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Triac


captainron19

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I have a 16 channel Generation 3 controller.

 

Yesterday when powering everything up I noticed one of my channels on (just under 100% power) Tried a reset of the box and still came on.  I am assuming it is a bad triac but the box is only 1 year old.   Someone menbtioned to me that a blown triac can be caused by short or a bad ground.

 

Is there any way I can test the lights on that channel to see if there is something wrong before I go and connect a new box or repair the triac to make sure it does not happen again?

 

The channel makes up by column pulsers which are 6 columns on porch with each one having a piece of 4" PCV ripped in half mounted on it and holes drilled in PVC for c9 Dimmable LED Bulbs (6 per column per channel) so 36 bulbs total per channel (so I am sure there is enough draw) each section is connected with a custom cord I made.

 

Here is a shot of the sections..

 

 

post-3564-0-58404000-1385378015_thumb.jp

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I don't think a short is your problem but others can comment with more authority than me. A blown triac is not unussual even for a one year old controller. I lose a few each year. Re-setting the controller will sometimes work (although never for me) to clear the problem. Other than that it is just a matter of plugging them into a free channel and re-doing all of your sequences. I have already done that once this year... LOR needs to come up with an easy routine to do this automatically!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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I don't think a short is your problem but others can comment with more authority than me. A blown triac is not unussual even for a one year old controller. I lose a few each year. Re-setting the controller will sometimes work (although never for me) to clear the problem. Other than that it is just a matter of plugging them into a free channel and re-doing all of your sequences. I have already done that once this year... LOR needs to come up with an easy routine to do this automatically!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Thanks Jim.... I was just worried because I had a blown triac about 2 years ago and if memory is correct it was same channel.   I powered them up before connecting to controller to test and all was well.   Just a little nervous about connecting another controller to it (i do have a backup one) because I will probably send the current one to LOR - I am no good at soldering and do not have the first clue on replacing a triac.

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You should not be blowing triacs once a year..  I have 15 controllers and I have had one triac go weird but not blown in two years.. this being my third year with LOR stuff. 

 

With such a small load especially, you should not be having issues like this.. unless you are hauling an unusual amount of current thru ground for some reason... but on a GFCI you would know that real fast..

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Yeah... I had a Triac blow in our Electrolux Range... Now the oven light stays on all the time.. So this even happens outside of Christmas lights - once the lights are up and running I'll have to take that thing apart...

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  • 3 weeks later...

A blown triad can blow on or off. I have fused all my output lines to prevent blow units. I also will be running ofer 750 channels next season.

Sorry 750 controllers, mostly dmx with 30 lor

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