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OT: Watchman Oil Tank Alarm
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Davey
Dec 18, 2012, 2:34:34 PM12/18/12
to
We had one of these installed in February of last year, and recently it
lost some of its transmitting power, so that I cannot now have the
receiver sat next to me when I'm in bed, it loses radio contact with the
transmitter. It works at a closer distance, though, so is not a total
failure.
I complained by letter to the folks who supplied and installed it, and
they called me back to tell me that that alarm model was having lots of
problems, and that the manufacturer was being absolutely no help with
tackling them. Since it is well beyond the 1-year warranty period, there
was nothing that they could/would do, and I was lucky to be one of those
whose unit was still actually working, as many just died.
Is there anything that I can do? Can I confirm what they say? The
manufacturer will presumably deny any problem exists. I can't find any
discussions of problems by Googling.
And if this fails totally, are there any recommendations for a
substitute?.
--
Davey.
lost some of its transmitting power, so that I cannot now have the
receiver sat next to me when I'm in bed, it loses radio contact with the
transmitter. It works at a closer distance, though, so is not a total
failure.
I complained by letter to the folks who supplied and installed it, and
they called me back to tell me that that alarm model was having lots of
problems, and that the manufacturer was being absolutely no help with
tackling them. Since it is well beyond the 1-year warranty period, there
was nothing that they could/would do, and I was lucky to be one of those
whose unit was still actually working, as many just died.
Is there anything that I can do? Can I confirm what they say? The
manufacturer will presumably deny any problem exists. I can't find any
discussions of problems by Googling.
And if this fails totally, are there any recommendations for a
substitute?.
--
Davey.
Andy Burns
Dec 18, 2012, 3:21:38 PM12/18/12
to
Davey wrote:
> I complained by letter to the folks who supplied and installed it, and
> they called me back to tell me that that alarm model was having lots of
> problems, and that the manufacturer was being absolutely no help with
> tackling them. Since it is well beyond the 1-year warranty period, there
> was nothing that they could/would do
Try to get any admission of faults in writing from the supplier, as it's
> I complained by letter to the folks who supplied and installed it, and
> they called me back to tell me that that alarm model was having lots of
> problems, and that the manufacturer was being absolutely no help with
> tackling them. Since it is well beyond the 1-year warranty period, there
> was nothing that they could/would do
beyond 6 months the automatic assumption that it's a manufacturing fault
has passed, but for an item like that it's non unreasonable to expect a
longer life, EU consumer regulation says you have a 2 year warranty
http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/shopping/shopping-abroad/repairs-replacements-refunds/index_en.htm
Dave Liquorice
Dec 18, 2012, 3:14:56 PM12/18/12
to
On Tue, 18 Dec 2012 19:34:34 +0000, Davey wrote:
> We had one of these installed in February of last year, and recently it
> lost some of its transmitting power, so that I cannot now have the
> receiver sat next to me when I'm in bed, it loses radio contact with
> the transmitter. It works at a closer distance, though, so is not a
> total failure.
How far is your bed from the tank and what is in the way?
> We had one of these installed in February of last year, and recently it
> lost some of its transmitting power, so that I cannot now have the
> receiver sat next to me when I'm in bed, it loses radio contact with
> the transmitter. It works at a closer distance, though, so is not a
> total failure.
Ours didn't like being in the boiler room over 10m from the tank through
thick solid walls and no windows. It would occasionally go into alarm
mode for some unknown reason, sent it back to the makers, "no fualt
found" got it back a good 9 months ago and it hasn't done the false alarm
bit since *BUT* it's now within 3m of the tank with a window in that
general direction...
TBH I'm not that convinced about it's alarm function. When it was playing
up I unscrewed it from the tank and carried it indoors facing the ground
the distance way more than that of the oil to Tx in the tank and varying
greatly. Did it alarm? Nope. Seems to me all a scroat has to do is
unscrew the thing and leave it facing a static surface while they pinch
your oil...
--
Cheers
Dave.
Davey
Dec 18, 2012, 8:16:45 PM12/18/12
to
conclusion was that it was un-enforceable in the UK, more of a
principle rather than a law. But I'll follow up on your link, certainly.
And I can easily ask the supplier for written confirmation of what he
told me on the 'phone.
Thanks, all good thoughts.
--
Davey.
Mark
Dec 19, 2012, 5:15:34 AM12/19/12
to
On Wed, 19 Dec 2012 01:16:45 +0000, Davey <da...@example.invalid>
wrote:
There's a lot of misunderstanding about that EU directive. It is
about getting all EU countries to bring their consumer protection
legislation up to a basic minimum standard. Since the UK already
exceeds the minimum this directive has no effect here.
The good news is that you could still be protected by the Sale of
Goods Act or the Sale and Supply of Goods and Services Act but you may
have to prove that the fault was inherent at the time of supply.
Any claims under this legislation would be with the retailer and not
the manufacturer.
