By contrast, most split system heat pumps (mini splits and regular ducted split heat pumps work to near or much below 0F.

I found this discussion online where Deizel_Dave discussed modifying his portable heat pump by relocating its outdoor air temperature sensor from the air intake path to indoors to prevent the unit from turning off heating, causing it to continue function in temperatures much below 40F. The only issue he observed was that the condensate output increased when running the portable heat pump at very low temperatures.

I wanted to give it a try. If it didn’t work, my plan was just to put the sensor back in its original location. I estimated that if the unit then would heat with outdoor temperatures down to 32F I’d be able to greatly extend its use as a heater.

My Unit(s)

Whynter NEX Inverter Portable Air Conditioner & Portable Heater ARC-1230WNH

Results

It Works! So far, I have tested it to an outdoor temperature of 10F, and it still heats! On a couple of nights when the outdoor temperature dipped to 25F, I used a Kilowatt meter to compare the energy draw of the heat pump with an electric space heater, and even with those low temperatures, the heat pump put out more heat and used less than half the energy compared with the electric space heater.

Like all heat pumps in heating mode, their efficiency decreases with decreasing outdoor temperatures. The colder it gets, the less heat it produces, but it still puts out a surprising amount of heat, even at 10F.

Convinced of its effectiveness, I bought a second portable heat pump for downstairs. The “portable” unit is very heavy and bulky. It is easy to wheel it from room to room but a beast to get up and down stairs (77lb, oddly shaped with thin, vulnerable outside cabinet components which could break if supported incorrectly while lifting or moving with a hand truck). This second purchase was prompted by the mini split heat pump in the house’s addition failing due to running low on refrigerant during a prolonged deep cold wave (several weeks). The portable heat pump enabled me to heat the addition to the 70s during a day in the low 40s, in order to run the mini split in A/C mode to recharge it.

Warning

• I expect doing this will void your warranty
• This will cause your unit to operate outside its intended parameters and possibly shorten its life or damage it. (Although I have not observed adverse effects yet)
• Although it has been working fine so far, there may be conditions or situations where this might cause problems I am unaware of.
• I am reporting what I did and what happened. If you do it, it is at your own risk.
• I have seen reports that my unit is a rebranded Midea unit. The tests I did are on this specific Whynter unit, and I have no way of knowing if you can extrapolate these results to other units.

How Much Condensate?

Our main ducted HVAC system results in a temperature difference of several degrees between the upstairs and downstairs. Also, the main systems thermostat has a nightly setback temperature to save energy. The first unit only gets light use. It is in an upstairs bedroom as a supplement to heating and cooling. Both the upper and lower drain hoses are directed to a 1 gallon Arizona Ice Tea plastic bottle. Under these conditions practically no condensate drains to the bottle.

The second unit used as the only heater in the addition, running continuously with daytime temperatures around 35 and nighttime temperatures around 23 produced about 1 quart (1 liter) of condensate in 3 days. The portable heat pump had no difficulty heating this 400 sq ft area.

How to Move the Outdoor Temperature Sensor

The post Portable Heat Pump Mod For Subfreezing Weather appeared first on Arnold Solof.

If you do a search on EPEVER charge controller settings you will see there is general confusion about them.  I attribute this to:

• Chinese to English translation problems.
• Differences in naming conventions of the different stages of battery charging.
• Confusion as to whether a setting refers to battery charging vs power to the load terminals on the charge controller.
• Slight differences in voltage measured by
  • The charge controller
  • The MT50 monitor.
  • A multimeter
  • A shunt battery monitor

Let me preface this article with the fact that I am not an electrician, electrical engineer, or solar energy expert.  I am just an ordinary end user like many of you.  The information here is derived from reading the EPEVER documentation, web searches, and careful observation and monitoring of the behavior of my 2 EPEVER 4210 charge controllers using the EPEVER charge controller screen, the MT50 monitor, and the EPEVER software with the controller connected to a PC.  Using a PC was the only way the controller would specify if it were in Raise/Boost vs Float mode.  Please comment if you think anything stated in this article is incorrect.

