Review of Glentronics, Inc. BWD-HWA Basement Watchdog Water Sensor and Alarm

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $19.95
Sale Price: $9.97
Today's Bonus: 50% Off

A year ago I got into a bit of a "emergency preparedness" mode, and among other things, bought one of these devices, installed it in my water heater pan and then forgot all about it.

At 12:30 a.m. a couple of nights ago, an alarm began ringing. I had no idea what it was, except that it wasn't a smoke detector (not as loud as that) but after wandering around the house for a bit, I followed the sound to the basement and found a small amount of water in the water heater pan. The alarm turned off as soon as I pulled the sensors out of the water.

It was soon obvious this was no small leak. Over the next 12 hours until we got the water heater replaced, we easily bailed 30 or more gallons of water out of the bin we placed to catch the overflow from the pan.

Had the alarm not sounded, it could have been 24 hours or more before the leak was noticed. The basement storage room where the water heater is located, and the adjoining (carpeted) rec room would have been flooded, requiring a major effort to dry them out and damage/destruction of a number of items. Drying out the basement to prevent mold would have required the rental of some high-powered dehumidifiers (been there, done that).

This item did exactly what it was supposed to do. After reading some of the reviews indicating some lack of reliability, I may well install a couple of extras in the basement as backup, and putting some in other locations, such as under/near the washing machine, under sinks, and under the dishwasher, seems like a good idea.

Important tip learned during the water heater replacement:

The expansion tank intalled with the water heater has a shorter life span than the heater itself, and when it fails, the pressure from expansion of heating water then causes damage to the water heater tank itself, shortening its life. To test whether the expansion tank has failed, tap along the side of the tank starting from the bottom. There should be a noticeable change of pitch between the bottom (which contains the bladder full of water) and the top, which should contain air. If it sounds the same all the way up, the bladder has failed and the entire expansion tank has filled with water, preventing it from doing its job of relieving pressure in the water heater tank. Replacing the expansion tank is much cheaper than replacing both it and the heater, and may keep your heater going for years longer.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

The Water Alarm also has a 6-foot sensor wire, so that you can extend the sensor into a sump pump, or the alarm will sound before water spills out onto the floor. The alarm plugs into the wall plus has a 9 Volt battery backup. We use ours for the sump pump & it works wonderfully!

When the alarm goes off...we pull up on the sump pump floater string & the sump pump starts right away and the alarm turns off right away.

The alarm is loud. Our house is a ranch style, a bit over 1,100 sq ft...the sump pump is in the basement...opposite corner than our bedrooms on the main floor...I could still hear the alarm going off in the middle of the night.

This item works as it says it will, I'd purchase this item again. We purchased our's at a major hardware store in our area for about $10

Best Deals for Glentronics, Inc. BWD-HWA Basement Watchdog Water Sensor and Alarm

Why is this better than Leak Frog:

1) 5-yr run time on each battery, provided that battery's expiry date is not earlier than that. Leak Frog? 1 yr. Maybe 2~3 yrs if you use Li batteries (my assumption only see my Leak Frog comment).

2) $9.95 @ my local hardware store and this is widely available. Leak Frog? Almost $15 now and seems like it's Amazon's exclusive offering.

3) Audibly louder than Leak Frog.

4) No screwdriver needed for battery compartment door, Leak Frog needs screwdriver to access that supposedly annually too! I dislike.

5) Slender form factor makes it easier to snug in underneath fridge and dishwasher.

6) Remote (if desired) sensor placement within 6' makes it super versatile. I inserted this remote sensor far deep underneath my fridge with ease. Leak Frog? Where it is located is where it senses.

7) Less toyish look I didn't pay a premium for the latest stainless appliances so that I can place a green toy there in plain sight. I wish that the Watchdog was black (or stainless) and smaller than this, but this is still acceptable.

8) 5-yr manufacturer's warranty. Leak Frog's 1 yr.

9) Leak Frog maker seems to be a one hit wonder. This one's mother company makes a wide assortment of other basement flood prevention goodies. This seems more pro.

I already own 4 Leak Frogs & now 2 Watchdogs, I still need at least 2 more water alarms, I'll get the Watchdog from now on...

