Sparky Help

[kokesaat]

Our 20 year old home has a ceiling light that seems to be resistant to anything electronic.  When our home was built we had the old style fluorescent rings with ballast/starter. We never had a problem with that particular light until I upgraded to one of the electronic ballasts and then to the LED (ballast free) lights.  When we get an overhead/nearby lightning strike, our safety cut trips.....and more often than not, that particular electronic/led light will fail.  

We have electronic and led ceiling lights throughout the rest of the house......with no problems........it's a single light out of probably 30 or so ceiling lights.

I'm not keen on returning to the old style ballast.......I prefer my lights to come on when I flip the switch, not 3-5 seconds later.

 

Any ideas on what might be causing that particular light to fail so easily?

[bankruatsteve]

By "fail" are you saying the light has "burned out" and needs replacing?  Or, it seems to be making the Safe-T-Cut trip but then will work again later?

 

Check for dust webs and critters in the light housing and switch box.

 

[kokesaat]

Yes, by fail, I mean the light doesn't work.  All other lights do work.  And this particular light seems to fail when we have overhead lightning strikes......that often times (not always) results in our safety cut tripping.  When I reset the safety cut and try that particular light, it doesn't come on.   I've only had the problem at this one light.....and only when I've had either electronic ballast or led lights installed.

 

 

[Crossy]

With the often "interesting" wiring arrangements here it could be almost anything.

 

As a starter can you confirm that the switch is actually in the live side of the circuit?

 

[kokesaat]

I will check the switch wiring in the morning.   

I should mention.....on every occasion that the light failed:

- lightning nearby

- the light was off at the time of the storm

- safety cut tripped

[bankruatsteve]

1 hour ago, kokesaat said:

Yes, by fail, I mean the light doesn't work.  All other lights do work.  And this particular light seems to fail when we have overhead lightning strikes......that often times (not always) results in our safety cut tripping.  When I reset the safety cut and try that particular light, it doesn't come on.   I've only had the problem at this one light.....and only when I've had either electronic ballast or led lights installed.

 

 

So, when the light fails to work, are you replacing it with a new light?  And then when there is lightning, etc. the light needs replacing again?  Just trying to be clear if something is causing the light to become defective or if something else happens that it eventually does turn on?

[Spidey]

4 minutes ago, bankruatsteve said:

So, when the light fails to work, are you replacing it with a new light?  And then when there is lightning, etc. the light needs replacing again?  Just trying to be clear if something is causing the light to become defective or if something else happens that it eventually does turn on?

I probably have the same problem. Had the house rewired recently and most lights replaced with LED arrays.

 

A recent lightning strike, very close to the house caused one RCD to trip. Don't have a RCCB due to the abortion of a rewire. No damage done but one LED array failed.

 

The real problem is getting an electrician to correct the faults in the wiring. I tried asking on this board for a recommendation and got one PM from a member. I called him out, I offered him big money to fix it but he took a quick look in the loft and disappeared, never to be seen again.

 

I'm coming to the conclusion that there aren't any capable electricians in Thailand, just a bunch of cowboys.

 

Having said that, if anyone does know of a capable electrician, willing to take on a job in Pattaya, please PM me.

[kokesaat]

The good news is that Homepro has replaced both Lumax LED elements without question.   Today, I exchanged the second bad Lumax element for a Lampton LED circular bulb.....that supposedly has a surge protection circuit built in.

 

We'll see what happens.

 

 

 

[sometimewoodworker]

30 minutes ago, kokesaat said:

Today, I exchanged the second bad Lumax element for a Lampton LED circular bulb.....that supposedly has a surge protection circuit built in.

No surge protection is going to work if you have a lighting strike too close.

[Crossy]

40 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

No surge protection is going to work if you have a lighting strike too close.

True, but having some is better than having none.

 

[kokesaat]

 

2 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

No surge protection is going to work if you have a lighting strike too close.

Could be......but there's something going on between lightning strikes and this particular overhead light (one of many).  So I may as well give it a try.

 

 

[topt]

On 9/18/2018 at 7:53 PM, Spidey said:

I probably have the same problem. Had the house rewired recently and most lights replaced with LED arrays.

