in machine?

2. What kind of clothes require a softner?

3. I have programs that can wash clothes at 95 deg c. I think baby wear (for disinfection purpose) and maybe small clothes being used in the kitchen can be washed at such temperatures? Any other time I should be using such high temperature for washing?

4. Any tips from other front load owners?

Originally Posted by Prowler

@fine69: Your laptop mains unit's electrolytic could be drying out resulting in poor mains frequency filtering (in audio parlance it is called as humming). There is little you can do about this - in cost effective terms. Borrow another unit to confirm the issue with your adapter. When they fail eventually, it could damage the laptop.

This is assuming that the laptop mouse pointer behaves the same even if I use it outside my house. If that is not the case then maybe its something to do with the wiring/sockets in the house. Let me not speculate further, will use the laptop outside and update here, thanks!

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by fine69

Quick update on my newly purchased LG 6.5 kg Front Load F1296WDL24.

There are a few happy LG owners here. I think I was very unlucky to get one of the machines that dances, and have little choice but to wait for it to shake itself to bits one day. Due to my experience, I won't replace with another LG, but current buyers don't seem to have this problem.

I used Surf Excel's Quick Wash as Pre-wash detergent and Surf Excel's Matic as the main detergent.

Pre-wash is an option: you only need it for seriously dirty or stained clothes. With stained clothes, you might try something like Vanish.

Pre-wash is for when you you are covered in grease and dirt from the car, or for getting the nasty stuff out of the baby's nappies.

For every-day washes, do not use pre-wash at all. I almost never do.

1.For clothes that lose color when being washed, can I wash them in the machine somehow? I didn't see a program specific for any such thing so not sure whether its a good idea to wash such clothes in machine?

Yes, you can, but you must keep clothes of similar colours together, and you should use a low-temperature, or even cold, wash. The problem with this is that it is not really worth a machine cycle just to wash one or two items. You must be prepaired for the items to share a bit of colour!

Colour-run disasters can sometimes be washed out by putting the item straight back into the machine and washing it again. You could add some Vanish. Always do this cold: If I remember right, heat tends to fix dyes, which is the last thing you want.

2. What kind of clothes require a softner?

None.

Really... none! After many years, I came to realise that the soap companies had, basically, got us addicted to the smell of this mostly useless product!

Also note that, whilst it is useless for most clothes, it is positively bad for some: never use softener/conditioner on microfibre.

3. I have programs that can wash clothes at 95 deg c. I think baby wear (for disinfection purpose) and maybe small clothes being used in the kitchen can be washed at such temperatures? Any other time I should be using such high temperature for washing?

Nope. You are right that the "boil wash" is essentially for making stuff sterile as well as clean --- and it probably is not needed even for that. It is also likely to ruin anything other than very tough cotton.

Do not start at the top of temperature scale and work down: start at the bottom and work up! I didn't note your location before replying, but if your water comes from a roof tank, remember that the sun has warmed it quite a lot already.

In my hot, humid corner of India, it is more a case of washing the sweat out than washing the dirt off: that does not take high temperatures or long wash cycles.

These are two washes that I do most regularly:

Underpants: cotton wash or Quick cotton wash at 40C (you might choose 60)
Bedsheets: cotton wash at 40C (you might choose 60. I think 60C is recommended for killing the micro-bugs that we share our beds with)
Vesti/dhoti: 30-minute Quick Wash at 40C

4. Any tips from other front load owners?

If your wife is going t trust the machine with silks, use the hand/wool/silk cycle, a cold wash, and get some suitable (check the label) liquid soap, as in soap rather than detergent. Same goes for wool.

Hints repeated: keep the temperature lower, and the wash cycles shorter, than you think you need. Also, try using less detergent than you think you need. One measure is almost always enough and sometimes too much. If there is still any foam in the machine after the final rinse, use less detergent.

Do a full load. Do not wash things one or two at a time unless you really have to.


~

[fine69]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

If your wife is going t trust the machine with silks, use the hand/wool/silk cycle, a cold wash, and get some suitable (check the label) liquid soap, as in soap rather than detergent. Same goes for wool.

The instructions in the manual state that I'm to use powder detergent always and not liquid. Also, IIRC, the tray in which the powder goes wouldn't probably hold the liquid detergent as its levelled and liquid might just flow out of it in the machine, can check it again tonight though.

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Do a full load. Do not wash things one or two at a time unless you really have to.

One thing that I noticed was that when I filled up the drum about halfway, the tumbling etc. looked more impactful than the time when I filled it about 3/4th (though the engineer said I should fill up 3/4th of the drum). I thought lesser the clothes better the wash.