I don’t use the load terminals on my charge controllers.  I will limit my comments about them to the following list of settings that apply only to the load terminals (not the battery charging).

Load Terminal Settings:

• OVCutOff
• OVRcv
• LVRcv
• WarnRcv
• LVWarn
• LVCutOff
• DischaLmt

I am also going to limit the discussion to lithium iron phosphate batteries, since that is what I use and from which my observations were made.

EquilDur:

Since LiFePO4 batteries don’t need the Equalization function, the Equalization Duration should be set to zero to disable it.

Charging a LiPO4 Battery:

Most Solar Charge Controllers use a 3-stage process.  The 3^rd stage (FLOAT) is not technically required because, in contrast to lead acid batteries, their spontaneous discharge rate is relatively slow. However, since the discharge rate is not zero, a FLOAT is generally implemented.

• 1^st STAGE = Constant Current (Bulk) – The charger supplies the maximum current until a target voltage (RaisV) is reached.
• 2^nd STAGE = Constant Voltage (Absorption) – The charger varies (generally decreasing) the current to maintain a constant target voltage (RaisV).

Now pay attention here!  What EPEVER variously calls “Boost” or “Raise” refers to the 2-stage process above.  That is, when in “Boost/Raise” mode, it does 2 stages; constant maximum current until “RaisV” is reached followed by Constant Voltage for “RaiseDur” (Raise Duration) minutes. This constant voltage portion of the “Boost/Raise” mode corresponds to what everybody else calls the “Absorption” phase. After that it enters Float Mode.

• FLOAT

Fortunately, float means float. It is a constant voltage algorithm like the 2^nd stage/absorption portion of “boost/raise”, however, this is set to a lower voltage (FloCharg).

• RaisRcv

If at any time while in FLOAT mode the battery voltage drops to RaisRcv (Raise Reconnect Voltage), the charge controller switches back to RAISE/BOOST mode and the process starts all over again.

As of the time of this writing, if the battery type is set to LiFePO4, then many of the above parameters cannot be changed.  If you need to change those parameters, you need to set the battery type to “USER”.

My setup consists of:

• 2 EPEVER Tracer4210AN charge controllers in parallel
• 4 – 100ah 12V LiTime LiFePO4 batteries in a 2S2P configuration (24V 200ah)
• Giandel 3000W 24V inverter

I had to tweak my settings because I was getting voltage surges into the 30s (exceeding “ChrgLmt” which would cause my Giandel inverter, charge controllers, and battery BMSs to repeatedly go into overvoltage protection mode.

I believe this resulted from the following factors:

1. Differing voltage readings of the batteries from different devices
2. The EPEVER charge controllers could not respond fast enough to rapid changes in solar output (sun emerging from under a cloud) when in Boost/Raise mode and the batteries were full.  (e.g. Web search results suggest that Victron Controllers do not have this problem)
3. Slight differences in the batteries in the battery bank.

As of this writing, I am using the following settings which seem to have eliminated (or at least greatly mitigated) the problem:

• ChargLmt = 27.7
• EquilV = 27.7
• RaiseV = 27.7
• FloCharg (voltage) = 27.2
• RaisRcv = 26.4
• RaisDur = 120

Thanks for reading.  Please leave your comments and suggestions below.

The post EPEVER Charge Controller Settings appeared first on Arnold Solof.

About 2 months ago, after repeatedly hearing about AI and ChatGPT on newscasts, I decided to take a closer look. At that time I used the free ChatGPT3. I played with it a bit, comparing searches with Google Search with the same search terms in ChatGPT3. As time went on, the differences between the 2 resources became clearer.

At first, I was just playing with it. Now, I find that greater than 50% of my queries are to ChatGPT4 (compared to Google Search). Yes, about 1 month ago I upgraded to the paid account with ChatGPT to get the ChatGPT4 access. That costs $20/month. It’s more money if you want to eliminate the advertizing.

ChatGPT4 is a newer, smarter version of the program.

It has its limitations. It is not 100% correct in its answers, but it is close to it. So, you have to keep that in mind when you use it and monitor its output closely.

