Remote colour changing light bulbs and neutral fault

TonyJohnson · Feb 5, 2018

Adding a socket to a ring today, the socket fitted correctly, the ring with correct continuity and IR results OK but....

Plugging in the socket tester brought up a neutral fault??

The house has remote control lamps that change colour, can this electronic device effect the neutrals.. it seems to?

Pete999 · Feb 5, 2018

TonyJohnson said:
Adding a socket to a ring today, the socket fitted correctly, the ring with correct continuity and IR results OK but....

Plugging in the socket tester brought up a neutral fault??

The house has remote control lamps that change colour, can this electronic device effect the neutrals.. it seems to?

r1, r2, rn, R1+R2 all OK???

Midwest · Feb 5, 2018

Can't think it does, if you did your tests correctly. Sure the socket tester is not u/s?

Octopus · Feb 5, 2018

What did your "proper" tester do when plugged into the same socket?

Pete999 · Feb 5, 2018

Midwest said:
Can't think it does, if you did your tests correctly. Sure the socket tester is not u/s?

Plug your MFT in see what that says, more conclusive than a scabby socket tester.

TonyJohnson · Feb 5, 2018

The Easitest Multi function brought up clear IR, no crossed ring or broken circuit... 0.6ohms r1 +r1.

Whilst we kept turning the power on/off during this episode, there was a point when some of the sockets proved OK. from memory, this was just before turning the lights back on....

To be fair, has anyone tested a house with these crap colour changing lamps...
My theory is that as the colour changes there may be a slight imbalance on the neutral. Not enough to trip the RCD but enough to upset the socket tester..

Midwest · Feb 5, 2018

Pete999 said:
Plug your MFT in see what that says, more conclusive than a scabby socket tester.

I wasn't doing any testing today!

Midwest · Feb 5, 2018

If you've done all your tests correctly, what they plug in after is no concern of me you!

Pete999 · Feb 5, 2018

TonyJohnson said:
The Easitest Multi function brought up clear IR, no crossed ring or broken circuit... 0.6ohms r1 +r1.

Whilst we kept turning the power on/off during this episode, there was a point when some of the sockets proved OK. from memory, this was just before turning the lights back on....

To be fair, has anyone tested a house with these crap colour changing lamps...
My theory is that as the colour changes there may be a slight imbalance on the neutral. Not enough to trip the RCD but enough to upset the socket tester..

r1+r1?????????/

TonyJohnson · Feb 5, 2018

r1+r2 Thank you mr spell checker lol

buzzlightyear · Feb 5, 2018

TonyJohnson said:
Adding a socket to a ring today, the socket fitted correctly, the ring with correct continuity and IR results OK but....

if you had plug in the MFT ,I would have shown a neutral missing any way !

buzzlightyear · Feb 5, 2018

TonyJohnson said:
The house has remote control lamps that change colour, can this electronic device effect the neutrals.. it seems to?

Toneyz · Feb 5, 2018

TonyJohnson said:
Adding a socket to a ring today, the socket fitted correctly, the ring with correct continuity and IR results OK but....

Plugging in the socket tester brought up a neutral fault??

The house has remote control lamps that change colour, can this electronic device effect the neutrals.. it seems to?

Was this new socket installed as part of the ring or a spur off?
where did you carry these tests consumer unit or socket?
Was the R1 +R2 ok at the socket?
Try an R1 + Rn at the socket if nothing at this socket and got at rest try the terminals.

Gavin John Hyde · Feb 5, 2018

I have accidentally put 500v on a IR test through one of them bulbs before, the lady told me she had unplugged everything in the house but forgot her daughters lamp! she told me afterwards she thought it might have been on the light circuit as its a lamp!!!!
suffice to say the led colour changing bulb didnt like having 500v put through it. it didnt work again! caused some very weird fluctuating results though. a bit like having a neon light on the fcu on a circuit.
With a lot of these 'smart' bulbs they are always left powered with the wall switch on, then you can use bluetooth and phone apps to control them.

Rpa07 · Feb 5, 2018

Cue Corporal Jones link!

Pete999 · Feb 6, 2018

TonyJohnson said:
r1+r2 Thank you mr spell checker lol

That should be R1+R2 little r1,2,n are end to end readings

Eliza Bennett · Feb 6, 2018

I think there is no problem with the remote control lamps.
Today all lightbulb packaging carries the Federal Trade Commission's Lighting Facts label, which lets you compare similar bulbs without relying on watts as the sole indicator of performance. It gives information about the bulb's brightness (in lumens); yearly cost (based on 3 hours of daily use); life expectancy (in years); light appearance, or color temperature, measured in Kelvins (K); and energy consumed (in watts). Remember: An LED bulb's wattage rating doesn't indicate its brightness; its lumens rating does. A 60-watt-equivalent LED bulb delivers about 800 lumens, roughly the same as a 60-watt incandescent.

You may see a different label produced by the Department of Energy. Confusingly, it's also called Lighting Facts, though it's geared more toward retailers than consumers. The DOE label doesn't give the bulb's estimated yearly cost or life expectancy, but it does provide information on the bulb's color accuracy (more on this later).

Midwest · Feb 6, 2018

Eliza Bennett said:
I think there is no problem with the remote control lamps.
Today all lightbulb packaging carries the Federal Trade Commission's Lighting Facts label, which lets you compare similar bulbs without relying on watts as the sole indicator of performance. It gives information about the bulb's brightness (in lumens); yearly cost (based on 3 hours of daily use); life expectancy (in years); light appearance, or color temperature, measured in Kelvins (K); and energy consumed (in watts). Remember: An LED bulb's wattage rating doesn't indicate its brightness; its lumens rating does. A 60-watt-equivalent LED bulb delivers about 800 lumens, roughly the same as a 60-watt incandescent.

You may see a different label produced by the Department of Energy. Confusingly, it's also called Lighting Facts, though it's geared more toward retailers than consumers. The DOE label doesn't give the bulb's estimated yearly cost or life expectancy, but it does provide information on the bulb's color accuracy (more on this later).

I was going to post a sarcastic reply to your post, but decided not to, because I believe your response was genuine.

I doubt there are few on this forum that ain't aware that led lamps luminance, is measured in lumens, nor its life expectancy or economics, etc compared to other forms of lighting.

The thread is a about a fault on a circuit, populated with so called smart or WiFi enabled lamps, and whether they could instigate such a fault.

UKMeterman · Feb 6, 2018

I am very supprised if the lamp failed due to your 500v current limited MFT being stuffed up it. The MFT would barely make the thing glow!

DPG · Feb 7, 2018

UKMeterman said:
I am very supprised if the lamp failed due to your 500v current limited MFT being stuffed up it. The MFT would barely make the thing glow!

Really?

Pete999 · Feb 7, 2018

Pete999 said:
That should be R1+R2 little r1,2,n are end to end readings

Not spelling Tony, just the correct terminology, get the small things correct and the rest will follow hopefully.

Midwest · Feb 7, 2018

DPG said:
Really?

Have to say, I rarely use 500V in a domestic property. There's always something plugged in or still connected, that the owner has forgotten about. Would such lamps not be susceptible?