Honest reviews on Glentronics, Inc. BWD-HWA Basement Watchdog Water Sensor and Alarm

I bought 2 of these from Lowe's today for $13.58 (model BWD-HWA). Each requires a 9 volt battery, has a 6 foot sensor wire and a 5 year warranty, although no guarantee it will work. It can stand alone or be attached to a wall with the sensor wire extended. The sensor wire can be spliced up to 100 feet, if you supply the wire. It's also claimed that the alarm sounds up to 3 days.

This thing needs to be in a puddle of water (1/32" minimum) to work because it has 2 sensors on the bottom that need electrical current flow between them the water being the conductor. It's not going to sense drops of water, but it should work in a flood situation where water is covering the floor.

I tested the ones I bought and they do work in a puddle, but the alarm needs to be a bit louder. It claims to be 110 decibels, and if that's true, then it's louder than most similar alarms.

It has a constant (non beeping) high pitch sound similar to a smoke detector but not nearly as loud. It can be heard if not too far away, but to be effective, it should be heard everywhere in the house and waken you while asleep. So depending on your hearing, the size of your house and where you are when it sounds, it may work well for you. However, none of these devices work if you can't hear them.

Should one of these devices fail, it would be wise to place more than one where a lot of flooding could occur and cause major damage to your house. Where your washing machine is located is a prime candidate.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Glentronics, Inc. BWD-HWA Basement Watchdog Water Sensor and Alarm

I installed this in my sump pump basin. Over the winter condensation collected to the extent that it set off the alarm. This happened twice. The contacts should have been designed to dangle separately from a support. The support collected the moisture causing the two contacts to complete the alarm's circuit.

There is no switch to turn off the alarm so while it is screaming LOUDLY you have to take the battery out. I don't know why it didn't stop after I dried the moisture from the contacts.

Best Soleus HGW-308R Micathermic Flat Panel Portable Heater with Remote Deals

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $169.99
Sale Price: $115.47
Today's Bonus: 32% Off

We purchased this a year ago from Sam's Club. It is wall mounted in the basement, and worked great, until right after the warranty ended. Now it is dead. No response from the controls at all. Not sure what we are going to do. Waiting for a reply from the Soleus.

This is a common problem with electronic thermostats on heaters. We have another heater with an electronic thermostat (another brand), and it failed once, thankfully under warranty.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

I'm returning this today. It's heating range is about 1-2 feet if you're lucky. I have a tiled master bedroom and this heater did poorly to heat one side of the room. Trying to heat the living room is not even close. My biggest complaint is that this heater does not project heat. I'm going to get a heater that blows out the air.

Best Deals for Soleus HGW-308R Micathermic Flat Panel Portable Heater with Remote

First unit dead after 6 months (lights come on no heat)

replacement huge dent in back panel on arrival (box perfect... they sent it that way!)

second replacement OK for a few months. Tried it as the weather got colder this month. Worked once, now won't heat up.

Customer service says the warranty starts (and ends) based on the original purchase date, so I'm out of luck.

AVOID THIS COMPANY

Honest reviews on Soleus HGW-308R Micathermic Flat Panel Portable Heater with Remote

We had one in the home office so that my wife could keep it warm in there for her. So when the last one broke we wanted to have another one.

Cheap Cuisinart DGB-650BC Grind-and-Brew Thermal 10-Cup Automatic

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $235.00
Sale Price: $116.99
Today's Bonus: 50% Off

We had a DGB-600BC and used it daily for about 4 years. The grinder assembly finally seized and we could no longer remove it. We had been looking around for a new coffee maker, anyway, so we went ahead and bought this one (DGB-650BC) at a local store.

We've been using it for a couple weeks now and it makes a fine cup of coffee, just like the last one did. I noticed right away, that a few things that turned out to be issues with the last model had been fixed or improved upon with this one.

1) The grinder compartment is much better separated from the water reservoir and also designed better for all the grounds to go into the filter basket. The older model always left a bit of a mess, both in the grinder compartment and on the little shelf that separated the filter basket from the coffee pot, and around the burner plate. I haven't seen any of that mess with this model. I can't tell you how happy that makes me.

2) The little shelf I spoke about in #1 is now gone. That's a plus. Since this maker is designed better, it isn't needed anyway. Also, this shelf caused build up around the door latch making it hard to shut after a very short time. I'm glad it's gone.

3) The filter basket door mechanism is far better designed. The old model I had to slam shut, sometimes repeatedly, before it would stay shut. This one has a much better and more sturdy hinge mechanism and latch.

4) New to this model (the old one didn't have this) is a window on the side so you can see how much water you're pouring in. It's clearly marked and has a red floating ball to make it easy to see. I really like this feature.

