bamboozled

I'm not quite sure I know my parts...the frost wash is in the blower part. Well, I think it is. I still am getting mostly positive reviews on Mitsubishi far more than any other brand. Hitachi doesn't seem to be a big player in AC as of yet. Or so it seems. Well, I'm still pondering my next move!

Thanks, guys. I appreciate the time you took to post your thoughts. I believe only the tubing is copper and not the fins but I'll have to check again. Everything was coated in this green anti-corrosion stuff so I might not have noticed. He did show me a mock up or photo of a competitors machine that was part copper but mostly aluminum, as in sort of false advertising sense. It might have been a Mitsu but I did not get to compare with my own eyes so who really knows? I will try to remedy that. I was impressed with the steel screen. I don't have a lot of experience with AC but in my old rental the screen was quite flimsy and the Mitsu screens I saw in the shop were also weak looking. True, it might not be much of an issue but you could really jab your finger at this one and you would break your finger before the screen. It's actually quite an impressive screen and speaks (hopefully) about the overall build quality. Also, lifting the flap on the blower it did not twist out of shape like it does even on the Mitsu. The funny thing is (stupid?) I went in there saying OVER MY DEAD BODY would I buy Hitachi. This is based on a faulty from the get go 4500 watt Hitachi water heater I bought that continues to piss me off. The salesman told me Hitachi doesn't actually make those but farm it out to someone else and just put their name on it....so obviously not their fault...right!

I wouldn't want dirt accumulating on my fan, either. I think I read that issue somewhere in my research as well though with what brand I can't recall. That seems a silly thing, like, why don't they just change the holes that are allowing the dirt to get in. Weird.

Have you heard of this Frost Wash system?

Hi folks. This is kind of a duplicate post I made in the Chiang Mai forum but got little feedback so thought I'd expand my search. I went to a large local electronics shop to buy a Daikin or Misubishi air con as I heard they were reliable brands (12,000 btu) and the salesman is trying to sell me on a Hitachi Frost Wash. I guess it's a new tech where every 200 hours the unit will cool down so low that ice forms on the whatevers and when it melts it washes away dust. Not sure it it's a gimmick or not but apart from that it has copper tubing in the radiator (instead of aluminum) which is also covered in some green anti-corrosion material, stainless steel dust mesh in the blower (instead of plastic), metal plate covering/protecting the inverter (instead of plastic), supposedly better build quality, etc... The guy did quite a job talking about it and the price is about the same as the Mitsubishi or Daikin, or actually, with some discounts 3000 baht cheaper as I guess they are really pushing these units. Oh, and it has a 10 year compressor warranty and 4 year blower warranty, much longer warranty than the other two. Anyone have any thing to say ye or ne about it? I did not find much info here on TV nor on the web in general. One considerate person said he was dissuaded from buying Hitachi by a repairman who said parts were slow to come by.

Thank you.

Thank you for the info. I will take a trip to Siam TV and see what the folks there want to sell me. It might sound stupid but the copper tubing and steel mesh did make an impression on me, compared to aluminum and the plastic mesh in the others. Which brand did you end up buying?

Hi folks, I went to S and P to buy a Daikin or Misubishi air con (12,000 btu) and the salesman is trying to sell me on a Hitachi Frost Wash. I guess it's a new tech where every 200 hours the unit will cool down so low that ice forms on the whatevers and when it melts it washes away dust. Not sure it it's a gimmick or not but apart from that it has copper tubing in the radiator (instead of aluminum), stainless steel mesh in the blower (instead of plastic), metal covering the inverter (instead of plastic), etc... The guy did quite a job talking about it and the price is about the same as the Mitsubishi or Daikin. Oh, and it has a 10 year compressor warranty and 4 year blower warranty, much longer warranty than the other two. Anyone have any thing to say ye or ne about it?

Thank you.

Hi folks, my Thai wife and I are looking for a school offering English language instruction (for her). Not the YMCA type, which is fine enough for what it is, but something more intensive/immersive/full-time. She could do a couple hours a day with a tutor but we think it more appealing and possibly more effective to be in a small group of like minded students. Do any of the colleges or private teaching institutions offer this and does anyone have experience regarding the quality of the teaching? Thanks very much, cheers....

Geez.... Sure does sound like a hassle! So, if I by chance lose the green book to my motorbike I'm <deleted> out of luck? That's a crying shame.

Great! I've read multiple times in the forums about motorcycles and green books and the posters seems to suggest that without a green book a motorbike is almost worthless, as if a new one cannot be had. Glad to get this info. Thank you.

Thanks Kwasaki. So these things ARE possible?

This has probably been covered but search is not turning it up. So, I have spied an old truck sitting in the weeds that I quite fancy and thought I might approach the owners about taking it off their hands. It suddenly occurred to me that there is most likely no title any longer (am I correct in calling that a "blue book?") judging from the age and condition of the truck and where it is. I just can't imagine the title exists. Is it possible to get a car on the road with no original title? Is there a legal way to get a car/truck like this on the road? 

Thanks!

...looks like they threw some paint on there, too....

thanks for following up on this, Stubby. I may do the same thing to my old Honda Dream....60,000 km/2008. I also don't want to change to a new one when this one seems so fine, still. The mechanic also talked about an engine "overhaul" which I guess means a new piston and new "wows" which is what Thais call "valves." It runs smooth up to 60 km/hr but above that the engine suddenly becomes a lot rougher. Mechanic said it's the valves/piston which is why I mention it. You got new "wheels" or just new tires? I'll be new wheels aren't cheap. Anyhow, I do appreciate your posts on this topic. Cheers....