So where have I used it?

So, what types of things have I used it for other than simple information searches?

1. How to do things in WordPress for developing websites
2. How to troubleshoot an RC helicopter setup I was having a problem with.
3. I have given it medical inquiries and the results have been accurate.
4. I have asked it to translate text from English to Spanish, and the translations are excellent (better than Google Translate)
5. I have asked it to improve the wording of things I and others have written and it does a fantastic job. I find I need to edit its output a little, but the end result is much better than I could have done on my own.

Like with Google Search, the key is learning how to optimize your queries and prompts in a way to fine tune the resultant output.

ChatGPT vs Google

With ChatGPT, a session is not a series of independent queries. It remembers the ongoing “conversation” just as if you were talking to a person. Therefore you don’t need to keep repeating yourself. For example, if you ask it to reword an article (or generate from scratch) an article on a certain topic and you think the output is too formal, you could simply say “Do it again, please, but this time make it informal”. Or you could say “give it an angry tone” or word it at a 4th grade level. ChatGPT would remember all the previous conversation like a person (better than a person), so your follow up questions and prompts can be very quick and efficient.

In just 2 months it has become my new Google Search.

I still use Google Search. For example, if I want to find something specific on the internet (eg. an IMDB review of a certain movie) I use Google search.

If I want expert advice on how to handle or solve a problem as if I were consulting and conversing with an expert in that field, ChatGPT4 often gets me the answers I need faster.

Conclusion

If you haven’t already taken a look at it and tried it out it is available at https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt and it is available as an app for your smartphone.

The post ChatGPT4 and Me appeared first on Arnold Solof.

Vaccine Readiness

It is estimated that at least 70% of the population needs to be immune in order to begin to see significant herd immunity.  Currently, only about 50% of Americans are willing to get vaccinated.  At this point in time, we have 2 vaccines completing phase 3 trials with emergency use authorization pending.  Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine on 12/10/2020 and Moderna’s mRNA vaccine on 12/17/2020.  Both these vaccines have demonstrated safety and about 95% efficacy in preventing symptomatic disease and about 99% efficacy in preventing severe disease.  We have been told that once given authorization, they can be immediately distributed and ready to be given with 2 days.  The details of the distribution plan are not yet available.  Other vaccines will become available soon afterward.

Initial Distribution

The initial supply of the vaccines will be severely limited and with 50% of Americans willing to receive them, the demand will far exceed the supply.  Therefore, those that refuse the vaccine will not slow the initial effort to protect the country.  The limited supplies will be prioritized to health care providers and other front line workers at high risk of exposure and the elderly and those with co-morbidities predisposing them to severe disease and death from Covid-19.

Hidden Problem

Most companies have not yet begun studying the vaccines in children.  Children make up 25% of the population in the USA.  Although children are at statistically lower risk than adults for severe disease, they also can become seriously ill and die from Covid-19.  In addition, although they are less likely to become seriously ill, they are just as likely to become infected and spread the infection.  Because they are more likely to be asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, they are an unseen, concealed danger to everyone.  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children under 2 years of age not wear masks due to concerns about interfering with breathing.  Adults do not normally isolate themselves from infants and children.  During office visits, my greatest fear is not taking a nasal swab from a possibly Covid-19 positive patient, but instead, examining an unmasked, crying, struggling infant or toddler who is spraying his respiratory secretions throughout the room.  I wear an N95 mask and face shield for those exams.  Vaccinating children for Covid-19 is not the first priority and current vaccine supplies are very limited.  I expect that by the time the vaccine supplies increase substantially, the studies on children will have been completed.

Mid and End Distribution

After the first 100 million doses of vaccine are given an increasing majority of the remaining people will be unwilling to be vaccinated.  Assuming the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines hold up following the initial mass distribution, what strategies are likely to work to allow us to achieve herd immunity? 

• The safety and effectiveness data need to be clearly communicated to the public.
• Comparison data of infection rates in contained groupings like nursing homes, prisons, hospital employees, police force, etc. before and after vaccination.