 

A recent lightning strike, very close to the house caused one RCD to trip. Don't have a RCCB due to the abortion of a rewire. No damage done but one LED array failed.

 

The real problem is getting an electrician to correct the faults in the wiring. I tried asking on this board for a recommendation and got one PM from a member. I called him out, I offered him big money to fix it but he took a quick look in the loft and disappeared, never to be seen again.

 

I'm coming to the conclusion that there aren't any capable electricians in Thailand, just a bunch of cowboys.

 

Having said that, if anyone does know of a capable electrician, willing to take on a job in Pattaya, please PM me.

This guy recently installed my Safe T Cut in Pattaya.

As far as I can tell knows what he is doing but I think he does these jobs in his spare time so not necessarily available all the time. He was recommended by the Electrical shop at the bottom of Pattaya Nua (Pornchai?). Speaks some but not a lot of English. Not cheap - in fact I would say quite expensive but you suggest that may not be an issue.

Bird - 0895451764

 

 

[Spidey]

Just now, topt said:

This guy recently installed my Safe T Cut in Pattaya.

As far as I can tell knows what he is doing but I think he does these jobs in his spare time so not necessarily available all the time. He was recommended by the Electrical shop at the bottom of Pattaya Nua (Pornchai?). Speaks some but not a lot of English. Not cheap - in fact I would say quite expensive but you suggest that may not be an issue.

Bird - 0895451764

 

 

He's the guy who took one look in my loft and disappeared, never to be seen again!

[topt]

2 minutes ago, Spidey said:

He's the guy who took one look in my loft and disappeared, never to be seen again!

 Sorry about that.

The shop also gave me a card for -

064 875 8181 - no name and since I did not try them no idea of capability.

[aussie11950]

By the history, it sounds like the ceiling light is susceptible to lightning strikes by induction as it is acting like an aerial.

A surge arrester could help, but would be difficult to fit, considering the wiring is already completed.

I believe a local surge arrester at the light could fix the problem, wired directly across the light connection, or even a small capacitor, to reduce the incoming induced spike.

You could wrap one of the mains wires around something like a pencil, about 5 turns should be enough.

That should act as an inductor and oppose a fast incoming spike to the light.

I hope the new LED lamp with surge protection fixes it.

 

For your info 

Bell Labs determined through experimentation that a lightning strike almost a mile away from phone lines would induce 35+ volts per meter (39”) of exposed wire. Lightning doesn’t have to actually strike the wire since the energy is transferred into the wire by induction. A direct lightning strike on low voltage wires (communication, data, control, etc.) is rare and almost impossible to defend against.

[kokesaat]

Thanks for all the feedback.  I decided to check the light switch itself (20 years old)....and surprise, surprise, it fell apart when I removed the two wall screws.  

So, now with a new switch and a new light, I just have to await the next thunderstorm.

 

[BigT73]

On 9/18/2018 at 7:53 PM, Spidey said:

coming to the conclusion that there aren't any capable electricians in Thailand, just a bunch of cowboys. 

  

Just take a look outside, PEA sparkies which have had council approval on their completed works. This should help with any doubt of capable sparkies working in Thailand.  The latest wire tidyup was a joke still needs a massive overhaul.

But sorry to hear about your plight Spidey hate paying good money to morons.

[Spidey]

Just now, BigT73 said:

Just take a look outside, PEA sparkies which have had council approval on their completed works

Sorry, but I don't really understand this.

[BigT73]

1 minute ago, Spidey said:

Sorry, but I don't really understand this.

Lol the crap wiring out on the streets. 

[shaemus]

On 9/25/2018 at 4:06 PM, kokesaat said:

Thanks for all the feedback.  I decided to check the light switch itself (20 years old)....and surprise, surprise, it fell apart when I removed the two wall screws.  

So, now with a new switch and a new light, I just have to await the next thunderstorm.

 

I had a similar. Issue. With some. Led replacements. For an. Oyster ceiling light. I had 4. They have all blown up (litterally) I was going to. Send them. Back to Eve but I haven't got round to it. I have plenty of other Led's not affected of a different type. I assumed they are a bit sensitive for where I live ( lots of power cuts spikes surges etc).

 

Shaemus