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 10 White goods/ water containers (Read 5499 times)
Chris
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White goods/ water containers
Feb 24th, 2008 at 6:42pm
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Anyone know of the best places to buy white goods around Tortosa? , and is there anything like a Ikea store?  and, where do i buy those large square water containers in the metal cages?  TA!
  
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bill and bob
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Re: White goods/ water containers
Reply #1 - Feb 24th, 2008 at 8:18pm
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for white goods........over millenium bridge, turn right at the roundabout of knots. as you drive down, electrodomestica on the left, by the bike shop.....to get there you need to carry straight on and turn left at the roundabout then bare left. we found them quite helpful delivery was from stock with free delivery. if you live in the mountains or out of the way you can arrange to meet the van and then they follow you.

plastic containers.....................there is a place between tortosa and salou but i think you will probably have some more replies on that, if you dont, next time i go past i shall try and get the name.
  
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Nigel
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Re: White goods/ water containers
Reply #2 - Feb 24th, 2008 at 10:01pm
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Cubos (the white plastic containers) can be bought at Herraiz in Ferreries in Tortosa.

White goods - depends what you want - several electrodomesticos around Tortosa.  Only thing to beware of - if you are on Solar, make sure what you are buying will run with your system. If you buy something then blow it up (yes, it has happend many times, and I've seen the results!) then your guarantee will be invalid! Some stores are now aware of this but you should mention that you are planning to run the item on a solar system before buying it.

Nigel

  
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William of Orange
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Re: White goods/ water containers
Reply #3 - Feb 24th, 2008 at 11:40pm
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ON Solar,the blowing up thing needs to be put into context, solar its self does not blow anything up. Living off grid and providing your own AC power source is more accurate.

AC Power Generation comes mainly in this next of the woods from either a standalone Generator or a Inverter System using DC Batteries to convert DC power to AC power and or a combined mixture of both. The blowing up bit Nigel is referring to is usually associated with the Inverter side of things. There are basically two types on Inverters on the market place, Firstly the more expensive True Sinewave inverters which produce a Grid Equivilent or better true sinusodal (sinewave) and all electrical equipment will have no problems and they wont be blowing up or frying your white goods. Providing that it is wired correctly and earthed properly,with proper surge protection and lightning arrestors. Bottom line if you live off grid with any level of frequency then when it comes to inverters save your pennies and buy a True Sinewave Model. (NoBrainer)

The more problematic inverters are the Modified Sinewave or Square wave cheaper inverters. Certain electrical items do not like Modified or Square Wave Inverters the list includes Washing Machines, Phone Chargers, PIR Security lights , Microwaves certain types of electrical motors fitted in fridges . In the case of some of these items failure is instant like Secuirity Lights,  a couple of hours operation will fry many a phone charger or cordless tool charger. Certain power supplies for laptops games consoles and the like work harder and hotter and eventually fail. A well serviced in Spec internal   combustion engine generator running at its correct voltage and hz should again provide no problems, as rotary generators are also sinusodal true sinewave.  Solar or Windturbines off grid are used to recharge the batteries that feed the Inverter. 

When I was visiting here doing my place up I used a Xantrex DR Modified Sinewave Inverter Charger it fried two security lights instantly , fried a Dewalt Battery Charger and  two mobile phone chargers. caused my two week old washing machine to break its motor mounting. ( The washing machine was made by Spanish/English company called Taurus they came out in 3 days and fixed it no problem.  I only ever ran it from the generator after that untill I got a Truesine wave inverter !18 months later the water pump failed fixed foc no problem 2 days later. I can recommend Taurus usually sold in the Supermarkets. If you need confirmation of warranty claims ask the store for there policy on such. My Taurus repairer was a local company from Tortosa who repaire white goods he seemed oblivious to my supply but I suspect things have changed as per Nigels caution, If youve got a modified sinewave inverter then dont for get to snuff your candles and turn off your gas lamps before going to bed tonight    Wink

NB Modified Sinewave can be used sucessfully on many other items and once youve experimented and fried different things then you learn to operate them only when the genny is running and not the Mod Sinewave, its a bit of a chore but it can be done . You get what you pay for !
  