Guaranteeing Herd Immunity

I never cease to be amazed by how many parents don’t have their children receive routine child vaccinations because they want to protect the health of their children, but rather do it because it is required for school or daycare attendance.  The same holds true for hospital employees, many of whom would refuse influenza vaccine if it were not required for their employment.  Given that is “standard behavior” for our population I propose the following as examples of entities that should require Covid-19 vaccination for their employees:

• Hospitals
• Medical Offices
• Nursing Homes (employees & residents)
• Federal, State, Local Government employees
• Police departments
• Fire departments
• Schools (employees & students)
  • College
  • High School
  • Middle School
  • Elementary School
  • Preschool/Daycare
• Prisons (employees & inmates)
• Public Transportation (Even better if you include passengers)
  • Airlines
  • Buses
  • Boats
  • Taxis, Uber, Lyft
• Delivery Services (UPS, FedEx, Amazon, etc.)
• Gyms
• Restaurants
• Bars
• Personal Services
  • Hair Salons
  • Nail Salons
  • Tattoo Parlors

Until Herd Immunity is Achieved

In the meantime, while we wait to achieve herd immunity, we must do our best to prevent infection spread (Don’t Share Air):

• Avoid contact with people whenever possible
• Social distancing (6+ feet apart)
• Wear a mask if around people
• Meet outdoors instead of indoors if possible
• Wash/sanitize your hands frequently

Conclusion

Many questions remain to be answered:

• How long will immunity last for each vaccine?
• How long will immunity last following a Covid-19 infection?
• Will there be rare serious vaccine side effects found after we have more experience with the vaccines?

Achieving herd immunity is readily achievable, but only if we “put our foot down” and insist it be done.  As of this writing, Worldometer shows 266,016 people have already died in the USA of Covid-19.  We now have the tools to stop it.  Let’s get it done.

The post Covid-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Achieving Herd Immunity appeared first on Arnold Solof.

Arnold Solof, MD

   ABC news today relayed a statement from WHO (The World Health Organization) “Globally, about 3.4% of reported COVID-19 cases have died,” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference in Geneva on Tuesday. “By comparison, seasonal flu generally kills far fewer than 1% of those infected.”

  The problem with this statement is the denominator which is “reported COVID-19 cases”.  

  We already know that the majority of even reported cases are mild illness and that the infection can, in some cases, be completely asymptomatic.  Until we test general population samples regardless of the presence of any symptoms we will not know how prevalent the virus is in our communities and what the true lethality rate is.

  Let me illustrate some points by comparing COVID-19 with other infectious diseases that have been well studied.  

  When the CDC reports about epidemics like Influenza in their publication MMWR (Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report) they describe the clinical presentation in terms of percentages of cases with listed symptoms.  So, for example, a Flu outbreak study might reveal 80% of cases with fever, 70 % with cough, 75 % with runny nose, 25% with abdominal pain,  60% with body aches, 15 % with diarrhea,  25% with vomiting, etc.  Note that most cases will not have every possible symptom and that each case might have a different combination of symptoms, even though they are infected with exactly the same virus.   The percentages often vary in different subgroups, so, for example, children with Flu get gastrointestinal symptoms more often than adults and that an individual case might present clinically more like gastroenteritis than Flu.  

  So, considering the above, we have yet to fully define the clinical spectrum of COVID-19 because we are only recognizing the patterns we have already identified.   If COVID-19 were also to cause a greater gastrointestinal pattern in children compared to adults, and a COVID-19 infected child with predominently gastrointestinal symptoms presented to a physician for a diagnosis, it would not be identified.

  Consider the case of meningococcal infections.  Meningococcus is known & feared for causing extremely serious and potentially fatal infections of septicemia and meningitis.  However, outbreaks of meningococcal disease often consist of 1 to a few cases.  Meanwhile, in some of those outbreaks, more than 10% of some populations (eg. college students) could be carrying the bacteria silently with no  symptoms, spreading it around the community.  Only the few unlucky individuals who get the severe forms of the disease are recognized as having it.

