Re: LD10 and AD10 manuals

[Keith Doxey <keith.doxey@xxxxxxx>]

Hi Tim,

Replacing a triac is quite a simple operation but it would NOT cure your
problem.
The triac isnt the malfunctioning component in your switches, the X10 chip
is the failing device.
Triacs only fail in one of two ways, most common is short circuit so that
the lamp will be at 100% brightness permanently, very rarely a triac will
fail open circuit so that you get nothing at all. In my experience when
triacs fail it is a permanent failure, I have never had one "play
up" and
then revert to normal operation at a later date.

A triac with a higher rating just makes the dimmer less susceptable to
blown triacs when a lamp blows.
The problems you are experiencing are down to heat. The ONLY way to get rid
of the heat is to increase the size of the heatsink, or dissipate the heat
from the existing heatsink more quickly by forcing cool air over it.
Neither of these are practical options for the existing wall switch.

You will probably find that both the Wall Switch and the LD10 use the same
triac, the only difference for the LD10's higher power rating being
improved heatsinking of the triac and a larger choke to reduce the RFI
caused by the higher load.

If you can gain access to the wiring via the floorboard above you could
consider some wiring changes to allow you to install LD10's into a consumer
unit hidden in the airing cupboard or similar location.

You say you dont have a neutral available at the wall switch location but
you can use the existing switch wiring to control the local feature of the
LD10.

At the moment you should have Live, Neutral and earth running to each
ceiling rose or to the junction box for wall lights. You will also have a
twin and earth carrying Live to the switch and switched Live back to the
ceiling rose to operate the light.

If you can gain access to the wiring then you can run 2 twin and earth
cables to the location chosen to mount your LD10's. Use one cable to feed
Live and Neutral to the LD10 and the other cable for the switched live and
control lead for the LD10. The switched live wire feeds the lamps and the
control wire is connected to the OLD switch wire running to the switch.
Replace the existing Wall Switch dimmer with a momentary switch and you
then have manual control of the LD10. You do not need to run neutral from
the LD10 back to the lamp as that is where you are taking it from in the
first place.

Not an easy option I know, but at least it doesnt involve ripping the walls
apart and destroying the decor although you do need to take the upstairs
carpets and floorboards up :-((

No-one said this Home Automation lark was easy :-))

Hope that helps

Keith Doxey
http://www.btinternet.com/~krazy.keith
Krazy Keith's World of DIY Home Automation

-----Original Message-----
From:	Mark McCall [SMTP:mark@xxxxxxx]
Sent:	24 July 1999 17:15
To:	ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Subject:	[ukha_d] Re: LD10 and AD10 manuals

> Would replacing the triac, with a higher rated one be a
> simple operation?

Over to Keith.....

:-)

M.


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