Hi, I have installed a faac c721 with 4 Photocells and everything we connect the transformer it trips the power in the house. We have tested and we get 250v but cannot understand why it keeps shorting the circuit. The c721 is just sat on driveway can't get around it. Has anyone noticed problems with this before - the transformer could just be a smoke screen it's brand new only a couple of weeks old. Faac have said send it back for testing but that's a nightmare with all the blockwork settled back in. I have the nylon racking off also. Any help would be grateful.
Your reply seems to suggest that all your "testing" is purely a plug in and wait for the RCD to trip, have you got the necessary test equipment to carry out dead testing and subsquently the live testing
Your profile indicates you are a trainee electrician are you working with someone who is qualified on this job
Hi, thanks we have a fuse switch spare and a safety isolator switch connected to the circuit going from the one right of number 5 on the fuse board. Nothing else is connected to number 5 on the fuse board.
Attachments
It could be a fault with the secondary wiring - can't tell unless you try it without the secondary connected
It could be transformer inrush, can't tell unless we know the size of the transformer.
It could be the transformer's connected incorrectly, can't tell unless we see a photo of the Connections
It could be an internal fault within the transformer, can't tell without the ir readings
A number of people have asked a few leading questions in order to narrow the issue down, without any response without the information we will not be able to help you.
We can all have a multitude of informed guesses as to the issue, but are unable to narrow it down without the questions being answered.
Thank you for the responses. I agree i am out of my depth so will find another electrician my hope of it being a known issue was a load of rubbish but i thank you all for your time it is the first time me using this forum but thank you all for your help
Did you pay the electrician for this work? I would get him back and tell him to sort it.
Or did you fit it?
Thanks got there in the end with an electrician and now we have power to the gate ready for automation.
I asked what was wrong and here it is
Live and neutral crossed on the rcd (one connected one side, one connected the other side of the consumer unit)
And mcb too small (6amp should've been more than a 12 amp)
Thank you for the update. When I checked the mcb size for the 230V ac supply the FAAC literature said it should be 6A. See para 12 on page 2/13:
https://faac.blob.core.windows.net/...ng-gate-operator/c720-c721-732568-reve-en.pdf
(The foreign language instructions say ‘thermal-magnetic breaker’).
There is a figure of 12A in the technical specification but this refers to current draw at 24V dc to power the motors. See:
https://faac.blob.core.windows.net/web/1/root/c721-brochure1.pdf
https://faac.blob.core.windows.net/...ng-gate-operator/c720-c721-732568-reve-en.pdf
(The foreign language instructions say ‘thermal-magnetic breaker’).
There is a figure of 12A in the technical specification but this refers to current draw at 24V dc to power the motors. See:
https://faac.blob.core.windows.net/web/1/root/c721-brochure1.pdf
Last edited:
With this one -
The opener looks like it only takes about 2 Amps.
I think fitting an RCBO for the gate circuit would have been a better and more prudent option, kitchen socket circuit and a gate circuit on the same RCD could be problematic if the RCD trips, seen it before family go away on holiday and come back to a freezer full of defrosted food because the gate circuit developed a faultWith this one -
paume70
DIY
Hello, I have a similar problem with a different model of gate opener (FAAC 740d).
The reason for shorting the mains in my case turned out to be a blown circuit board.
Besides having to replace the board I would like to know if there is anything I can do to prevent this from happening again in the future.
My gate opener shares the circuit with other devices and the circuit is downstream a 16A "thermal breaker".
After reading this thread I realize I should had used a 6A instead, but I am still wondering if this alone could had caused the problem.
There is a fuse on the board that is still intact after what could had caused a fire inside the gate opener enclosure.
The transformer also has a suspicious appearance, I don't know if that could had been the cause or a consequence of the meltdown.
I would appreciate if anyone could offer me any ideas of what could had happened.
Thank you
The reason for shorting the mains in my case turned out to be a blown circuit board.
Besides having to replace the board I would like to know if there is anything I can do to prevent this from happening again in the future.
My gate opener shares the circuit with other devices and the circuit is downstream a 16A "thermal breaker".
After reading this thread I realize I should had used a 6A instead, but I am still wondering if this alone could had caused the problem.
There is a fuse on the board that is still intact after what could had caused a fire inside the gate opener enclosure.
The transformer also has a suspicious appearance, I don't know if that could had been the cause or a consequence of the meltdown.
I would appreciate if anyone could offer me any ideas of what could had happened.