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HazeandAlan
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Re: White goods/ water containers
Reply #4 - Feb 25th, 2008 at 9:04am
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Hello
we bought a cubo from Herraiz last year - it was quite pricey at 258 euros. I think you can get them cheaper than that.
I have since seen (new) ones for sale at the scrap metal yard on the N340 - don't know the price though.
Haze
  
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Chris
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Re: White goods/ water containers
Reply #5 - Feb 25th, 2008 at 11:03am
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Thank you all! much apprieciated!
  
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bill and bob
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Re: White goods/ water containers
Reply #6 - Feb 25th, 2008 at 11:38am
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lots and lots of detail there Will probably only wants a fridge Grin
  
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Nigel
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Re: White goods/ water containers
Reply #7 - Feb 25th, 2008 at 2:51pm
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Will is right, generally speaking things will work ok on true sinewave inverters and decent quality generators. The problem will come if your device needs more power than your inverter/genny can provide - typically washing machines cause this problem.  The voltage and/or frequency goes unstable and so all sorts of odd things start happening - including self destruction.

The problem is (as Will says) much worse with modified sinewave inverters.  Usually the first thing to blow is the pressure control unit on water pumps (typically in a few seconds/minutes) followed by various other devices - typically ones that have microprocessors controlling them.  The reason is due to the design of the power supply circuit that these devices use.

For anyone interested in the reason, here goes:
You can see the circuit design for a really cheap DC supply from AC shown below.  The problem with modified sinewave inverters is that they have a number of switching stages to simulate AC - anything from 4 (really really cheap) upwards.  The AC is generated by switching these stages on and off in sequence - each having a higher or lower voltage, basically the waveform output looks like an up/down staircase (see Modified Sinewave Intended). 

As these stages switch on/off there is a large transient spike, and lots of harmonics with high voltages, that occurs on the switching edge - far in excess of the designed output voltage of the inverter but of such short duration as to be insignificant (see Modified sinewave actual) UNLESS you are a capacitor ( C1 ) in which case your design voltage is exceeded and you start to break down inside, shorting out the plates through the dilectric.  Eventually C1 dies completely and the full inverter supply is dumped across the remaining bits (if you're unlucky, which tends to be the majority of cases) or C1 goes open circuit and so no supply arrives at the rest of the circuit.  Whichever happens, usually C1 ends up as a charred lump, taking several other bits to the scrapyard with it.

In some cases the device can be repaired, in others not, but the advice is not to use anything sensitive on modified sinewave inverters or invest in a good quality pure sinewave inverter!

Nigel
  

supply5.gif (Attachment deleted)
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William of Orange
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Re: White goods/ water containers
Reply #8 - Feb 25th, 2008 at 3:38pm
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Billybob true lots of info but along with Nigels comments  useful info for the would be offgridders out there still in the planning/purchasing stages.  Wink
  
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terryandsandra
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Re: White goods/ water containers
Reply #9 - Feb 25th, 2008 at 7:49pm
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Hi.
Regarding 1.000 ltr water containers, they can be bought from Linplas in Gandesa, New or second hand, not sure on price but lot cheaper than 200, also Thomas, builders merchant in Gandesa, or scrap yard in Corbera, second hand, cheap.
                    Terry.
  
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fatphil
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Re: White goods/ water containers
Reply #10 - Feb 25th, 2008 at 7:54pm
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I think you will find the cuboids the metal scrap yard on the N340 sells are used.
The ones he had last time previously had orange juice in them, and where about 80 euros.
The builders yard at perello has new ones, when he opens, which tends not to be very often (manana ?
  
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Chris
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Re: White goods/ water containers
Reply #11 - Feb 26th, 2008 at 2:31pm
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Thank you all for the replys! Do the containers that have had , say, orange juice , wash out ok?
  
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Nobrot the Great
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Re: White goods/ water containers
Reply #12 - Feb 26th, 2008 at 7:08pm
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Just as easily as the ones with bleach or weedkiller in..be carefull if they are second hand and don't use them for human consumption
  
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