The grinder seem a little louder than the old one, but I've never met a coffee grinder that wasn't loud and it's only for a very short time. I love having freshly ground coffee first thing in the morning.

As far as cleanup goes for the grinding assembly and filter basket, it only takes a minute or two. Aside from the coffee pot itself, there are 5 pieces to clean and it really is quick and easy to empty the filter basket and rinse the pieces.

In short, this is fine coffee maker, much improved from the DGB-600BC, and I am happy we upgraded to it.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

I love the new look! We had the older version for about 6 years. This new one is sleeker and much easier to clean and keep clean (the inside where the grinder sits gets cakey due to condensation). I got it for $149, used Amazon Prime, and had it in a few days! I love it. If you're thinking of getting this grind and brew with stainless carafe, it is nice. Some parts will have to be replaced over the years like the older version, but the taste of the freshly ground coffee every day is worth it. I never pre-heat the carafe like the directions say because that defeats the purpose of the timer. I've never had an issue with the coffee temperature, it's always hot! I also recommend hand-washing over dishwasher. The carbon filters are similar to Brita and can be found for cheap at Kohl's. One other note is it only makes 10 cups as opposed to the typical 12 cups. This is fine for me because it's just me and my husband, but if you need to make a ton of coffee regularly, this may not be a good choice. Overall, I love it and I'm glad I traded up!

Best Deals for Cuisinart DGB-650BC Grind-and-Brew Thermal 10-Cup Automatic

Let me start by admitting that I am a novice when it comes to drinking coffee, much less owning coffee machines. This is the first coffee machine I've ever bought, but I've been very happy with it thus far. If you purchase it, definitely read the directions as there are a couple of small points they bring out, that you wouldn't otherwise know. (For instance, when you place the goldtone coffee filter in, the handle which can rest in either direction, must face outwards.) I just mention this, since I am usually one to NOT read directions, and I'm sure most others who have owned coffe machines wouldn't either, but it seems valuable in this particular case.

The main reason I went with this unit, was Cuisineart had the only ones in Bed Bath & Beyond which can be programmed to grind then brew. I leave it on my desk at work, and have it programmed to grind/brew right before I arrive in the morning. And it's awesome. Only used it several times so far, but no complaints. Cleaning is relatively easy but (like any other coffee brewer/grinder I assume) you have to clean it every day. Not a big deal though, so far I've just been taking the grinder and filter parts out, and rinsing them out. Not sure how important it is to use soap...

The most valuable thing I can tell you, that you won't read on the box, is that the thermal caraffe REALLY DOES work great. I don't pre-heat the caraffe, since I have it sitting out from the night before. I have mine programmed to start brewing at 8:30am. And believe it or not, despite the fact that there is no heater that runs after it's done brewing... the coffee stays HOT for a long time. It stays piping hot for several hours, and even at 2:30pm, it is still drinkably warm. I never expected it to stay that warm for 6 hours, far exceeded my expecations.

Easy to program, but you have to remember to press the Program button each night before. Although, that's not really a big deal since you have to add water and all the other stuff anyway. It's a safety feature really.

Grinder noise isn't super loud, and it only runs for 60 seconds so who cares. Mine is sitting on my desk in my cube, but I program it to run before most people arrive in the office so it's not a problem.

Very short 2ft. power cord with the unit, which will be great for kitchen countertops where you can put it by an outlet, otherwise you might need an extension cord.

Can't speak about reliability. Hopefully they fixed some of the issues people had with this unit's predecessor. Will revise my review later if I have issues.

I've rated it 5 stars, for $129 I feel that I got what I expected and paid for, and really don't have any complaints. I also haven't seen ANYTHING in the market that does what this does, in the same price range. Is there not a demand for coffee grinder/brewers? I mean, why wouldn't you want to have something that you can program to do both before you even wake up? For me, there was no other choice.

Cuisinart has a more expensive model than this one, but it was $70 more and the only feature that really seemed to be valuable was it's "burr grinder" which is supposedly better. But it didn't seem like that was worth $70 more to me, so I thought this was the best value.