Thank you
paume70
DIY
C'mon this is an electricians forum, someone has to have some input. The crimped connectors on the 230V input leads, I did that prevent any exposed copper strands. I used a specific tool and they seem to be tight, it is good practice to used these on this type of connector? I am thinking of the possibility of arcing, although I have a working AFDD in my main panel that never triggered.
On another hand I don't know what a transformer should look like, so I can't tell what that streak on the side of the transformer is.
All I've done so far based on the info I found in this thread is to order a 6A breaker besides the replacement for the electronic board.
On another hand I don't know what a transformer should look like, so I can't tell what that streak on the side of the transformer is.
All I've done so far based on the info I found in this thread is to order a 6A breaker besides the replacement for the electronic board.
The marks on the transformer are normal. It's where the laminations that make up the core have been welded. The fuse you have shown is on the output side. Has the fuse on the input side blown? It looks like it's under the rectangular white plastic casing next to the L & N markings and next to J4 and marked F1.
As that fuse is okay and looking at the marks on the board I would say that the board has touched the box that it's in and arced to earth. I'm assuming it's a metal box? Was the board fixed in the box or just loose? When you fit the new board make sure you add an earth connection to the plug in 4th photo. Looking at the tracks on the board it looks like the earth connection goes off to either a capacitor or a varistor on the board.
paume70
DIY
The board is screwed onto a plastic back plate and most of it is enclosed inside a see through plastic case. Except for the motor and the screws that hold it onto the bottom plate, i would say the whole enclosure is made out of plastic. The bottom connectors of the board are exposed though, as you can see in the image below.
I will make sure to include the proper PE next to the N and L in the bottom right mains connector.
Thanks for your advice.
I will make sure to include the proper PE next to the N and L in the bottom right mains connector.
Thanks for your advice.
The additional photo of the enclosure is useful.
It seems to me the problem ended up as a dodgey connection between the mains input connector pins and the pads on the circuit board (bottom left of pic 3). But what started it is a question.
The black staining/deposit drifts over to the right, reminiscent of moisture contamination on the board. Alternatively that effect might have just come from the arcing that was going on between the pins/pads of the mains connector.
Hopefully there's no evidence of moisture ingress in the unit?
Another possibility is the soldered joints between the mains connector pins and the PCB pads were damaged by pressure put on the mains connector when plugging/ unplugging it previously.
As per Moley, I don't immediately see anything problematic on the rest of the PCB, and it might possibly still be working OK if the mains input area could be repaired (which I don't recommend!)
If there are no signs of water ingress into the enclosure, then I don't think there's anything you need to do apart from the advice about earth.
I would put the problem down to a poor soldered joint at the failed connection, and/or an inherent build weakness in that joint.
It seems to me the problem ended up as a dodgey connection between the mains input connector pins and the pads on the circuit board (bottom left of pic 3). But what started it is a question.
The black staining/deposit drifts over to the right, reminiscent of moisture contamination on the board. Alternatively that effect might have just come from the arcing that was going on between the pins/pads of the mains connector.
Hopefully there's no evidence of moisture ingress in the unit?
Another possibility is the soldered joints between the mains connector pins and the PCB pads were damaged by pressure put on the mains connector when plugging/ unplugging it previously.
As per Moley, I don't immediately see anything problematic on the rest of the PCB, and it might possibly still be working OK if the mains input area could be repaired (which I don't recommend!)
If there are no signs of water ingress into the enclosure, then I don't think there's anything you need to do apart from the advice about earth.
I would put the problem down to a poor soldered joint at the failed connection, and/or an inherent build weakness in that joint.
paume70
DIY
Thank you, all these replies are so useful! No, there are no signs, as far as I can tell, of water having leaked into the enclosure, although there is the possibility that some foreign object such as a bug or snail might had created a contact between the pins of the board.
I will for sure put that earth in and regard it as a case of bad luck.
Thanks!
I will for sure put that earth in and regard it as a case of bad luck.
Thanks!
Similar threads
OFFICIAL SPONSORS
These Official Forum Sponsors May Provide Discounts to Regular Forum Members - If you would like to sponsor us then CLICK HERE and post a thread with who you are, and we'll send you some stats etc
Advert
Thread Information
Advert
Advert
TrueNAS JBOD Storage Server
-
-
Understanding TrueNAS JBOD Servers: A Comprehensive Guide- Started by Dan
- Replies: 8
-
