The need for an Early Warning System at home OR how to lose $1400 worth of food and medicine

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by AD1, Aug 5, 2016.


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  1. AD1

    AD1 Monkey+++

    We went out to the garage frig/freezer last night to get a package of lettuce.

    Walked into the kitchen open the box of lettuce and it was HOT, like 80-90 degs F

    I was kind of in a fog for a few seconds while I processed this nonstandard info presented to me.

    Then it hit me! I ran to the garage and open the frig door and it was baking......

    Opened the freezer and everything was hot.

    Over $1000 worth of seafood, organic chicken, organic beef, organic pork, organic bison, organic no nitrate bacon..... All large qty as we buy in bulk. GONE.[notworking][siren]

    We never saw this coming. It must have died several days ago buy the conditions of the freezer contents. I have / had it packed just in case we lost power, the thermal mass would help mitigate the damage.

    Well that theory only works IF you know when it goes "Tango Uniform" [smsh][banghead]

    So I am ordering one of these as soon as I Have time to research it.
    https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_...=Freezer+alarms+wireless&tag=survivalmonke-20
    So it was $1400 in food and medicine and $368 in repairs when $30-$40 could have saved my bacon
     
    AD1, Aug 5, 2016
    #1
    Witch Doctor 01, chelloveck, Joe13 and 5 others like this.
  2. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    Had the same thing happen, to one of our four Winter Freezers, a decade ago, and lost all the Bread and Veggies.... Fortunately we were late in the Winter when it happened. Like almost Spring. So we just limped by, with stuff from Town, arriving on the Weekly Mail Plane... I have Thermal sensors in each of the Freezers, connected to my Network, and if the Temps go above -20F, I get Alarms, on ALL the computers, on the network....
     
    BTPost, Aug 5, 2016
    #2
    chelloveck, Joe13, Motomom34 and 3 others like this.
  3. AD1

    AD1 Monkey+++

    @BTPost What sensors are you using on your network?
     
    AD1, Aug 5, 2016
    #3
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  4. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    It is part of an OLD AppleTalk/LocalTalk Node System that the Cannery uses to monitor the Blast Freezers, and the Chilled FishBin Temps, for the Freezer/Cold Storage. My two Partners, designed and wrote the Software/Firmware for it, 30 Years ago, and I used a Spare BoardSet to do my Freezers. They use simple Calibrated Resistors in a Stainless Case and read them with an 16bit A/D Board, that then converts the Resistance to Temp, and logs it every 10 Minutes, to a Server that runs MacOS 9.2.2. The Server Software is all written in HyperCard, and each of the Network Nodes, are running Machine Language, and the Network Protocol is ADSP... This is ALL Ancient Stuff, that APPLE hasn't been supporting a least for 20 Years, but it serves it's purpose. It was first implemented, long before Ethernet, was even a Gleam in the Collegians Eye. This spring, The onboard Motorola Clock Chip used on the I/O Board, on one of the Nodes quite working... The 3.0Vdc 1/2AA Lithium Battery, that is good for 20 Years, Died.... No Clock, No timeStamp on the Data, So No data for the server to go out and get.... So No Data on the Server from that Node... Crap... Lucky I had a stock of New batteries, but I hadn't used them in over 8 years, so finding them was a chore. Replaced the Battery on the Board, and then reset the Clock Chip. (Obsolete Now, and has been for a few Decades) and back in business. Each of the Nodes can CheckSum the Battery Backed up Ram, and if it got corrupted during a Power Failure, the firmware in the Node is smart enough to call the server and get a Program Dump from the server and reload the Running Program.... We use the same Hardware to monitor Temps, and Pressures, Count the Cans coming off the Canning Lines, Count the Fish going thru the Butchering Machines, and Log the Weighing Scales, on the Automatic Fish Unloading System, out on the Dock... Same Hardware, just different Program Loads, for each activity. It was "State of the Art" 30 years ago, and now my two partners, and I, are reTIRED, and I just try and keep the System going, each Spring and Summer... I make Daily Histograms of for the Blast Freezers and FishBins, and forward them to the General Manager, Head QC Dude, and the Compressor Room Mechanic....
     

    Attached Files:

    BTPost, Aug 5, 2016
    #4
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  5. AD1

    AD1 Monkey+++

    Roger that. Nothing i can use
     
    AD1, Aug 5, 2016
    #5
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  6. AD1

    AD1 Monkey+++

    AD1, Aug 5, 2016
    #6
    Joe13 and bmtm09 like this.
  7. Tempstar

    Tempstar Monkey+++

    Tempstar, Aug 5, 2016
    #7
    Joe13, AD1 and bmtm09 like this.
  8. bmtm09

    bmtm09 Monkey

    Sorry to hear that...was bad timing too considering everything
     
    bmtm09, Aug 5, 2016
    #8
    Joe13 and AD1 like this.
  9. Yard Dart

    Yard Dart Vigilant Monkey Moderator

    You wasted all that delicious bacon due to a $40 part.....Murphy struck you hard!!
     
