Glass shelve in the fridge

[ginaphan]

The glass shelve panel in my fridge - the one over the vegetable crisper - is broken.

How do I go about getting a replacement? DO I have to go all the way to the National/Panasonic service centre? Are there any alternatives?

[pcyeoh]

Get the measurement and a sample of the glass plate (for thickness) and go to Taipan to the glass shop next to Vege Pack on the same row as Maybank and the KTM* stations. They will cut the glass for you. It is anytime cheaper than the original and save you the trouble looking for it.

Note:
KTM* is Kuda, Toto and Magnum

[ginaphan]

Thanks, PC.

Actually, my hubby said the same thing but I thot the glass has to be a special type. Hah, little do I know.

Now, got to eat humble pie lah and tell him he is right. ;-)

[leewinnie46]

Ask them to polish the glass so you won't get cut when retrieving something from the fridge.

[orchipalar]

Err...now this one Orchi gotta know...

Err...modern fridges do NOT come with glass partitions...as they were a bit sensitive to mishandlings...n quite hazardous when broken n fallen while one is standing just outside the fridge...

Ahem...thought only the old fridges still use these glass partitions...

[PJS]

Many new fridges come with glass shelves, some just the bottom shelf, some with full galss shelves(more expensive models). Tempered glass is more durable than plastic shelves. I wonder how ginaphan's shelf gets broken? It takes a huge impact or pretty heavy stuff sitting on it to crack a tempered glass. When tempered glass is broken it breaks into tiny small pieces just like your car windscreen.

Make sure u get the glass shop to cut you "tempered glass" in the same thickness or else it will break easily. I think the cost for one piece can easily run into a hundred RM and their workmanship is often questionable, might as well get an original replacement from Panasonic, their spare part prices are actually not that expensive.

[ginaphan]

My fridge is a real old one.

We ta pau bak kut teh one night and my maid put the hot bag on the glass shelf. It cracked and over time, broke along the crack. Luckily it did not break into pieces.

Time to call National, I guess. Hope they deliver.

[orchipalar]

Tempered glass is more durable than plastic shelves. When tempered glass is broken it breaks into tiny small pieces just like your car windscreen.Err...PJS dear:)...on the contrary...tempered glass could hardly be as durable than plastic shelves...they shatter too easily(in case of car windscreen they explode so to speak upon impact)...n Orchi doesn't think it could be used in fridges...

In fact...tempered glass are NOT suitable for the front windscreen of cars...it must NOT be substituted with tempered ones as in the malaysian smaller local assembly cars(short changed liao)...tempered ones are only approved to be used for the side windows n the rear windscreen ONLY.

All front windscreen of cars must be of reinforced laminated glass...

So if you are talking about the reinforced laminated glass sheet...now that's more durable...coz they use them in extreme cases...for bullet proof glass windows...n glass panels n cabinets of jewelry stores... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullet-proof_glass

[pcyeoh]

Make sure u get the glass shop to cut you "tempered glass" in the same thickness or else it will break easily. I think the cost for one piece can easily run into a hundred RM and their workmanship is often questionable, might as well get an original replacement from Panasonic, their spare part prices are actually not that expensive.
Aiyoh, your estimation of the glass is way off lah. I don't think it cost more than RM 30.00. Last year I disposed off one cabinet and I kept the the glass door which I could covert it as a shelf if the need arises. You see, I am a DIY man and a Mcgyver all rolled into one. To cut the glass to size, they only charge RM 10.00. I did that once before. The glass for shelf if you need to buy should not be more than RM 20.00 as I don't expect Ginaphan to have a fridge like those we see in the coffeeshops or 7 Eleven outlets in her house.

[PJS]

Aiyoh, my mistake, Orchi, I meant the tempered glass is use in car "windows". Not windscreen. :o

Thanks for pointing it out, as u said it correctly, laminated glass should be used for front windscreen. BUT, u may also find some older cars, especially the cheaper Protons, used to come with NON-laminated glass. I know coz once I brought a colleague to get her windscreen replaced, and the workshop asked her if she'd like the standard non-laminated glass or the more expensive laminated windscreen. IIRC, back in the dark ages, only premium cars like Volvo and Mercedes came with laminated glass from the factory.

Tempered glass is way stronger than normal glass and used for furniture such as tables, glass shelfs, storm windows, even shop/bank frontage, etc. Glass walls on high rises are also made of tempered glass. Check out the following from http://www.alumaxbath.com/tech/tgp.htm :-

"~ tempered glass is approximately four times as strong as annealed glass. It resists breakage by small missiles traveling approximately twice as fast as missiles which break annealed glass. Tempered glass is also able to resist temperature differences (200 ° F - 300 ° F) which would cause annealed glass to crack....

~Fully tempered glass can satisfy federal, state and local building code requirements for safety glazing in such applications as doors, side lights, shower and tub enclosure, and interior partitions."

and also http://computer.howstuffworks.com/question508.htm

btw, My fridge came with full tempered glass shelves :)

PC Yeoh,

I may hv overestimated the cost of tempered glass from my experience of installing 10mm thick tempered glass shower stall which cost over RM2K some yrs back. The contractor quoted me the cost for 2 tiny pieces 8"x8" shelves (for shampoos, etc) which were about RM30-50 each that's why I thought a bigger piece shd costs more. (These shelves are 10mm tempered glass too) I guess fridges need only 5-8 mm glass thickness which shd be cheaper? :p

[PJS]

My fridge is a real old one.

We ta pau bak kut teh one night and my maid put the hot bag on the glass shelf. It cracked and over time, broke along the crack. Luckily it did not break into pieces.

Time to call National, I guess. Hope they deliver.

Gina, just as I suspected, even though the glass is quite shatterproof and can take a lot fo weight, a cold shelf does not really agree with hot liquid sitting on it and thus the thermal shock caused the crack.

Hope u find the most economical way to replace it. :D

[ginaphan]

Thanks to all the suggestions, I went to the glass cutting shop to get the replacement. Cost me RM10.

It's not tempered glass - it's the same glass used in louvred windows.

So far so good.