X10 Community Forum
🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Topic started by: ohmarty on November 17, 2005, 06:47:38 AM
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I had a brand new RLM20 (Socket Rocket) set
to default A1. It was working fine until the
bulb blew. Now it is always on. I can't get
to shut off or reprogram it. I have several
that I have set many different codes with no
trouble. Is this one just useless anymore?
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The surge from the lamp burning out has
shorted the triac [component that turns the
thing on and off]. It is now useless. I have
burned out three the same way and have put
any remaining I have in a box unused!
Someone here has had sucess in changing the
part in theirs, I now use the X10 screw in
dimmer that is bigger but offhand forget the
part number.
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Thanks. That screw in dimmer is SL575, but
it's too big for my application. I've asked
X10 for some help, but haven't anything as
yet.
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FYI Light bulb burning out and shorting
triac.
An enormous number of years ago, I remember
reading that burn-out of Phillips brand
lightbulbs shorted the triacs far less often
than other brands. The speculated
explaination was: Phillips did not stretch
their filiment, in manufacture, as taut as
other brands . The bulb is less likely to
burn out at turn-on (turn-out burn-out
usually happens when the switch makes
contact, or the triac fires, when the AC
sine is at peak - creating larger inductive
kick when the filiment breaks which is
greater than the mediocure 400v PIV triacs).
I don't know if true or not, but I do know I
have had Phillips bulbs burn out and the
lamp module(s) survived.
FWIW
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X10 should improve this product before
selling it and replace the defective ones
that have been sold! I have 4 of these
that have blown over the past 2 years. I
don't know about you, but I don't like
paying $20 every time a light bulb blows.
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X10 replaced a few of mine, but if memory
serves me. I had to pay the poatage back to
them. I actually had one DOA right from the
box. I doubt X10 will do much about the
problem. Thay are too busy pushing their
wares. Even those stupid pop ups and pop
unders are back!
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I use DuraMax (made by Phillips) in mine
and have had several bulbs burnout but no
socket rockets. Just lucky, I guess that I
settled on that brand of bulb. I use them
because they are available in 25 and 40
watt small bulb configuration which is
perfect for my night time use.
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I put 2 lights into one of these sockets
and when 1 bulb blows there is no surge
cause there is still the load from the
othere bulb. That is my assumption cause I
have only had 1 bulb blow since and it did
not fry the socket rocket.