    Yard Dart, Aug 5, 2016
    #9
    Joe13, GOG and AD1 like this.
  10. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Had a look at that widget, didn't see any reference to the internet UNLESS you want alarms on your cell phone and/or laptop when out of the house. If you or someone else is in and out, they can catch the local alarm and do something, or that's how it looks to a nonetech type like me. Might be worth a double check. I've been looking for a reliable remote sensing indoor/outdoor thermometer, and that one crossed my sights.
     
    Last edited: Aug 5, 2016
    ghrit, Aug 5, 2016
    #10
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  11. AD1

    AD1 Monkey+++

    This is the link to the internet linked one
    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0081UR76G/?tag=survivalmonke-20
     
    AD1, Aug 5, 2016
    #11
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  12. Joe13

    Joe13 Monkey

    Joe13, Aug 6, 2016
    #12
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  13. oil pan 4

    oil pan 4 Monkey+++

    May not be a total waste.
    I had the same thing happen to me a few years ago. About 30 or 40 pounds of frozen food went bad. There had been a lot more but I was working it down so that I could eventually unplug the freezer.
    I took all the bad food that had been baking in the garage freezer for about a week put it in the trash. Then while I was cleaning out the blood sludge gunk in the bottom of the freezer my dogs knocked over the trash can and ate every bit of nasty meat. They were as happy as pigs in shit. As far as I could tell they didn't even get a tummy ache.
    Since then I leave the freezer unplugged and stock it with alcohol, hand guns and tools.
    I figure this is the only consistent out come of "having a freezer full of meat". It always goes bad due to loss of refrigeration for some reason.
     
    oil pan 4, Aug 6, 2016
    #13
    Joe13 and AD1 like this.
  14. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    Many of the Audion type Micro-Puters can be setup to do Temp monitoring, and the y have IP Networking available thru add on moduals... Same with WiFi, and Blurtooth...
     
    BTPost, Aug 6, 2016
    #14
    Joe13 likes this.
  15. Mountainman

    Mountainman Großes Mitglied Site Supporter+++

    Have monitors on our freezers, but if your gone for an extended time your screwed if the freezer goes out when you first leave.
     
    Mountainman, Aug 6, 2016
    #15
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  16. Sgt Nambu

    Sgt Nambu RIP 4/19/2018

    My sincere condolences on the loss of all your meat. Especially the bacon! :( That's a real hit to the pocket book!
     
    Sgt Nambu, Aug 6, 2016
    #16
    Ganado and AD1 like this.
  17. arleigh

    arleigh Goophy monkey

    About a month ago I lost every thing too . My own fault two ways .
    Stuff got stacked on the freezer, and it had inadvertently gotten unplugged .
    The extension cord it was on had no labeling to know what it powered , really dumb.
    Washed out and empty , I m not sure if I want to go through that again.
    It was the first time I had tried to store things in a freezer. out of sight out of mind, till it's too late.
     
    arleigh, Aug 6, 2016
    #17
  18. svjoe

    svjoe Angry Monkey

    Lost all the contents of fridge and deep freeze during the last "bad" hurricane that went through. No power for 36+ hours. Luckily Home Owner Insurance covered replacement cost of the food of like $900
     
    svjoe, Aug 6, 2016
    #18
  19. Bandit99

    Bandit99 Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    @AD1 This is good info as I got part of 1/4 side of beef and part of a case of steaks in the freezer out in the garage. It's new but if it goes Tango Uniform we would be out lots of money... I will check into one of these. Good idea and thanks for passing it along. It's one of those things you don't think of until it happens to you.
     
    Bandit99, Aug 6, 2016
    #19
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  20. AD1

    AD1 Monkey+++

    Thx sir. Yea I was crying when I tossed out 10 lbs of sea scallops and 10 lbs of organic bacon and 2 giant Salmon Filets (about 15 lbs) cut up in vacuum bags that were just caught by a friend that went to

    Edit: corrected the Nannok lodge URL Front - Nanook Lodge

    Organic Bison ribeyes @$38/lb.

    I need a drink.......
     
    Last edited: Aug 6, 2016
    AD1, Aug 6, 2016
    #20
    Ganado likes this.
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