Well,, they delivered the new refrigerator on Friday. We had to set up the inside of the fridge “we don’t do that”. I asked to have it leveled as it was to the eye extremely out of level. When I put a small jar in it, it rolled quickly to the back of the fridge. “It cannot be leveled. The only way to do so is to remove the feet and then it will be sitting only on it’s wheels and when you try to open the door, it will roll instead of opening. Husband leveled it after the crew left. I telephoned the store shortly after the delivery crew left - we had found 3 big black lines on the front of it - not the door, the fridge itself. The delivery manager was not there - apparently he left for the day before 3 pm - and I was told that he would telephone me back - “first thing in the morning”.
During the evening and overnight we were checking the temperature in the fridge with a remote read thermometer. It would suddenly jump to 45 degrees Farenheit, then drop to 32 (freezing) in the fridge. There seemed to be no way to adjust this huge variance in temperature to below what husband’s insulin can be stored at and to over the maximum temperature food can safely be stored at.
I waited until 9:30 am the next day and then called the manager as he had not called me. He did not seem to know anything about my call. He apologized as I explained the original problem, our dissatisfaction with the delivery, and that the temperature varied so greatly - continually. Husband had checked and this - and most - refrigerators are suppose to have a temperature range of 34 to 44 degrees F. He also told me that the delivery crew is only suppose to bring in the fridge, put on the doors, plug it in, turn it on - and level it. Anything else we had to do. Nice of them to tell us this when we bought it - if my 90 year old mom had it delivered she would not be able to deal with setting up the inside and would not be able to use the fridge until one of us came over and set it up for her - I am sure many other people would have similar problems. I told him that they refused to level it - and the story about how it could not be leveled. As to the problems with the refrigerator itself, he would exchange it, but they were out of that model. I asked why they could not get one from one of the local locations of their store (a major national chain) - “it doesn’t work like that” was his reply. I could have another one of this model delivered in a week - a week?! He checked with his appliance manager and she had the other two models (from other companies) in stock and we could get one of those delivered. Since neither of them had been acceptable - which is how we picked this one - we had to go in and remind ourselves of what we found to be problematic with the others. We dressed and went in to the store. After looking at the other 2 models again - neither would work (including that one of them was too tall). So, we have to deal with this one for a week. We left the RV plugged in and its refrigerator running. Coincidentally, we were going away this week, so we were only home until Tuesday morning, making dealing with this fridge a little easier.
Monday night we emptied the RV fridge and unplugged the RV. Biggest problem was husband’s insulin. He gets them in what are called pens - they look like big pens. He puts a new needle on the pen each time he uses it. The insulin pens cannot go below 36 or above 46 in temperature when they have not yet been used. Once they are used they do not go back in the fridge and can go to a higher temperature. They can be at the higher temperature for 42 days maximum. I figured that 2 pens left in the box plus the one already in use would be used in less than 39 days - so the pens are out of the fridge. We then packed the RV with everything needed for the trip.
Tuesday we added the last items, turned on the RV battery and started the RV fridge. Problem was that the light that shows that there is enough electricity in the battery showed that there was not enough. After debate about canceling the trip - and we would be out the amount paid for the RV park site - I suggested that we go ahead going on the trip. It was Tuesday and we were going to a farmer’s market during the day and we had planned to go a local major crafts festival that we go to annually on Wednesday. I pointed out to him that we could drive down, stay overnight and if the batteries were still not charging, come home on Wednesday and we would have gone to 2 places we were looking forward. With the RV battery off we started on our trip. When we were in NJ we stopped at the first rest area and checked that the batteries were being charged. They were.
Why did we have this problem? First, the batteries are beyond the normal life - they need to be replaced - between buying them and having them installed it will cost over $1000 and we keep putting it off. Second - apparently running the RV’s electrical system on our home electric system at 20 amps does not have enough “juice” to recharge the batteries and to also run the RV fridge.
We kept the fridge off until after we plugged in to the electricity (30 amp) at the RV park at night - warm soda. Today when we out we again shut off the fridge to let it keep charging. On our return tonight we again turned it on after plugging in. Since tomorrow we will be in and driving around, we will live the fridge on and probably do so again on Friday when we go to a different farmer’s market and then drive home.
Yes, we will get home extremely late Friday night - really extremely early Saturday am - and then have the new fridge for the house delivered on Saturday - with the possibility of a very early am delivery.
So, early last week we were getting up, going down, and checking the temperature in the RV overnight after going to bed. Wednesday night I had 3 hours sleep as I woke up early for work. Thursday night we kept waking up in anticipation of the delivery coming. Friday night I was up all night checking the temperature of the fridge - I slept an hour and a half in 3 separate half hour naps. I was up early in the morning waiting for the call from the delivery manager and then making the call to him instead. Saturday night we continued to wake up all night to check the temperature in the fridge. Sunday night I went to bed and had trouble falling asleep. Monday night we went to bed after finishing packing and the woke up 3 hours after I fell asleep to go on the trip. Today, Wednesday, we woke early to go to the crafts festival - so 4 hours sleep for me. Friday we have to again wake early (for us) as we have to dump the dirty water tanks and be out of the site we are in by 11 am. Then, anticipating the delivery on Saturday I probably won’t sleep - plus we have to unload at least part of the stuff from the RV when we get home, and possibly need to wake up as early 7 am for the new delivery. This all works out to about 2 full nights of sleep over the week and a half that this is going on. I hope husband plans to sleep in a bit tomorrow.
In addition our house is in a state of disarray. In order to clear room for the refrigerator to be brought in and placed in placed, we had to move things in our front hall (into the living room) the dining room, and the kitchen. Part of this went into our studio behind the kitchen. I have not been able to find even a pen and paper at times as nothing is where it belongs.
Oh, and I tripped and turned my foot on my way home from work last Thursday - luckily that was the only injury from the fall and the foot felt better the next day.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK -
Some matters take much more time to resolve due to the problems that arise in dealing with it - and with life. If needed a quick cry - and then hopefully a hug from one’s significant other - then same cries and you hug them. That is life.
Hopefully the new refrigerator will work properly.
For those in the US - Happy 4th of July.THE REFIR
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