Watoor -40-degree-freezer bug

[shirasu893]

Here's a test for you if you have a Watoor -40-degree freezer. If your freezer is set below 0 degrees, unplug if for a minute, then plug it in again. Come back in an hour or two and check the temperature on the display. You'll probably see that it's risen above the set-point.

What I found for my Watoor is that a brief loss of power causes the freezer to stop using the set-point and instead use its default set-point of 0 degrees F. But, if you press and hold the +/- buttons, it will again start using your specified set-point. When I reported the issue to Watoor, they shipped out a replacement (and said to keep the original), but the replacement exhibited the same behavior. Watoor refunded my purchase price and didn't want the freezers back. I just wish the freezers themselves were as reliable as Watoor's customer service.

I'm guessing that the Watoor is private-labeled, as there are several look-alike units sold by other companies, and I suspect the look-alikes have the same bug. Or maybe it's just the current-production units. But I hope someone else here will do the test and report back.

Question: Are there any other reasonably-priced low-temperature (at least -20-degrees F), compact chest-freezers?

 

[Chili777]

I don't have one, but I've been looking. The coldest standard freezer I've seen is -11F or -20C. Most freezers that indicate they are -20 use Celsius, and they also use that temp when referring to peptides in long term storage. I am looking at a Whynter 1.1 Cu. Ft. Upright Freezer with Lock, which retails under $200 and has a standard 110V AC plug-in and reaches down to -11°F with a internal mechanical thermostat dial.

If you want a true lab freezer, then you're talking about something like Stirling and those retail in the thousands, and even used are around $1000. I haven't spent a ton of time, but that's what I've found so far.

 

[BNLFL]

My garage fridge/freezer is usually around -4 to-9 this time of year. Lowest temp inthe memory is-13, and that was likely last winter when we had some actual freezes here about 30*. I reset the memory to see what it says.

 

[shirasu893]

I found this 2.1 cu ft chest freezer selling at Costco, with free shipping. According to the manual I downloaded, it maintains -7 to -11 degrees F when the dial is at 7.

It's also sold at Home Depot.

 

[nighthawk98]

From appearance that is the same as the Northair series I was looking at? Hm. I was considering one of the 1.8cf versions (something I can keep under my desk). I bet one of my Cyberpower UPS can keep it up through temp power loses. Not a lot of options for -40f out there outside this "rebadged by everyone" series.

 

[Flash-BCR]

I got a small 2.0 cuft top load chest freezer offa Amazon during prime days...$160....I put a digital temperature monitor in it and it runs -22C all day long. No defrost cycles...