Wiring Thread: This stupid safety device started alerting that there wasn't safety!

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Hobbies, Crafts, & Houses > Wiring Thread: This stupid safety device started alerting that there wasn't safety!

KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD: Jul 7, 2012

I guess this is the right thread to ask this.

Given that Tripp-Lite turned out to be super evil, what surge protectors should I be buying now?

# ¿ Mar 9, 2023 08:15

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# ¿ May 14, 2024 02:27

KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD: Jul 7, 2012

Leo is using the money to create a "Federalist Society for everything."

Anyway I would like a different brand name in my house now

# ¿ Mar 10, 2023 04:50

KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD: Jul 7, 2012

I got this gorgeous lamp for free. I have no idea what it is, I�ve been googling fruitlessly, but I love it.

The only problem is that it gets really hot because it uses an odd fluorescent bulb I�ve never seen before. The light is so nice though and it has a dimmer switch too.

Can this be rewired for LEDs with similar light quality?

# ¿ May 21, 2023 02:22

KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD: Jul 7, 2012

SpartanIvy posted:

That looks like it's a T3 halogen bulb. If you look at it with it off, it should have some text on it to confirm the size. Go to Amazon and plug the model name + LED and there'll probably be something for it.

Nice. I'm reading in a few places that I may need to bypass the ballast, tho.

# ¿ May 21, 2023 06:34

KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD: Jul 7, 2012

Qwijib0 posted:

Halogen bulbs don't use a ballast, they're just a fancier incandescent. In some fixtures, they are low voltage so there's a transformer to drop the voltage, in that case you'd just find an LED replacement at the correct voltage. The specifications of your current bulb should be printed on it somewhere, most torchieres were 120v though.

Thanks! I look forward to trying this. Anyone figured out what the most halogen-y LED bulb is?

# ¿ May 28, 2023 07:18

KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD: Jul 7, 2012

So I am the new owner of a Lettuce Grow, a hydroponic system.

Overall this is a great design, but it has one major problem.

The daisy-chained connectors for the lights run through the inside, which is also where there is water spraying everywhere. The connectors are secured with an o-ring and a sheath to help prevent water ingress.

But you have to disassemble and reassemble this thing a couple times a year to clean it. That wears down the o-rings, and well, I guess this can happen (from Reddit.)

I love this system but do not want to run this risk, at all.

I have the system on a GFCI adapter but I'm not sure whether it really protects me. Are there other steps I can take? Maybe some kind of PVC sheath held on with plumber's tape?

# ¿ Aug 19, 2023 14:34

KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD: Jul 7, 2012

LimaBiker posted:

Is that a mains connector?

GFCI will offer some protection against death, if it's a mains thing. If you can also put a grounding electrode into the water or run a bare wire you losely wrap around the length of the cable with all the connectors, it will trip if there is an electric leak, probably before you touch it. You want the ground wire to get zapped before the whole thing goes live. An AFCI might also "see" the arcing connector, but this depends on the sensitivity of those things and i have no experience with those at all.

If it's galvanically isolated from mains the GFCI and AFCI won't help (but you also won't get a shock from touching the water). Same goes for if the thing is running on a low voltage power supply (which is imho the right thing to do, hell - i'd convert that whole thing to low voltage if it isn't already)

A solution to the melty sparky problem i don't really have ready for you. You can fill it up with silicone grease every time you disassemble it and get a stack of spare O-rings, and replace the ring every other time you clean it.

The lights are daisy chained to a big brick which I believe is a transformer. (I'm an electronics genious can you tell???)

Thanks for the suggestions everyone, I will try to figure out what the right o-ring size is. Do I need to heat-shrink the o-rings or anything to get them on securely?

Yes it is an abominably stupid design, it's all to prevent the wires from showing on the outside of the planter lol. They could have just built some kind of channel into the structure of the thing but noooo.

# ¿ Aug 20, 2023 04:55

KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD: Jul 7, 2012

Shifty Pony posted:

My god that thing (six level with lights) is $1300!!? That design is beyond inexcusable at that price.

It�s actually very high quality apart from this issue�but not $1300 high quality, lol. I got mine off facebook for 500, I would never pay that much.

# ¿ Aug 20, 2023 14:29

KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD: Jul 7, 2012

Motronic posted:

Stupid enough that I guarantee you it hasn't passed anyone's safety certification for residential electronic devices.

The light modules are actually UL listed somehow.

# ¿ Aug 23, 2023 14:07

KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD: Jul 7, 2012

H110Hawk posted:

The lights themselves can be UL and the assembled unit not be. However seeing that those are 24Vdc makes me wonder where the power brick is for them, and what caused that pictured failure. Low voltage shouldn't melt plastic like that unless its output isn't regulated.

