New Isotherm Fridge arrived with swiss cheese sides

[autumnbreeze27]

So we bought a new Isotherm CR130 Drink refer for the boat, as we had a spillover but had too many issues with icing up and leaks.

So the new fridge looks great, but it arrived with 20+ holes in the insulation on each side. The front (stainless) and back (same as the sides) were spotless, but the sides look like somebody put a bunch of screws into it in random spots and then pulled them out.

So I talked to Isotherm today and they said it's just cosmetic. I'm going to see about checking them out with some kind of IR camera to see if they really are just cosmetic. Would you feel comfortable going into the tropics with insulation that looks like this? There's 20 holes on one side, the other looks almost the same.


isotherm1 by Jason Hite Photography, on Flickr

[Matt sachs]

My thoughts are that you paid for a new item, not one with dammage

[DoubleWhisky]

Originally Posted by Matt sachs

My thoughts are that you paid for a new item, not one with dammage

Well said!

[autumnbreeze27]

I don't care if it's cosmetic damage, but I'm concerned it will affect performance.

What's really frustrating is I tried emailing these pictures to the email address on their website and in the manual, and it bounced back. So I called, and then got a guys email address, and sent him the picture.

Here is the response I got:
I saw other fridges with some holes on the plastic cover around, this one I have to say got quite a lot.
This, I stated to you, will not affect the refrigerator performance in any way. This tiny holes are on an external thin plastic cover, not connected with the actual fridge insulation and after installation they are not affect the aesthetic look.
This things didn’t have to happen anyway, so please fill up this information form for our records for us to advise the production team for better result in the future.

So I filled out the form and sent it to the email address on the form, and it bounced back invalid as well. So they're 0 for 2 on published email addresses working, and I'm just a little concerned about their Quality Control measures if this is the kind of end product they deliver.

[Cheechako]

squirt some goo in there and be done with it.

[JRM]

Load it up with ice, and a quart of ice cream, and drop by your local fire station and take a peek with their TIC. You'll know whether the tech is pulling yours in about 5 seconds.

Our new cameras can actually snap stills onto a data card. Maybe you'll get lucky and you can email the results to them.

JRM

Take some extra ice cream and ask for a stick of out of service hose while you're there. It makes great chafe protection.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Nicholson58]

COSMETIC - Maybe. So would 20-some holes in his new car?

[hellosailor]

To be clear, you are saying the exterior sides of the Isotherm had holes in them, but the exterior packing, the shipping box, did NOT have matching holes, indicating this was not shipping damage?

If this is the case then you were sent used or damaged goods, not new goods.

Assuming you are in the US and paid by credit card, you contact Isotherm and tell them the used or damaged goods are unacceptable and that either they can issue a pickup slip for it and take it back, or you will contact the credit card company and ask for a chargeback. And that you consider this to be "non-comliant goods", i.e. used goods or damaged goods but not new goods in new condition, and as such you will be holding it for thirty days for their pickup and then disposing of it, under the terms of the Uniform Commercial Code. (Which may not apply, but it gives them something statutory to worry about.)

If they don't say "Yes sir, sorry sir, that will be in the mail tonight sir" then you call the credit card company, ask for a chargeback, tell them the same thing "Sent used or damaged goods and won't correct that" and you should get a refund on the charge in about 45 days. They usually give the merchant 30 days to respond, some crooks intentionally wait for the 29th day to draw things out, but MOST cards will solve the problem for you. Just file the complaint exactly as they ask for it to be filed.

Twenty holes in a new product? "Not my problem, takee fixee."

[PamlicoTraveler]

Agree with HS. That email grammar sounds like a Nigerian inheritance email. Kinda crazy.

[MarkJ]

I would be right onto the managing director. Absolutely disgusting to have THAT at a new fridge!

And that response you got? Just pitiful.

Not only is that just not acceptable but its totally ridiculous!

I would not stop complaining untill a propper oe is delivered with an apology and I would have no problem going to court and shoving their noses in it.

[SV Lift]

My new Isotherm fridge arrived without any refrigerant. Was told oh yeah sometimes that happens.

I just ate the costs since I wasn't in a location to ship it back to Defender or do anything about it. MarkJs thoughts of suing may sound fun but it's not worth it over a fridge. I'd shoot some sealant/epoxy whatever over it and get cruising, but if you have the time see if the retailer will take it back. And I suspect both of us will be looking elsewhere for future purchases.

[autumnbreeze27]

I hooked up a monitor to the fridge to see how much power it was using. In 24 hours here are the stats:
84.3 Wp
6.56 Ap
751.9Wh
12.55Vm
58.24Ah

So if I divide 58.24 Ah by 24 hours the average is 2.4 Ah -- is that math right? So it appears to be working to spec (I believe spec is 6 Ah)

[Zach]

Did Isotherm get your problems sorted out?

If so how are you liking your fridge?

I'm looking at the drawer style, and they are one of the more easily available offerings.

Thanks,

Zach

[autumnbreeze27]

I'm still on the fence with the refer. It is still partially installed, and I haven't had time to do anything else with it.

I did pull it out and take a picture of the holes in the other side, but after poking around it appears the holes don't go deeper than that first layer of material, so I wasn't as concerned, as the issue may indeed be cosmetic.

It seems to take more power than expected, and the temperature seems to fluctuate, but I intend to increase the air flow in the cabinet and won't complain about it until everything is as good as I can get it.

There are these little dividers for the door shelves, but they were all on one shelf, and there is no mention of how to relocate them in the manual, and I haven't asked them yet, so they are still on one shelf.

The wire shelves have one side that you can fold a little trap door open, so you can store taller items on the shelf below. It's a really poor design. If you open the little trap door, the shelf has a tendency to pop off and fall down because it's no longer rigid.

On the pro side, I'm sure it was a lot easier than the other project waiting for me in the galley, rebuilding the freezer box.

[autumnbreeze27]

BTW I've got a thermal camera coming this week, so I hope to take some thermal pics and post them.