  So I anxiously await studies/surveys of samples of the general population so we can get a much more complete and numerically accurate picture of COVID-19 and what we are dealing with.   My suspicion is that the lethality of the virus is much lower than what is currently being reported.  The above studies will provide the answers.

The post Coronavirus COVID-19 – The Denominator appeared first on Arnold Solof.

Arnold Solof, MD

(The following is for general information purposes.  For specific cases, consult your doctor.)

About 1 out of every 6 children have some degree of asthma and in the majority of those it is mild and intermittent.  The time between flare ups is often long (months or years) and patients/parents frequently forget how they should use/time/sequence the medicines.  I’m writing this to serve as a quick reference/review/cheat-sheet for those that need this refresher following a long asthma symptom free interval.  Improper usage of asthma medicines will not only make the treatment less effective but may increase the risk of side effects, some serious including death.

Rescue Medicines

Common rescue medicines include albuterol and xopenex.  The inhaled forms delivered either by a metered dose inhaler (MDI) or nebulizer work quickly (within minutes) and generally last a few hours (4 – 6).  If you are having asthma symptoms currently they can provide relatively immediate relief.

Controller Medicines

Common controller medicines include:

• inhaled topical corticosteroids(fluticasone/Flovent & Arnuity Ellipta, beclomethasone/Qvar, budesonide/Pulmicort, mometasone/Asmanex),
• montelukast/Singulair
• long acting beta 2 adrenergic drugs  (salmeterol, formoterol)

Controller Medicines take a while before they start working.  Some may take a few days to a week before you see their full effect.  Often, especially the inhaled topical steroids, are much more effective in reducing and preventing symptoms.  They last much longer with effects that can persist sometimes days instead of hours.

Generally the inhaled topical corticosteroids are preferred because they work much better and have minimal side effects.  These should not be confused with systemic corticosteroids that are swallowed or injected which have a far greater potential for serious side effects.

Some patients do better with a combination of controllers:

• Advair (fluticasone & salmeterol)
• Symbicort (budesinide & formoterol)
• Dulera (Mometasone & formoterol)
• AirDuo RespiClick (fluticasone propionate & salmeterol)
• Using Singulair in addition to another controller.

When to Use Rescue Medicines

The most common rescue medicine currently used is albuterol by meter dose inhaler (MDI).  Common brands include Ventolin and ProAir.  However, the recommendations below are general to all rescue meds (eg. albuterol delivered by a nebulizer)

1. Rescue Medicine without Controllers

• For prevention of exercise induced asthma.  For those who only have symptoms with exercise and if their asthma frequently occurs with exercise, the symptoms can sometimes be prevented by using the rescue medicine a few minutes prior to exercise.
• Regardless of the trigger, for those whose symptoms are very infrequent and can be treated effectively with no more than 2 doses per week of their rescue medicine.

2. Rescue Medicine with Controllers

• Those taking controller medicines that are currently having asthma symptoms (cough/wheeze) should take their rescue medicine also.

When to Use Controller Medicines

• Controller medicines should be used during the block of time of an asthma flare up
• The block of time varies and could be days, weeks or months.
• A general rule of thumb is if you have to use your rescue medicine more than 2 times in a week you can consider this an asthma flare-up and you should start your controller medicine.
• The controller medicine can be stopped after the block of time of the flare up.
• You may need about 1 week of being totally free of symptoms (cough, wheeze) to be reasonably sure the asthma flare-up is over.
• If after stopping the controller the symptoms return, resume taking the controller.

Common Scenarios

• A person who has not needed any medicine for 6 months is exposed to paint fumes and starts to cough and wheeze.  One dose of his rescue medicine effectively stops the symptoms and the symptoms don’t return.  No furthur treatment is needed.
• During Spring pollen season, a child has just required his 3rd rescue medicine treatment within a week.  He should now start his controller medicine.  He should continue it until he has been totally symptom free for a least a week.  The rescue medicine can be given as needed for active symptoms while he is taking the controller medicine.
• A child has been symtom free and off medicine for 9 months.  He catches a cold and his asthma begins to flare.  He should start his controller medicine and continue it until he has been symptom free for 2 to 3 weeks.  Studies show that abnormal pulmonary function can persist for weeks following a cold in people with asthma. The rescue medicine can be used in addition, as needed, to treat active symptoms.  Generally, “Cold Medicines” can be cautiously used in addition to asthma medicines, if needed.
• A child who tolerates exercise most of the time begins coughing and wheezing during a soccer match.  The rescue medicine controls the symptoms and they don’t recur.  No furthur treatment is needed.