Honest reviews on Cuisinart DGB-650BC Grind-and-Brew Thermal 10-Cup Automatic

I ordered this coffee maker knowing that Cuisinart produces very fine products but I have to say I am not real happy with this particular product. The grinder grinds the beans VERY coarse which doesn't make a very strong cup of coffee so I'm back to grinding my coffee with my burr grinder. The setting for 1-4 cups does not make the water warmer as advertised (it comes out luke warm) so I just don't push that button when making a small pot of coffee. I do find that when brewing a full pot it does keep the coffee hot for quite a while. I think, if I order another Cuisinart coffeemaker in the future, that I will pay a little more and get the coffeemaker with the burr grinder and with a hot-plate instead of the thermal carafe.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Cuisinart DGB-650BC Grind-and-Brew Thermal 10-Cup Automatic

For those who want grind and brew features this is the best product for the money. There are the higher priced models but some of us have to stay on a budget. Compared to the earlier version, I've had 3 of the earlier ones; they do tend to break down after 2 years. This model has significant improvements. The best is that it is so much easier to clean the grinding area. The earlier model was next to impossible, this more open design makes it possible to actually get those beans that get into the grinding area out.

In reading the other reviews I did have a few concerns.

1. The sediment from the filter: Well that's the reality of permanent filters. So it's convenience of not having to get those paper things out and over to the trash. If that detail is annoying use paper. Even the high priced machines have that issue and Cuisnart clearly informs you of this issue with a notice before unpacking the product.

2. Noise: The review that goes on about how noisy this machine is. Gad face reality, these are coffee beans getting ground up in somewhat large area in an enclosed area without a lot of sound insulation. It is going to get loud. No louder than a regular coffee grinder and a lot quieter than a garbage disposal. To avoid having the noise in the morning I do the unthinkable, grind the beans the evening before. OK, I'm not a purist.

3. Coffee not the right temp: Face reality, the carafe is going to be the same temp as the room it's sitting in. So it like most people who turn down there temp in their house at night to let's say even 68 degrees at night or even 70, the the physics say the carafe temp is going to be 70. Now, brew coffee and when it gets into the insulated carafe the temp is going to average out. Since the insulated model doesn't have a warming plate, you're may want to take into consideration that you're brewing into a room temp carafe and the coffee temp is going to cool down. Cuisinart clearly informs you that simply warming up the carafe with hot water before brewing takes care of this issue. I easily deal with this when the machine starts brewing you have a good 30-45 seconds before the first drop comes out and the machine does have a function to keep coffee from coming out unless the carafe is properly placed. That gives plenty of time to run some hot water into it, get the inside temp up and the result is coffee at the perfect temp. Now I do have to say that it is very easy for me because I have one of those instant hot water faucets at the sink so I don't have to wait for the hot water to start flowing.

There have been some very good user oriented changes to this model. It's not perfect, but for the money it's the best you're going to find on the market. Take the critics in these reviews with a grain of salt.

Of course one of the reasons I am really, really happy with this machine is that I ran into it when Amazon had it on sale for $110 with a $30 rebate from Cuisinart. My final cost was $85!! I called customer service to see how the rebate would work. They told me a mail-in coupon would come with the product. When the product arrived ( 3 days later, and I used the free standard shipping during the holiday period) there was no rebate coupon. I called customer service and their response was "we'll just add a $30 credit" to your account. I was expecting getting a run around anticipating that they would put the problem off on Cuisinart. But no, Amazon steps up to plate, resolves the problem in less than 1 minute and the credit appeared on my credit card the next day. Now that is customer service!!

My hats off to Amazon to putting the customer first. Beyond the coffee maker at $85 final cost with free shipping, I have to say that Amazon has matured into a very customer focused retailer. They have moved beyond good prices and the convenience of shopping at home; they are real competition to the brick & moter stores. Amazon's focus on the customer actually gives the retail experience a lot of us remember in the "old department store" days.

I have never taken the time to write a product review, but I do enjoy having them available to get unbiased reviews and input. This time I felt it was only fair to take the time to put a realistic perspective to some of the negative reviews while at the same time expressing my positive experience with Amazon. For me Amazon has primarily been a convenience factor, now I shop with them because of their dependability and customer service focus. Price is not the driver for me anymore. I've just learned that if I really want customer service, the most reliable and predictable place to shop is Amazon!!