Interesting. So am I freaking out about nothing then, re water ingress?

E: here is a shot of the power brick.

KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD fucked around with this message at 16:18 on Aug 23, 2023

# ¿ Aug 23, 2023 16:15

KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD: Jul 7, 2012

Thanks. The biggest concern to me is the fire risk, but it sounds like new o-rings and dielectric grease every time will help. I wish there was a way to just run the loving cables outside of this stupid thing.

# ¿ Aug 23, 2023 18:44

KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD: Jul 7, 2012

I want this sconce so bad but there is no way it is actually CE right?

# ¿ Nov 29, 2023 01:15

KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD: Jul 7, 2012

I mean, I have no real way to figure out if it's poo poo, right? I am not a wire toucher. And there is no way I can trust a label that says CE or UL from an aliexpress product like that.

# ¿ Nov 29, 2023 03:40

KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD: Jul 7, 2012

Qwijib0 posted:

That's neat, and I bought it.

I'll let you know if my house burns down.

Oh sick let me know if it looks dangerous!!!

# ¿ Nov 29, 2023 07:02

KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD: Jul 7, 2012

Qwijib0 posted:

Wall-mounting bit is a discrete LED driver wired to a barrel jack

bird just plugs in to the barrel, which is how it's rotatable in any direction

no obvious issues with the driver itself.

the most annoying part about it is the diameter of the wall bracket part is smaller than a US standard box, so I'm going to have to attach it to a blank and then to the box.

Thanks for posting this! I ordered one for myself.

# ¿ Dec 22, 2023 04:00

KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD: Jul 7, 2012

babyeatingpsychopath posted:

Federal Pioneer is not immediately scary. Federal Pacific Electric is the danger one.

I had to pull out of a condo offer because my lender would literally not finance a place with one of these. It�s my understanding that this goes for most lenders

# ¿ Dec 27, 2023 06:32

KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD: Jul 7, 2012

wesleywillis posted:

A hydraulics shop should sell O rings of the correct size for cheap.

A little bit of this on the new rings:
https://www.amazon.ca/Ring-Silicone...216587650&psc=1

Its food grade.

I did some googling and it sounds like this melts o-rings?

# ¿ Feb 20, 2024 22:47

KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD: Jul 7, 2012

Motronic posted:

What melts o rings? That exact product or silicone grease? Because silicone grease is what you're supposed to be using. I use super lube because it's available locally and food grade (for plumbing) but it also gets used for autmotive applications.

I bought this stuff. Should I be using it on the electrical connectors as well?

Also, hilariously I can't seem to find the o-rings from McMaster-Carr. I used calipers, they are 7.5mm ID, CS 1.5mm.

Idk I don't know anything about electronics please shovel hot coals into my anus

# ¿ Feb 20, 2024 23:08

KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD: Jul 7, 2012

I mean, would it add another layer of safety? The whole issue here is that there is water shooting all over this thing and eventually its gonna fail one way or another

jammyozzy posted:

Does this link work? https://www.mcmaster.com/products/o-rings/system-of-measurement~metric/width~1-500-mm/id~7-500-mm/

Hmm I was looking for food grade ones specifically since it's for a hydroponic system

# ¿ Feb 20, 2024 23:17

KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD: Jul 7, 2012

Motronic posted:

I forgot that was your issue/use case. If the contacts are spade type and therefore self-cleaning it's certainly not going to hurt. You could even try packing the connector with it.

It's actually a barrel connector. How would I go about using the stuff on it - should I shoot it inside each side of the barrel? Should I slather it on the outside of the tip? ohh yeeaaahh baby

Motronic posted:

Also, on o rings......does this set have what you need in it? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QFVCNSN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1 I have that and a few others just because it's an easy way to keep that stuff in stock. Ordering from mcmaster might end up costing you just as much for one or 2 o rings plus shipping as that whole box of them.

Sadly it does not, unless I measured incorrectly I need 7.5mm.

# ¿ Feb 21, 2024 16:26

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# ¿ May 14, 2024 02:27

KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD: Jul 7, 2012

jammyozzy posted:

Does this link work? https://www.mcmaster.com/products/o-rings/system-of-measurement~metric/width~1-500-mm/id~7-500-mm/

Turns out Buna-N is food safe so I ordered those. I'll have to find out now whether I wanted medium or soft. Thanks for the link!

# ¿ Feb 23, 2024 22:38

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Hobbies, Crafts, & Houses > Wiring Thread: This stupid safety device started alerting that there wasn't safety!