A lot of retailers will tell you there is nothing that can be done
when the manufacturer's warranty runs out but, very often, it is not
true. They just don't want to do anything since they would have to
bear the cost.
--
(\__/) M.
(='.'=) If a man stands in a forest and no woman is around
(")_(") is he still wrong?
wrote:
about getting all EU countries to bring their consumer protection
legislation up to a basic minimum standard. Since the UK already
exceeds the minimum this directive has no effect here.
The good news is that you could still be protected by the Sale of
Goods Act or the Sale and Supply of Goods and Services Act but you may
have to prove that the fault was inherent at the time of supply.
Any claims under this legislation would be with the retailer and not
the manufacturer.
A lot of retailers will tell you there is nothing that can be done
when the manufacturer's warranty runs out but, very often, it is not
true. They just don't want to do anything since they would have to
bear the cost.
--
(\__/) M.
(='.'=) If a man stands in a forest and no woman is around
(")_(") is he still wrong?
The Natural Philosopher
Dec 19, 2012, 5:44:39 AM12/19/12
to
Occasionally I have to unplug the receiver and leave it half an hour as
that loses synch, too.
--
Ineptocracy
(in-ep-toc’-ra-cy) – a system of government where the least capable to
lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the
members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are
rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a
diminishing number of producers.
Dom Ostrowski
Dec 19, 2012, 4:24:48 PM12/19/12
to
On 18/12/12 19:34, Davey wrote:
> We had one of these installed in February of last year...
I've got a Watchman Sonic and it's just packed up entirely at about the
3 year mark.
A bit of searching on the net shows these units to have appalling
reliability, I seem to have been lucky to get 3 years.
I believe this is the same receiver unit as yours.
The problem seems to be excessive susceptibility to
mains-spikes/brown-outs damaging/destroying the receiver.
Report after report is saying manufacturer support is unbelievably awful.
There are alternative wireless tank monitors from Apollo - but they're
expensive.
Or get a mechanical gauge.
Or a stick.
> We had one of these installed in February of last year...
I've got a Watchman Sonic and it's just packed up entirely at about the
3 year mark.
A bit of searching on the net shows these units to have appalling
reliability, I seem to have been lucky to get 3 years.
I believe this is the same receiver unit as yours.
The problem seems to be excessive susceptibility to
mains-spikes/brown-outs damaging/destroying the receiver.
Report after report is saying manufacturer support is unbelievably awful.
There are alternative wireless tank monitors from Apollo - but they're
expensive.
Or get a mechanical gauge.
Or a stick.
Davey
Dec 19, 2012, 5:31:06 PM12/19/12
to
On Wed, 19 Dec 2012 21:24:48 +0000
Dom Ostrowski <d...@gglz.c0m> wrote:
> On 18/12/12 19:34, Davey wrote:
> > We had one of these installed in February of last year...
>
> I've got a Watchman Sonic and it's just packed up entirely at about
> the 3 year mark.
>
That matches what my installer says is happening.
Dom Ostrowski <d...@gglz.c0m> wrote:
> On 18/12/12 19:34, Davey wrote:
> > We had one of these installed in February of last year...
>
> I've got a Watchman Sonic and it's just packed up entirely at about
> the 3 year mark.
>
> A bit of searching on the net shows these units to have appalling
> reliability, I seem to have been lucky to get 3 years.
>
> I believe this is the same receiver unit as yours.
>
> The problem seems to be excessive susceptibility to
> mains-spikes/brown-outs damaging/destroying the receiver.
>
similar, then.
> Report after report is saying manufacturer support is unbelievably
> awful.
>
> There are alternative wireless tank monitors from Apollo - but
> they're expensive.
>
> Or get a mechanical gauge.
>
would provide a new easy-to-break-into connection to the tank contents.
> Or a stick.
>
That's what I used to calibrate the Watchman indicator bars.
Unfortunately, I can't use a stick to warn me if the level drops
suddenly at 3 am.
What is ironic is that there was a working older model of Watchman, but
non-Alarm, that the current one replaced.
My installer, although happy to work with me, says that I will have a
problem making any claims stick, as my unit still works, just not as
far from the transmitter as it used to.
--
Davey.
The Natural Philosopher
Dec 19, 2012, 6:10:19 PM12/19/12
to
Other possible wheezes may involve reflector plates of foil covered
something strategically placed..
Davey
Dec 19, 2012, 8:03:33 PM12/19/12
to
come up with some solution, and the battery is supposed to be good for
ten years or so. The general plague of faults does not appear to be
battery-life related, but rather hardware or software. Also, I am wary
of doing so in case removing the old battery might actually make things
worse. It might stop, and never start again.
Since it does work, and it sounds as though I am lucky that it
still does, I am loathe to do anything that might actually cause
its current level of performance to deteriorate. If it was dead, then I
would try that.
--
Davey.
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