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Hello mate,
Technology, innovation and the internet has really changed our way of life. We can do things faster and efficiently for communications, news gathering and even in buying home appliances using the internet or what we call online shopping. And this article is about my recent experience shopping online for a cheap home appliance.
And since this is very convenient, I usually choose online shopping. Aside from free delivery, the price is almost the same (if not cheaper) and I don't have to go out, squeeze through traffic just to go to an appliance center.
One of the popular online store here in Manila is LAZADA. I already bought many items here from appliances to car accessories, audio, computer and personal gadgets. So far, I'm satisfied with the kind of service they are providing. No problems on delivery and the price is just right - based on the quality of most products I bought. I just want to share my latest experience as I bought a pair of electric fans (buy1 take1) which is seemingly a good deal. Hope this article will help others (especially my "kababayan") in deciding if they want to buy similar products online.
Here is how it was advertised online:
Since I this is suitable for my needs and within my budget, I decided to avail this offer. Besides my limited time to go and buy from an appliance center, this was delivered at home after a day or two.
It was delivered in a box with bubble wrap. Looking at the packaging, I already have an idea about the quality of this appliance.
Even if it is well boxed-in and wrapped with some plastic, this is not the usual quality of packaging I expect from similar products.
From the look and feel, the box alone is of very poor quality, and based on the condition of the box, the product was not handled properly. Not sure though if this was from the factory or just the result of poor handling during delivery.
I thought of returning this but I don't want to bother myself with the hassle of shipping, refund, etc. Besides, that's why I shopped online in the first place, convenience.
Below are some pictures of what's inside the box.
When I saw the parts closer and feeling it whit my hands, I confirmed the very poor quality and workmanship of materials used in the product.
The plastic parts were so thin and could break with light pressure. The same with metal parts that can be bent out of shape using my bare hands. And so, I just assembled this with great caution.
Here is a part of the base serving as counterweight, provide stability and avoid the fan from tipping over..
You can see cracks, rust and no concern for quality whatsoever.
Here is a plastic part of the front grill to provide protection from the fan blades.We can see how thin it is and how it is so out of shape. I carefully attached this part to avoid breaking it.
Anyway, all the parts are complete and I was able to assemble it properly. At this point, I'm just hoping the product will perform well and will last based on normal use.
Here is the assembled fan.
This comes with a round prong (European) plug so I need to attach a flat plug adapter.
After plugging it on the wall outlet, it worked. The gust of wind is not that strong compared to other electric fans I have but then this is only rated at 40W compared to others rated at 75W. The remote control works and is convenient to use. I used one unit for my office and the other on a bedroom.
Then, problems all started as a result of the poor quality of this appliance.
In less than an hour, a strong smell of burnt varnish or plastic filled the room. And this was coming from the fan motor. Though still running, the motor is quite warm. Due to the strong foul smell, I stopped using the unit. I just thought of letting it cool down a bit and since the unit is new, it should be normal for some varnish or plastic coating to evaporate while the motor is heating up. But this can also mean that burn test was not done for the motor itself. At first, I thought the foul smell will dissipate after some hours of use but even after a week of use, It is still "burning".
Until after 3 to 4 months one of the unit quits, I'm not surprised at all. Since I'm into electronics and electrical repair, I tried repairing this. This comes with no warranty (maybe a one week return policy) by the way, so a repair is my only option. I just accepted this as my loss.
Upon troubleshooting, the problem is the motor itself. A wiring or connection might have broken off due to heat and some moving parts. This can be easily confirmed by a continuity test using a multi meter. I didn't bother continuing to repair this since a motor repair (rewind) or replacement is almost as costly as buying a new one. I just salvaged the working electronic parts.
After another 1-2 months, the other unit broke as well . Based on initial isolation, possible problem is a bad motor capacitor. A capacitor is an electronic component needed by AC motors for it to start and run properly.
Here, we can see from a capacitance test that the capacitor is out of tolerance already. It is rated at 1.2uF (microfarad) but the test reading is 844nF (nanofarad) only.
I replaced it with the capacitor from the motor of the other unit.
After capacitor replacement, that is when I confirmed that the motor is defective as well. Most likely, the low quality of the capacitor just caused the motor to overheat and burn to death.
Here's some shot of the electronic components. This controls the remote functions and other features like timers, etc.
I tested this and and it's still working so I just saved it on my stash of electronic parts. I might have some use for it doing other projects.
And so the story goes, after less than a year, these fans are junk. Lesson learned, product quality and durability has it's price. Don't be fooled by "too good to be true" and cheap offers, especially online.
'til next time, bye!
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All the information written is based only on my personal opinion. These information may not be used by any individual or organization as basis for their personal evaluation. All products & trademarks mentioned have no legal obligation to whatever is written on this article.
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