Customer Reviews

Avanti : EC15W2 Semiconductor Refrigerator

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Silent and efficient. Just dont expect it to get as cold as a normal fridge. If your place is hot, the unit may only get down to 50degrees.

This is the worst consumer product I have bought in quite some time. I was attracted by the fact that it does not have a compressor, was advertised as being silent, and would never need defrosting. All of this is true, although it has buzzed from time to time. Unfortunately, it does not keep foods and beverages cold, nor even "cool." My office is rather warm (70 degrees), and this refrigerator never goes below approximately 50 degrees. (I tested with a meat thermometer.)Truly, a piece of junk.

I paid for ground shipping, and this little frig was here in just a few days, well packed, in excellent condition. I looked on quite a few sites for this item, but the price was RIGHT from this company through AMAZON. Looking for a dorm frig, this one will hold a six-pack, snacks, and even a couple tall bottles. It's fairly quiet, as I use it next to my bed for medications, and no problem. NO Freezer, which was not a requirement with me. What do you expect from this little number?.

When it functions properly this little fridge does a decent job however the fact is that this fridge does have some issues. My first fridge starting making a ticking sound a few weeks after I bought it which I discovered was from the fan blades striking ice that had built up behind it. Keep in mind that this fridge is supposed to have a defrost feature. I unplugged it and used a hair dryer to melt the ice and when I plugged it back in the fridge simply did not chill below room temp after several hours and many days of unplugging and reconnecting power to allow the electronics to reset itself. I returned it and now my second fridge is making the same ticking sound so I am once again doing the hair dryer trick to see if I can restore proper operation. This fridge took much longer to make the ticking noise as I have now had this replacement for about three months and the only difference is that I had the chill setting up to max whereas my first fridge was set half way. Perhaps the fridge is more efficient when it is cranked???? Either way this is a common complaint against this fridge and if you do a search on the model number and customer complaints you can find duplicate concerns. Nice idea from Advanti but the results fall well short of their claims!

Quiter than a computer fan! I am able to sleep right next to it since there is no compressor clicking on and off. Since this a heat pump, the cooling potential off this unit is limited by ambient temps. On High setting, in 85F room, the internal temp is 49F. At night, the contents get cooler. My unit acheives ~35F below ambient temps. The measured power draw is 60Watts, though it runs 24/7 unlike compressor driven systems.

In short, dont expect the performance of a conventional, compressor-based fridge. This is a wonder of effiency, size, quietness, and cost ($67 at b e s t b u y !) that cannot keep up very well with a hot enviroment. I find it ideal for my needs, however. With so few parts, I expect it to hold up well. There are a couple of internal fans which would be fairly easy to replace DIY. No worse than changing a computer fan. The actual cooling mechanism, being solid state, should provide years of service.

The refrigerator worked well for about 6 months, then started making clanking noises. I unplugged it for a few days, and when I plugged it back in, the noise was gone. I went through this routine for about a month, then suddenly, the noise stopped. In the 9th month of ownership, the unit stopped cooling. I called Avanti, as there are no service centers near me and was told that once the unit stops cooling, it cannot be repaired. A replacement could be sent if I sent them the original receipt.

I bought one for my office because it was inexpensive and only consumed about 60-70 watts of power. Traditional compressor-based refrigerators would use much more and cause greater concern for excessive current draw.

After several months of operation, the internal fan was making some noise that sounded like it was grinding against something inside the unit. It was probably frost build up because I unplugged the unit for several hours and then plugged it back in and the noise went away.

Just recently the unit stopped cooling suddenly, and the internal light no longer works. It's out of the one-year warranty and the manufacturer said that it cannot be repaired. I guess it is junk now and is going to metal recycling.

Two years ago, I bought four refrigerators by AVANTI and within a year, one was already not functioning anymore.

Three months ago, a second one gave up.

The first time, they changed the unit because it was under warranty.

The second time they refused to change it because they said that it was not under warranty anymore.

Now I know why the warranty is only 1 year...because there product is not reliable and I advise any reader to go with another brand if you don't want to be in the same situation.

Two fridges down out of 4...do the maths ;-)

Two years ago, I bought four refrigerators by AVANTI and within a year, one was already not functioning anymore.

Three months ago, a second one gave up.

The first time, they changed the unit because it was under warranty.

The second time they refused to change it because they said that it was not under warranty anymore.

Now I know why the warranty is only 1 year...because there product is not reliable and I advise any reader to go with another brand if you don't want to be in the same situation.

Two fridges down out of 4...do the maths ;-)