Also, is the less foaming detergent a sham. I mean lot of people have been better off using the regular detergents?

[Thad E Ginathom]

Whatever I say, use the instructions in your manual. But I can not see how it would do any harm (except with a prewash) as it all gets washed into the drum at the start anyway. My British machines all had a device that you moved up and down for powder or liquid. Liquid detergent is a much bigger thing there.

I should have worded the "full" thing more carefully: half or three quarters is fine. Literally filling the drum is not fine. I meant to save things up to wash together, rather than washing one or two things at a time.

Yes, foam in a front-loader is bad. i think it gets in the way of the tumbling, and is harder to rinse out.

[Aroy]

Here is what you do with clothes whose colour tends to run - normally cottons.
. Soak the new clothes in salt solution for a couple of hours.
. This will set the colour.

Then wash the clothes in "Cold" temperature

[naveenroy]

Ah I ended up here at the right time. I am also looking for a larger refrigerator. I have a 200ltr one right now but it is becoming a pain to store veggies and cooked food. The freezer compartment isn't too important.

I was looking at some newer Whirlpool models - 3 doors? - kinda makes sense to me to separate the veggies tray from main food too. What are your thoughts guys? Appreciate your inputs.

[fine69]

Originally Posted by Aroy

Here is what you do with clothes whose colour tends to run - normally cottons.
. Soak the new clothes in salt solution for a couple of hours.
. This will set the colour.

Then wash the clothes in "Cold" temperature

Do I do this everytime or just once?

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by naveenroy

Ah I ended up here at the right time. I am also looking for a larger refrigerator. I have a 200ltr one right now but it is becoming a pain to store veggies and cooked food. The freezer compartment isn't too important.

I was looking at some newer Whirlpool models - 3 doors? - kinda makes sense to me to separate the veggies tray from main food too. What are your thoughts guys? Appreciate your inputs.

If you have space, buy another 200-300L refrigerator. I have done that. One for daily use and one for storage. Now a days I buy vegetables once a week/10 days from super market and store them after cleaning and sorting in the long term fridge. That also has frozen stuff - tomato puree, juice etc which I make once every three/six months.

One thing that I have learnt the hard way, is that most of the larger sizes (> 300L) are still imported and have very delicate electronics, which can easily blow up with our power supply. So either you have an extensive power protection scheme, or be content with "Made in India" refrigerators.

Originally Posted by fine69

Do I do this every time or just once?

Just once. The theory is very simple. The dyer skimps the "fixing" stage as that takes time.

All that you are doing with common salt solution is "fixing" the dye to the cloth. Make a strong solution the first time. Soak for a couple of hours, rinse thoroughly. To test the fixing soak the cloth in warm water and see if the colour runs. If it does, soak for a longer time. This is a trial and error method, but you will get the solution strength and soak time right after a few tries.

[diyguy]

Originally Posted by Aroy

If you have space, buy another 200-300L refrigerator. I have done that. One for daily use and one for storage.

We have two 320liter samsung fridges. Not sure if this is the right approach. Each fridge is consuming a total of 8.5 units a day in summer. I was reading up on the larger inverter fridges and they supposedly consume as low as 330 units (approx) a year!!! That's like at least 5 times more electricity usage if not the straight linear 8 times (8.5x365) comparison. This is about 14k more in electricity bill each year. This has got me thinking...

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

I'm thinking about a new fridge, smallish, but I want a fridge-freezer.

Looking at stuff online, there seem to be a heap of "2-door fridges," which are just that: a fridge with two compartments. one of which gets cold enough to freeze ice, so maybe it can be called an ice box, but a real freezer goes down to something like -15C. A real freezer stores frozen food properly, and freezes home-cooked food for storage longer than a day or three.

In UK, such a freezer would have a four-star logo, like [***|*] on it. This is not to do with the efficiency star ratings that we see here, but indicates how long food can be kept. A write-up here ...


...Colder than I thought!

~

I guess I have to look at more fridges "in the flesh." The Samsung fridge at my step-daughter's house has this very mark, and even an temperature indicator reading -18C

Mind you, it is huge: at least twice the size of any that I would buy, but at least I know that the standard/mark that I am looking for is used here.

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by naveenroy

I was looking at some newer Whirlpool models - 3 doors? - kinda makes sense to me to separate the veggies tray from main food too. What are your thoughts guys? Appreciate your inputs.

We had a Zanussi three door (bought in the UK) for about a decade. We did not find the veggie tray that useful. What we loved (in India on some brands) is the freezer at the bottom. Saves a lot of bending down. My son's Panasonic has it.

[Sebring]

There is a new LG fridge which they say consumes power equivalent to just 2 CFLs. Guys, any comments on this?