Not Cheap Chinese Junk

[Swerd]

I'm happy to tell you about something that isn't cheaply-made Chinese junk ! About a year ago, I bought a dehumidifier for my basement, an Aprilaire model E070. I was designed to stand alone (as I use it) or go into the duct work of an HVAC system. And it has adequate capacity for my basement. It works well. So, this is the opposite of my usual RANT – it's a NOT-RANT.

My wife has been bugging me to clean it's air filter. I dreaded that because 1) Removing the filter is probably a nightmare, and 2) Since getting lung cancer, I'm a lot more feeble than I used to be.

I did it the job this morning … easy peasy!

The dehumidifier looks & feels like most American-made products used to be. It might have been made in China, but it was easy to open the filter access panel, pull out the filter, rinse it off, and put it back in.

The screw that held the access panel wasn't impossibly tiny & short, it took either Phillips head or flat blade screwdrivers, and the panel opened without fully removing (and loosing) the screw itself. The filter itself easily slid out because it was sturdily mounted inside an aluminum frame that was held in place with bracket rails, allowing easy slid-in or -out. That frame included a large, easily seen arrow indicating air flow direction.

I have to point all this out only because too often I've encountered things like those that were made so cheap that they easily jammed, failed, or were a nightmare to use. We've all probably run into battery compartments that were difficult to open or close, and were so poorly marked that battery polarity couldn't be easily seen without bright daylight.

I had feared this would be like so many cheap Chinese-made stuff I've encountered before. The maker knew how to make a product that looks like the real thing, but they scrimped way too much on such things as screw sizes or access panels meant for routine maintenance. Those screws are often so tiny that only a 5-year old child could hold them.

Even the power switch was a properly sized rocker switch. It probably won't fail after half a dozen uses.

I may be old, feeble, and have poor vision. But I do remember the days when all things were better designed and built. Doing this simple air filter job today made me feel young again .

 

[Mikado463]

All right, let's hear it for all us old farts !

 

[davidscott]

I'm happy to tell you about something that isn't cheaply-made Chinese junk ! About a year ago, I bought a dehumidifier for my basement, an Aprilaire model E070. I was designed to stand alone (as I use it) or go into the duct work of an HVAC system. And it has adequate capacity for my basement. It works well. So, this is the opposite of my usual RANT – it's a NOT-RANT.

My wife has been bugging me to clean it's air filter. I dreaded that because 1) Removing the filter is probably a nightmare, and 2) Since getting lung cancer, I'm a lot more feeble than I used to be.

I did it the job this morning … easy peasy!

The dehumidifier looks & feels like most American-made products used to be. It might have been made in China, but it was easy to open the filter access panel, pull out the filter, rinse it off, and put it back in.

The screw that held the access panel wasn't impossibly tiny & short, it took either Phillips head or flat blade screwdrivers, and the panel opened without fully removing (and loosing) the screw itself. The filter itself easily slid out because it was sturdily mounted inside an aluminum frame that was held in place with bracket rails, allowing easy slid-in or -out. That frame included a large, easily seen arrow indicating air flow direction.

I have to point all this out only because too often I've encountered things like those that were made so cheap that they easily jammed, failed, or were a nightmare to use. We've all probably run into battery compartments that were difficult to open or close, and were so poorly marked that battery polarity couldn't be easily seen without bright daylight.

I had feared this would be like so many cheap Chinese-made stuff I've encountered before. The maker knew how to make a product that looks like the real thing, but they scrimped way too much on such things as screw sizes or access panels meant for routine maintenance. Those screws are often so tiny that only a 5-year old child could hold them.

Even the power switch was a properly sized rocker switch. It probably won't fail after half a dozen uses.

I may be old, feeble, and have poor vision. But I do remember the days when all things were better designed and built. Doing this simple air filter job today made me feel young again .

A feel-good story for us old guys!

 

[mtrycrafts]

All right, let's hear it for all us old farts !

You mean you have lung cancer as well?

 

[mtrycrafts]

A feel-good story for us old guys!

Well, I think I am 20 years older than when I checked in in 2004.

 

[Mikado463]

You mean you have lung cancer as well?

thankfully no ! I'm an a-fib patient so I guess that's a qualifier

 

[Alex2507]

It might have been made in China

Kill it with fire.