If the Medicines Aren’t Working Well

• Verify you are using the correct medicines and timing and sequencing them correctly as described above.
• Check to see you are using the doses prescribed.
• If using a mist type metered dose inhaler be sure you are using it with a spacer and using the correct technique.  Even adults get a fraction of the dose if they don’t use a spacer.  If it is a small child who cannot form a seal over the mouthpiece, use the appropriate sized mask with the spacer.  How to use an Inhaler with a Spacer
• If you are using a powder type inhaler, be sure you are using the correct technique. How to use:
  • Pulmicort Flexhaler
  • Asmanex Twisthaler1  Twisthaler2
• If you are using a nebulizer, verify you are using the correct technique.  How to use a nebulizer
• If your symptoms are not improving with the prescribed treatment or are getting worse, call your doctor.

I welcome any suggestions for improving this article.

The post Asthma – Controller vs. Rescue Medicines appeared first on Arnold Solof.

The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity

By Steve Silberman

Read by William Hughes

Review by Arnold Solof, MD  – Pediatrician

      I just finished listening to this audiobook.  I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the title accurately condenses the content of the book.  The audiobook is 18 hours long, and this reflects the depth to which the author’s study and analysis have gone to research the subject. 

     Steve Silberman is a journalist.  Given he is a journalist, I am very impressed with how accurately he has described the medical topics related to autism.  I did not find even one instance where he fumbled there.  On the other hand, I think not being a medical professional helped free his analysis from being encumbered by the limitations medical models, which to this date, fail to understand and explain the autism condition and its causality.

     This book reviews the history of autism from its first descriptions through to modern-day thinking and the competing theories that have occurred along the way.  It analyzes it from the psychiatric, parental, and the affected person’s points of views.

     The book concludes by considering autism more as “neurodiversity” rather than a disease and recommends a more inclusive approach of society to individuals with autism; benefiting from the associated strengths and abilities of autistic people and accommodating their special needs.

     After reading (or listening) to this book, you will not be an expert on autism, but you will come away with a much deeper understanding of the evolutionary history of this diagnosis, why we are seeing so many more individuals with autism nowadays and where we are (or should be) heading with this subject in the future.

The post Neurotribes by Steve Silberman – Review appeared first on Arnold Solof.

The thermometer is well made. Constructed of stainless steel it should not corrode when exposed to moist soil. I tested its accuracy comparing it to several other thermometers and it was accurate. It equilibrates/stabilizes after just a couple of minutes when moved to a new location.

Accuracy

Determining the Probe Sensing Area

I did the above experiment to determine what part of the probe was the active sensing portion of the thermometer. I found that it wasn’t the tip of the probe or the entire probe, but instead was the distal/last 2 inches of the probe. Therefore, if you want a reading at a specific depth you should insert the probe at a depth 1 inch greater than that you want to measure so that the last 2 inches of the probe are centered at your target depth (1 inch above and 1 inch below target depth). If you were to insert it only 1 inch deep then 1 inch of the sensing portion of the probe would be reading air temperature.

Other Options

After getting the thermometer I began to wonder if people provide this information via something like a weather report and guess what? They do. Here is a report from Rutgers on New Jersey Soil Temperatures:

https://www.njweather.org/maps/nj-statewide-soil-temperatures-10cm

You can view the report at 5cm, 10cm, 20cm and 50cm depths at various location around New Jersey. The same type of report is available for pretty much anywhere. Below is a sample report at 5cm (2 inches) depth on 3/16/2019.

