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From: fritz@m2.ti.com (Fritz Whittington)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: For Telecom-ers Who Live up North
Message-ID: <15324@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 6 Dec 90 17:54:24 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 873, Message 9 of 9


In article <15113@accuvax.nwu.edu> CAPEK@YKTVMT.BITNET (Peter G.
Capek) writes:

>interesting device called a Telefreeze.  It connects to a phone line
>and makes the line go "off hook" when the ambient temperature goes
>below a preset limit.  The idea is that you would periodically call
>home (or your ski house..) and if you get a busy, call a
>neighbor/plumber/heating contractor to investigate before the pipes
>freeze.  Available through dealers and plumbers.  The manufacturer is

Could someone explain to a life-long Southerner why this terribly
complicated system which depends on human intervention on both ends is
better than simply having the thermal device in the 'Telefreeze'
simply turn the heater on?


Fritz Whittington


[Moderator's Note: Even if for some reason the device was not able to
turn the heater on, if it can go off hook it could surely dial your
number and recite some sort of pre-recorded spiel. At least you would
think so. What does merely going off-hook solve? What if you forget to
call it for a couple days? And why should you waste several calls on
it for nothing when it (or a similar device) should be able to make
ONE important call to you?  You are correct; this device sounds like a
total piece of junk.   PAT]