Signed: TLS

 

[lovinthehd]

Reminds me some of the Whynter brand (China made) portable air conditioner I got several years back (2017). Didn't expect a lot from it but was one of the few I could find that met my specific needs. It's run like a champ and changing filters is easy (don't even have to kneel). Much better performance than I expected and I've worked it a lot harder than anticipated (due forest fires).

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

it reminds me of a certain Reddit sub, but it's mostly filled with stuff that goes under the category of "
they don't make 'em like they used to".

 

[Alex2507]

it reminds me of a certain Reddit sub, but it's mostly filled with stuff that goes under the category of "
they don't make 'em like they used to".

Now I want a chair that costs as much as some cars I've bought. Mostly for the wife as she works from home but my a$$ likes to sit too.

... and a $1500 dehumidifier. No kidding. I'm working on being a cellar dweller again and the Home Cheapo job makes noise that I'm afraid I've gotten use to.

This thread puts me in mind of needing a #14 Vix bit for just one job. I sprang for the Vix brand even though a cheaper Snappy branded #12, which gets used commonly, has lasted longer than I care to recall.

I think this is what they call having champagne taste on a beer budget.

 

[Dude#1279435]

Now I want a chair that costs as much as some cars I've bought. Mostly for the wife as she works from home but my a$$ likes to sit too.

... and a $1500 dehumidifier. No kidding. I'm working on being a cellar dweller again and the Home Cheapo job makes noise that I'm afraid I've gotten use to.

This thread puts me in mind of needing a #14 Vix bit for just one job. I sprang for the Vix brand even though a cheaper Snappy branded #12, which gets used commonly, has lasted longer than I care to recall.

I think this is what they call having champagne taste on a beer budget.

No worries. Govt will bail out your expenses.

 

[Swerd]

Now I want a chair that costs as much as some cars I've bought. Mostly for the wife as she works from home but my a$$ likes to sit too.

... and a $1500 dehumidifier. No kidding. I'm working on being a cellar dweller again and the Home Cheapo job makes noise that I'm afraid I've gotten use to.

This thread puts me in mind of needing a #14 Vix bit for just one job. I sprang for the Vix brand even though a cheaper Snappy branded #12, which gets used commonly, has lasted longer than I care to recall.

I think this is what they call having champagne taste on a beer budget.

I looked up the price for my dehumidifier. It was that $1500 dehumidifier you mentioned . In my defense, my son ordered it and my wife paid for it with our credit card – last December. They were still freaked out over my hospital stay. It does a good job, the basement no longer smells moldy. But I don't know if it's the right size or oversized for my basement. I wonder if I can claim it as a medical expense?

Aprilaire E070 (smallest of 4 whole-house dehumidifiers, E070, E080, E100 & E130 – E070 is a compact unit perfect for townhouses, condos and homes with a closet HVAC. Ideal for sealed crawlspace.)

• REMOVES up to 70 PINTS (8 gallons) of moisture per day
• REDUCE PROLIFERATION OF AIRBORNE VIRUSES
• BUILT TO LAST with corrosion-resistant aluminum coils in the U.S.A. by AprilAire, the leader in indoor air quality solutions
• HELPS PREVENT MOLD, TERMITES, STRUCTURAL WOOD ROT, AND ODORS
• NO MESSY WATER TRAY TO EMPTY and simple to set up - just place the hose or place dehumidifier over a drain, level it, plug it in, set the target humidity and you’re done
• SET IT AND FORGET IT control automatically starts dehumidification when humidity above target is sensed

I also had to look up Vix bits – they're self-centering bits, good for drilling holes for door hinge screws.

 

[Teetertotter?]

We have 2 TCL TV's and a 3rd one that was 6 years old, and gave to my sister-in-law, 2 weeks ago. TCL headquarters is in China, where they design, and TVs are built in a number of countries. Our latest month old, TCL, was made/assembled in Mexico. We have been happy with their Roku and recent Google interface. My wife's TV is 3 years old and a series 5, the new one is their 55QM751G[2024]. TCL China designed and global made TV's, are a great product. I love their Google interfacing APP.