Rako lighting systems

[stalkera]

Any of you guys and girls out there work on Rako lighting systems?

 

[plugsandsparks]

Come across them every now and again. Whats the issue, Rako have quite good tech support if you just need some help,

 

[stalkera]

Come across them every now and again. Whats the issue, Rako have quite good tech support if you just need some help,

Thanks for coming back on this. 1st I agree, they do have good tech support. I think this is more of a man on the ground type job.

Basically I keep get fuses blowing in the old style toroidal transformers (though the lamps are LEDs) and the RCD trips. Though I don't know if the blown fuse is tripping the RCD or the other way round.

 

[plugsandsparks]

Can you upload a pic of the dimming module which is blowing fuses. I have had units blow fuses and the units can be sent back to Rako for repair. Need to make sure that your loads are balanced so you dont have too much lighting on one channel. You may also have a fault on the cable from the unit to the lights, again easy to test. Most electricians should be able to deal with this, its not the programming side which requires their software, just checking the loads and wiring, which is what any electrician can do. If it is the unit that is faulty, the old ones just have dip switches (if the unit needs to be repaired) when it comes back just remember which switches were in what position (photo it) and which cable goes to which channel.

 

[stalkera]

This is system - I think its fairly new.

I realise that there are several (8?) modules per box - but I don't think this is the problem as several circuits started doing this at the same time after being stable for well over a year. The lighting is well spread out over the circuits, but several different switchplates are in control of the same circuit - think of landing switching ++. Could this be causing the problem?

 

[plugsandsparks]

"I keep get fuses blowing in the old style toroidal transformers"

Where are the fuses that are blowing ?

No problem with several switches operating the same light.

Is the issue (s) confined to ccts on the same module or across both modules, also how are the modules powered from the "fuse box" one cct or two , a photo of the fusebox showing the lighting cct MCBs and RCDs will also help.

 

[stalkera]

Hi,

the real fuses are in the transformers, you can make them out at the top of the case 3.15a slow blow.

Its the RCB that runs the Rako boxes that is tripping. I wondering if it is the indictive load that is blowing the fuses when RCB trips?

 

[Avo Mk8]

Also in each transformer box as well as the fuse appears to be a varistor surge limiter in series with the toroidal transformer, which is there to reduce the inductive surge. I don't believe they are prone to fail short-circuit, but that might explain the tripping and fuse blowing. Rako could maybe confirm if this is a known problem, and supply replacement parts?
I don't see any residual current breakers, only MCB's.

 

[plugsandsparks]

As AVO mentioned, there is not an RCD in the fusebox you have photographed , this looks like a sub board off your main fuseboard ? where there may be an RCD, if it is the B10 MCBs that are tripping this makes sense if the fuse is also blowing, however i am confused about the role of these transformers , are they remote from the Rako kit as it looks like the actual lights are commoned together on the output of the transformers.

Dont suppose you have the Rako project file to hand ?

What i would have expected is that each lighting zone is connected to an output directly of the Rak dimming unit. So do these transformers work for just 2 zones, if so, and the lamps are LED , i would be looking at removing them and installing the appropriate dimming LED driver to replace these transformers.

Again a call to Rako will confirm whether these transformers are appropriate for this installation. I suspect not

 

[stalkera]

Also in each transformer box as well as the fuse appears to be a varistor surge limiter in series with the toroidal transformer, which is there to reduce the inductive surge. I don't believe they are prone to fail short-circuit, but that might explain the tripping and fuse blowing. Rako could maybe confirm if this is a known problem, and supply replacement parts?
I don't see any residual current breakers, only MCB's.

Hi Avo Mk8,

thanks for joining in here. You are correct re the MCB - and it is the unit 1 switch that is tripping. There is an RCD upstream of this but this is not tripping. I will try Rako, about known problem with old skool toroidals. However the "boxes" have WML-300 dimmers (for leading edge dimmable loads) which are intended for inductive loads. TBH - I was planning to replace them with modern drivers anyway. In any case they had previously been working happily for over 12 months .