119
Sensor/thermal bulb from a capillary tube. Likely from a refrigerator.
this post was submitted on 08 Nov 2024
119 points (96.9% liked)
What is this thing?
5524 readers
4 users here now
Let us help you identify that mysterious object you’ve found.
Currently in CHALLENGE mode: If you've got something obscure knocking about, post a picture, and let's see how we do. Please prefix such posts with "CHALLENGE:" so we know we've got a fighting chance.
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
Alright, thank you! 17 years of wondering are finally over.
You should still keep your piece of trash just for the memories, now.
Of course! It is my most dearest piece of trash.
What does it do?
From a quick search, it is used to control the flow of refrigerant based on its temperature. The tube deforms based on how hot or cold the refrigerant is, and there are contacts on the tube to switches that permit or resrrict coolant flow
In other words, it's a simple thermostat
Wow, that’s pretty clever.
Physics, yo
Just to add my 2 cents, it's more likely a filter/drier from a refrigerator. Those are much more common, even though a sensor/thermal bulb looks very similar.
It looks similar to part of the cooling system on the back of my refrigerator.
Yeah. It's just random (relatively) modern piece of tubing that either fell off a boat or was tossed over board.
Cool memory for OP, and they picked up a piece of trash from the ocean.
I always thought it might've came from a fishing boat. I guess that could still be the case. Pretty funny.
Yeah, cool for you and a priceless reminder of a childhood vacation.
Just not something worth any money or even worth passing down thru the family.
If you ever watch Mitchell and Webb they have a bit where archeologists find a VHS cassette of a toga party and insist it's an authentic recording from ancient Rome.
Picking up trash under water is not the same as picking up trash on land. The small piece OP collected was probably ok, but the damage you can do to the ecosystem by removing a bottle or other big chunks that have been there for years can be really bad. I hope all divers have that in mind when they explore the underwater world.
Edit: I don't get the downvotes, I'm not making this up. It's one of the first things you learn as a CMAS diver.
I can't confirm if that's true, but that is actually oddly interesting. Maybe the downvotes because... It sounds so weird?: adding trash to water is bad, but removing trash can also be bad?
It is really a headscratcher for me too, would like to read some info about it if you can share some sources?
There's just a different "quality" of trash. Something deeply embedded in the ecosystem will become part of it. If you plug a bottle or large piece of metal from the floor you will destroy some form of habitat. Floating plastic has to go of course, as well as strings or nets.
Another picture to have an idea about the size of it.
It's conventional to use a banana for scale, but a hand will do in a pinch I guess.
That hand is, in fact, in a pinch, so we have no problems!
Ah, good. The problem resolved itself. I can continue being somewhat lazy
And somewhat italian.
jalapeño
Phew. The small size, combined with other people surmising it might be part of a refrigerator greatly alleviates my worries you might have picked up a piece of unexploded munitions from WW2. Which is an all too common thing over here in Germany.
It’s a Sea Doobie
What does a sea do be do?
Thank you, i will never stop calling it that now!
There could be dangerous coolant in it. When scrapping devices using coolant, the workers used to make it pump it into this chamber, then squish the end tight, roll it a bit, then remove it.
Looks like copper.
I think it is, yes.