Cheap Deluxe Propane Patio Heater

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $319.99
Sale Price: $282.14
Today's Bonus: 12% Off

Received the product in a timely manner and in good working order. Thanks to other consumer reviews I was able to assemble the unit while avoiding some of the missteps of others. The product works well and extends our comfort into cooler weather.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Very nice, we're enjoying the ability to use our patio this fall. Produces good heat but like others I've seen the warmth decreases significantly as soon as there's any wind. The directions are not very good. Specifically you need to remove the plastic receptacle attached to the base and fill it with sand, then place the brackets that will later hold the propane tank, THEN re-attach the receptacle before beginning assembly where the instructions begin. Only other criticism is my fault, I did not measure the space because I have seen many outdoor heaters and had a reasonable idea what size they are. This unit is taller and wider than others I've seen and barely fits my space.

Best Deals for Deluxe Propane Patio Heater

Make sure you have lots of room for this heater. You will need 50" above, and 50" clearance around the unit as recommended in the instruction manual. This heater is top of the line for the money.

Honest reviews on Deluxe Propane Patio Heater

I was very pleased with this unit. It looks great on my deck, the copper finish adds to the overall setup on the deck. It is easy to light (you do have to tip it and allow the gas to fill the lines before the pilot will stay on. The heat output is easy to set for the temp of the day. I highly recommend this unit. It came in a well packaged carton, instructions were well detailed and all the parts were there.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Deluxe Propane Patio Heater

I ordered these heat lamps for a huge party I was throwing. They came on time and looked great. Very Easy to use and easy to move around the patio (when moving to storage). Highly recommend these if you are looking for heat lamps. Great bang for the buck!

Best Hearth Contemporary II Rectangular Rug Deals

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $114.99
Sale Price: $95.38
Today's Bonus: 17% Off

This rug is awesome. It's difficult to find a hearth rug that is affordable AND doesn't have bears or pine cones on it!!

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Beautiful for what its for. I mean, I bought it for the intention of catching wayward burning embers.This thing is much nicer than I thought it was going to be. Better than the image presented here. Very nice accent to the room AND FUNCTIONAL TOO!!

*** EDIT 11/4/2013 ***

Been two years forgot I even bought it here until Amazon just forwarded a question about the product to me. After two years, still going strong and still looks great. One of the better quality purchases I've made. Larger than what I've used in the past, better looking than what I've used in the past, and being a large hearth product in general, I no longer stress over the average ticks and pops can leave the room unattended in confidence.

If you're looking for something along these lines look no further.. I really don't say that much.

Best Deals for Hearth Contemporary II Rectangular Rug

We bought this rug for our family room fireplace. Love the long length and the quality of its construction. Its a heavy rug which does not move on the carpet and which does not curl up on the ends like the cheap hearth rugs. I would highly recommend it or if need be, buy another one.

Mr. Heater Portable Big Buddy Heaters Port Buddy Prop Htr 4 000/9 Reviews

Customer Ratings:

Love love love love and love this thing. Fortunately I was able to buy it a few years back when it was in the $130-140 range. I've taken it on no less than 20 camping trips and although it is bulky, I wouldn't trade it's heat output for anything.

A few things I LOVE about it it's got 3 seperate settings. I bought a Big Buddy (4k-9k BTU) heater and hated it because the 4k wouldn't get the tent hot enough, then the 18k would scorch the place. I would have to wake up 15x's to adjust it back and forth. This one has a 3rd option, which I use regularly.

Also I can use 1 or 2 propane canisters OR a BBQ tank/hose, which I usually have camping anyway. Love that option! It's a little finicky to ignite at times, but once it ignites, it's lights out baby. It also has a fan thats operated by 6D batteries, but I don't think I've ever had the need to use that.

My wife teaches dance in the garage and in the winter the temp gets down in the 30's-40's. This little heater will heat up the garage (about 500 sq ft) in about 20 minutes on high. Then she'll back it down to low or medium for confort.

Did I mention I love this thing? Aside from the bulkiness of it, it's been a life saver and very dependable. Easily one of my top 3 favorite camping items I own.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Nice heater. Arrived on time with no damage. Heats my two car garage in no time so I can work on projects in the winter. I will order more to hand out as gifts.

Best Deals for Mr. Heater Portable Big Buddy Heaters Port Buddy Prop Htr 4 000/9

used this after Hurricane Sandy hit, and boy did it ever come in handy, besides working really well! Highly recommend

Honest reviews on Mr. Heater Portable Big Buddy Heaters Port Buddy Prop Htr 4 000/9

After ordering this from Amazon, I found it the next day at the local Tractor Supply for $134.95, everyday price !

It is the Big Buddy with three heat settings and uses two canisters.