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  • 1

Dimmer 2 Serious Fault!


liamstears

Question

Have I just come across a serious fault with the dimmer 2?

 

Mine has just blown itself up, the reason? I shorted the aerial to earth! (Not ground, shorted aerial to earth)

 

Considering it is recommended to place the aerial outside of any metal backbox this seems to me to be a real serious fire risk as clearly the aerial must be carrying a live voltage for it to blow as much as it has

 

Fibaro please chime in here as this is extremely concerning and I'm considering taking my other Fibaro modules out of action due to this...

 

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Edited by liamstears
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  • 0
30 minutes ago, liamstears said:

blown itself up

 

no i don't think so

 

Quote

I shorted the aerial to ground!

 

there we go ... you did it

 

Quote

this is extremely concerning

 

hmm really? please connect L and N together and watch the results ...

 

Quote

I'm considering taking my other Fibaro modules out of action due to this...

 

actually you did destroyed that dimmer, now let me guess, what is your profession again?

 

Quote

a serious fault with the dimmer 2

 

honestly FIBARO sold something like half a million of them,  if that product would have serous fault, it would be not that long on the market. 

Edited by tinman
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Hahhaa, you are rather direct, you could be Dutch ?

 

But indeed, one can blow up everything if you want to. Fibaro products aren’t bomproof like any other product. 

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1 hour ago, liamstears said:

I shorted the aerial to ground!

And how the heck did you managed that?

 

Looking at the damage this looks installation fault which is not covered by RMA. Was dimmer inside of installation box (recommended by manual)?

 

We always suggest this for antenna if possible:

  1. Drill a hole into a box and into a wall where there are no wires.
  2. Use a small straw and push it into a hole, just big enought antenna would fit in.
  3. Place antenna into that straw. There it should be safe from any interference.

Straw should be non-metalic and non-conductive one.

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  • 2 hours ago, tinman said:

     

    no i don't think so

     

     

    there we go ... you did it

     

     

    hmm really? please connect L and N together and watch the results ...

     

     

    actually you did destroyed that dimmer, now let me guess, what is your profession again?

     

     

    honestly FIBARO sold something like half a million of them,  if that product would have serous fault, it would be not that long on the market. 

     

    Very direct response lol

     

    In response to that though maybe I didn't make my first post crystal clear but here we go lol

     

    Blown itself up - well of course not lol, it shorted and components burnt you didn't have to take what I said as literal

     

    I shorted the aerial to ground - Yes I know I did it, installed in a back box and screwing in one of the screws to hold the front on must have caught the aerial

     

    Now I'm not expecting an RMA on the module as yes technically it's all my fault but what I'm trying to bring to attention is the fact that an aerial is a live wire!

     

    On every single device I've ever worked on the aerial has never been a live wire, quite often it is grounded in some way but never is it live and carrying a live voltage and that is the issue I have here

     

    Had I known the aerial was a live wire I would have been much much more careful in its placement and taken extra precautions but no where have I seen it documented that the aerial is a live wire and that is my issue here

     

    Everywhere also says when installing to have the aerial outside of any metal enclosures/back boxes and this is where I call this a serious fault, it's a live wire that potentially is dangling out of electrical boxes everywhere with no grounding/shielding/protection and could cause a fire hazard in many homes

     

    That's my issue

     

    Fibaro should have it well documented and clear that this aerial is a live wire and give good instructions on how this wire should be installed to ensure there is no damage and no fire risk

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    the z-wave module, used on (all) these 500 series is zm5202. The SAW filter connected between SoC and antenna (to which you applied high voltage)is not rated for 230VAC, nor the decoupling cap. These modules are produced by someone else (now by Silabs, before by Sigma Design), so in principle no matter what manufacturer you take, it will blown up when you apply 230VAC between antenna cable and the primary side. 

     

    I don't think any manufacturer have to care about, the cable is isolated. It is the same when you would open the enclosure (which have to protect you and the circuit) and apply somewhere 230VAC.

     

     

    Edited by tinman
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    4 hours ago, SmartHomeEddy said:

    Hahhaa, you are rather direct, you could be Dutch ?

     

    you are coming from my preferred country, was always real fun to work there, honest and direct people there. In US i was always "polish b4st4rd", in poland "stupid german", in germany "ein unding!"

    Edited by tinman
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  • 3 hours ago, tinman said:

    the z-wave module, used on (all) these 500 series is zm5202. The SAW filter connected between SoC and antenna (to which you applied high voltage)is not rated for 230VAC, nor the decoupling cap. These modules are produced by someone else (now by Silabs, before by Sigma Design), so in principle no matter what manufacturer you take, it will blown up when you apply 230VAC between antenna cable and the primary side. 

     

    I don't think any manufacturer have to care about, the cable is isolated. It is the same when you would open the enclosure (which have to protect you and the circuit) and apply somewhere 230VAC.

     

     

     

    I did not apply high voltage to the antenna. I shorted the antenna to earth only, no live or neutral just antenna to earth...

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    1 hour ago, liamstears said:

    I did not apply high voltage to the antenna. I shorted the antenna to earth only, no live or neutral just antenna to earth...

     

    oh my ... there is reason why there are safety information in the manuals

     

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    Yes OP shouldn't have accidentally put a screw through the antenna. But I do agree that most wouldn't expect the aerial to carry 230V.  The insulation on the antenna does not look rated for 230V.

     

    For what it's worth, I always install these devices inside a plastic enclosure.

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    Antenna on all Fibaro devices powered with 230V is properly insulated and all their devices are certified.

    Installers should take care during installation of all devices and do it according to the national regulations as @tinman emphasize in his last post.

    I have installed dozen of 230V modules around my house and even in gate motor that is placed outside and they never failed for years.

     

    The only question here is should users that are not qualified to work with electrical installation do this work by themselves. ?

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    22 minutes ago, Sankotronic said:

    The only question here is should users that are not qualified to work with electrical installation do this work by themselves. ?

    I'll react with meme ☺️

     

    Please login or register to see this spoiler.

     

    Also I think antenna has about 1 mW of power, so I do not think there is 230 Volt in the wire, but rather different Voltage.

     

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    On 7/11/2021 at 7:33 PM, tinman said:

     

    you are coming from my preferred country, was always real fun to work there, honest and direct people there. In US i was always "polish b4st4rd", in poland "stupid german", in germany "ein unding!"

    And they were all right :) 

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    "everything is a smoke machine if you use it wrong enough"

     

     

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