Thanks for the tips, all. I went back and bought one at Makro. It's ok but a bit on the small side. I checked Lazada but was afraid of ending up with junk like what I had first bought at Makro. I did think of Yok but did not go. I was thinking their price would be quite high and a super professional food scale probably at 30,000 baht. But might check it out just the same. I do know that shop on Moon Muang and thought about going there but I wanted a digital scale. They might have it but seem keen on the non-digital version.

Again, I appreciate all the responses. Cheers.

Hi folks,

I've checked Makro but the selection was quite thin. Actually bought a cheap one there...and it was a dud (broken from the get-go). So, I'm still looking for a digital scale for weighing packages, let's say up to 5 kg. Any advice on a local shop to supply a decent apparatus?

Cheers...!

Can you find the Dyson in a store or is it just online? Quite pricey I think, correct?

Yeah, I'm probably giving too much thought on the issue. But it annoys me to go into the store, stare at 25 different models and have it come down to color, style, and price and not what should matter: function (since you can't try them out!). That's why I'm on here asking.

Thanks guys...

On a digression but...we once bought my mother a vacuum cleaner for Christmas back when I was just a pup. I mean, my sister, dad, and me. Can you believe that, a vacuum cleaner? What a slap in the face. I mean, we didn't know any better we were just kids but my dad.... So much for romanticism, among a host of other isms....

thanks Kiwi. I don't know, too, exactly what I'm looking for! I like the ability of the shop vacs to suck up everything in their path...they don't seem persnickety about it. They are bigger, yes, so maybe a hassle to bring up the stairs. And not good on carpets. But on a hard floor they seem to work great. The ones I saw at Tesco were rated a lot lower in wattage than the small ones. But what does this translate to? Since you can't test them out it's a dilemma. 2000w sounds like a lot on your model. I'm from the States and I have a Craftsman big 'ol wet/dry shop vac that was used heavily 20 years ago (when I still lived there and was doing construction) and is still going strong (just cleaned out my dad's barn last I was there). I guess that's my reference point.

Hi Chiang Mai folks,

I would like to purchase a new vacuum but...which model? Can anyone point me in the right direction based on personal experience? I've always liked shop vacs as they are strong, indestructible, and will suck up anything but I am not necessarily stuck on a shop vac. I don't have any carpeting. I have a lot of space so not worried about size. I do have a lot of dirt and dust and debris. My current little Phillips model of at least 5 years  shuts down due to overheating after 10 or 15 minutes (depending on season); I certainly would like to avoid that problem. And they don't even make bags for it anymore. Thank you.

On a similar note, does anyone have experience or knowledge of going to Laos for the Songkran period? I seem to recall reading that they do have songkran on a small scale but I hope it is very small. Also, is it possible to travel around easily or will everything be booked up solid like it is in Thailand? I'm thinking to book tickets to and fro Vientiane then bus it around the country at my whim. Possible or will this be a bad period for attempting that? Thanks so much.

Just driving around you will pass many electrical shops, even around the moat. I'm sure they will have them. Home Pro or Global House probably also has them. I have not yet purchased one yet, however, but it's on my list.

Excellent. I'm off to the switch store! Cheers, your help will keep me cool as a cucumber and safe, too.

Thanks!

Hi Crossy,

Something such as in the attached image? I can wire up something like that, sure. That little bit is not above my capacitor, um, I mean my capacity. Will this keep the motor cooler? Do I need to look for a particular rating with the switch?

Thanks again, cheers...

Hi Crossy,

I thought a rheostat and lamp dimmer were the same thing but based on your question I guess not. I posted a pic below of what I used. As I said, I didn't notice anything amiss except the motor of the fan seemingly getting hotter than without using this dimmer box. Does that make sense? I did not notice any buzzing. Do you think I can carry on as is or am I risking damaging the fan motor? If I replace the capacitor....what is the outcome? Slower speeds on the fan?

Thanks for your help, very much appreciated. 

Hiya folks,

I just bought a big Hatari fan, a 22" that stands on a tripod and really lets it rip (can see it on Amazon here at about 10 x the price: https://www.amazon.com/Hatari-Industrial-Electric-Glossy-Hc-i22m1/dp/B01AZ94FVK). In fact, it's a little bit much and strangely the difference between the speeds 1, 2, and 3 is almost negligible (almost as if the slow speed was already almost the top speed). Well, I put a cheap rheostat on it that I had laying around and I was able to knock the speed down to the perfect level...and all was good. But the top of the motor housing got pretty hot and I started to think that perhaps this was not a good idea electrically (though the motor gets hot without the rheostat, too, but perhaps not as much) and so I've gone to searching on the internet where I've seen answers saying it's fine and answers saying don't do it. Some folks claim I need a different kind of thing-a-ma-jig to properly cut the current. Anyhow, does anyone with feet on the ground here in Thailand and knowledge of such things have any conclusive input? Can I use the rheostat? Do I need to purchase a "fan speed controller" (such as for a ceiling fan) or a different kind of switch? Or is there nothing to be done except be blown away? Thanks folks, cheers.....

My wife bought these at a Royal Project thingy in Mae Sa Mai (sp?) village in Mae Rim (at Mae Rim?). It is a Hmong village somewhere up in the mountains around those parts. I had some more of the berries this afternoon since posting and they are getting sweeter and really are quite enjoyable. I'm a convert.