lighting issue

llywelyn111 · Jul 13, 2012

Hi,

We have installed some wall lights, the touch ones with three settings. We have a issue that they keep coming on randomly. Even when nobody is in the house they come on when they come home. It's on a TT system, could it be a appliance in a cycle? Small spike in voltage? or a ghost? The lights have been replaced once. Anyone come across this before?

Guitarist · Jul 13, 2012

Definitely ghosts....

trev · Jul 13, 2012

It's ghosts, run away before you need an exorcism

AndyL · Jul 13, 2012

Try psychic sally

telectrix · Jul 13, 2012

and be sure to lock the doors and leave the lights on when you go to bed. wooooooooo

trev · Jul 13, 2012

NOOOOOO! don't go to bed!
That's when they'll get you

Farmelectrics · Jul 13, 2012

I've had this before and it was a ghost or faulty fitting

trev · Jul 13, 2012

Faulty fitting my butt!
You ever seen poltergeist?
They're here

Moses · Jul 13, 2012

Guitarist said:
Definitely ghosts....

and its Friday the 13th!!!!!!

Farmelectrics · Jul 13, 2012

Funny but it's not helping are friend

telectrix · Jul 13, 2012

serves him right for fitting wall lights. these went out with the demise of gas lighting.

topquark · Jul 13, 2012

Are you sure they're properly earthed?

Guitarist · Jul 13, 2012

telectrix said:
serves him right for fitting wall lights. these went out with the demise of gas lighting.

Ahh, those were the days....going around town every night with me old dad, lighting the gas lamps in the street. Good times....

telectrix · Jul 13, 2012

if you miss those days, try the amish community. they still won't use electrickery or automobiles

Guitarist · Jul 13, 2012

trev said:
NOOOOOO! don't go to bed!
That's when they'll get you

As long as you have a cover over you in bed, nothing can get you

And remember to snuggle down deep so your head is covered. No monster or ghosty will get through your duvet.

telectrix · Jul 13, 2012

as long as the cover is young and fit.......

Guitarist · Jul 13, 2012

I keep meaning to ask tel, what breed of cat is that?

telectrix · Jul 13, 2012

anyway, iv'e got the answer to the problem. it's ethernet. all those strange cyber waves in the atmosphere of the room switching the lights on.

Moses · Jul 13, 2012

llywelyn111 said:
Hi,

We have installed some wall lights, the touch ones with three settings. We have a issue that they keep coming on randomly. Even when nobody is in the house they come on when they come home. It's on a TT system, could it be a appliance in a cycle? Small spike in voltage? or a ghost? The lights have been replaced once. Anyone come across this before?

Firstly, You need to ensure that you have a good earth, so that the fitting can not pickup stray RFI signals.

As its a TT system, the ZS at the fitting will be in the region of 10-200 ohms, and not fraction of ohms.

The control electronics is being triggered by radiated RFI or conducted RFI.

If that's the case then the control electronics in the fittings are a bad design.

If the interference is conducted type then You will need to fit some type of HF filter,
in-line with the fitting supply, or convert to TN-C-S.

If its the radiated RFI, then you can not do much but to replace the fittings with a different make.

telectrix · Jul 13, 2012

Guitarist said:
I keep meaning to ask tel, what breed of cat is that?

whadddaya mean, cat.? it's a friggin' dog. might only weigh in at 2lb., but she's pedigree and worth about £1500 coz. of her small size.

Moses · Jul 13, 2012

telectrix said:
as long as the cover is young and fit.......

I'm confused, tel

what sort of cover you talking about man?

Pls can you spell it out?

Guitarist · Jul 13, 2012

Moses said:
I'm confused, tel

what sort of cover you talking about man?

Pls can you spell it out?

I think he means that it shouldn't be too old, and be fit for purpose. Perfectly reasonable.

telectrix · Jul 13, 2012

Moses said:
I'm confused, tel

what sort of cover you talking about man?

Pls can you spell it out?

happy to oblige. spelling it out ... IT. OK

KFH · Jul 13, 2012

I have a table lamp with inbuilt touch sensitive switching/dimmer. It comes on every time the computer is turned on and every time the scanner is used, they are in the same room. Earthing is good (PME). I have got used to turning it off, one two or three taps depending on how bright it is. I have always assumed it is transients much harder to get rid off than ghosts. One day I will get around to turning it off at the socket.

Why put off until tomorrow what you can put off 'till next week.

Moses · Jul 13, 2012

Guitarist said:
I think he means that it shouldn't be too old, and be fit for purpose. Perfectly reasonable.

In the current climate of austerity, i can't afford to change my old cover, I may never be able to!!!

How often does tel get a new bed-cover for himself? and how can he afford it??

llywelyn111 · Jul 14, 2012

telectrix said:
serves him right for fitting wall lights. these went out with the demise of gas lighting.

They wanted them in their bedrooms. The fittings are actually quite nice.

The weird thing that they don't come on in pairs. Just randomly.

MarkieSparkie · Jul 14, 2012

Touch switches that replace ordinary plate switches rarely use a neutral connection. As a consequence the electronics is often prone to false triggering by mains bourne transients or strong radiated RFI. There are a couple of things you can do to minimise this effect:- 1) Ensure the CPC is connected to the metal back-box. 2) Connect a mains rated CR (typically 0.1uF in series with 100Ω) snubber across the switch terminals. If the touch switch is currently mounted in a plastic cavity wall box, try changing the standard plastic box for the less common foil lined or metal type which has a CPC termination connected to the foil.