Still, it doesn’t hurt to have your own thermometer because there are local variations due to differences in shading, wind exposure, etc. If you have your own outside thermometer or rain gauge you know what I mean.

Below is a video review of this thermometer I uploaded to my YouTube channel “Arnold Solof”.

Conclusions

The thermometer works well and helps you time gardening tasks to allow you to get the most bang for your buck from the products you purchase and optimizing the results for your gardening efforts.

It is available on Amazon but its price fluctuates widely between 15 and 25 dollars. I paid about $20 for mine.

The post Stainless Steel Soil Thermometer by Smart Choice Review appeared first on Arnold Solof.

Clatterans saw my post on the repair of the stuck refrigerator water filter and asked me to review their water filter ULTRAWF. I said “sure”, but send me 2 filters because I want to cut one open to see how it is built and compare it with the previous filter. The 2 filters arrived the other day and my Frigidaire refrigerator just notified me that it was time to replace the filter so I replaced it with the Clatterans filter.

The filter my refrigerator uses and what I am reviewing is Model # Frigidaire ULTRAWF .

Most of the review is in the accompanying video, but I’ll add notes and comments to this blog post as I receive feedback.

Notes:

• The thickness of the carbon layer is 13 mm
• Upon opening the filter I first thought that the direction of water flow would be from the center out. Upon further thought, it makes more sense that it be from the outside in. This is because while filtering particles/sediment out of the water, they will gradually accumulate on the filter progressively blocking it. Since the outer surface area is far greater than the inner surface area, it is preferable for the particle accumulation to occur on the outer surface so that the filter doesn’t become clogged prematurely.

Conclusions:

The filter is well constructed.  It installs easily by just pushing it in until it clicks.  To remove it, you push it in again to release the lock and let it spring back out.  I was especially vigilant about that given my experience with another company’s filter (See this post). You can’t go wrong with this filter. The only question is whether it is a good deal. It is a bargain at its current sale price of $59.99 for 3 filters with free shipping. However, it says on their website “Was: $129.99”, which would make it at least as expensive as the brand name Frigidaire water filters.

The post Clatterans Refrigerator Water Filter – Review appeared first on Arnold Solof.

I bought one of these for a trip to Italy.

The price was $27.99 on Amazon 

Features:

• 1875 Watt rating (at 125V, 15A)
• UK/AU/EU/IT plug adapters included 
• 3 AC Outlets (standard USA)
• Input AC110-250V, 15A, 60Hz
• 4 USB ports (5V, a total of 4.5A shared across all 4 ports) (0 – 2.4A per port)
• Cable = 6 feet (1.8M)

I have used this now in both Rome and Florence Italy.  My family of 4 with our PC’s, tablets, and cell phones are traveling together. We have at least 3 devices that can benefit from higher amperage USB charging (Fire Tablet HD 10, iPhone 7+, and Galaxy S8+ and can be charged quickly using these USB ports.  If you need to draw more than 4.5 amps simultaneously, then the charging would slow down, but in practice, this hasn’t happened yet.  (Not all of our USB devices draw 2 amps.)

The 6-foot cord is thick, heavy, and stiff.  I found it necessary to bend the cord to shape it so that the power strip would rest securely on a table.

This does not convert from 220 volts to 110 volts, so if your devices require 110 volts you will need a separate converter for that.

This can also be used in the USA a regular 110-volt power strip with 4 USB ports.

In Italy, I used the included 3 round prong outlet adapter to plug the power strip into the wall.

If you anticipate the need to plug a combination of non-USA and USA devices into the strip, don’t get this model because the 3 outlets are standard USA outlets and would require a foreign adapter for each foreign device you wanted to plug into it.

The title of the device says it is also a surge protector, but there is nothing on the device labeling it as such.  Therefore, I conclude this is mislabeled and it is a non-surge protected power strip.

It has worked out well for me during this trip.  I can recommend the unit, but again, remember it is not a surge suppressor as stated on the listing title.

The post PRITEK 3 Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip with 4 USB Port + Travel Plug Adapters – Review appeared first on Arnold Solof.