Touch Sensitive Light Switch Problems

I have had nothing but trouble with these China made electrical switches and plugs...my advice is to try another brand...

Thanks SolarEagle, any US based manufacturers you can think of?

Also, Iwas hoping someone could tell me exactly what the deficiency was with these switches that made them malfunction like this (besides just being made in China).

Cheers.

Your advice is the best so far I feel.

To the OP:-

What I have found is that the Chinese economize too much on the Triac (cheaper), they always go wrong and use too low a voltage/current triac.

If you had used CFLs or any fluorescent type of lighting, they would have gone wrong even sooner.....I had a long "song and dance" with an outside light and a CFL.....some years ago.

You can sometimes open them up and replace the triac with a quality product, minimum 600V for the USA on 120 volts, 1000V for any 240 volt areas.....anything less is questionable.

(If anyone else says a higher voltage, I would not argue!!)

I have just mentioned the minimum voltage only. If the markings are on the part you replace, and its not a Pirate version, you will probably see that its well under the voltages I mentioned and/or the currents allowed. Also always use a device that can carry at least twice the expected current)

Other brand, from China ..........or other country .......

I think this china made device especially electrical and electronics posses a lot of problems..Always they are good for a short period of time then several problems happen , this is due to cheapness of material used to manufacture particular device always they are off /under standard...so i kindly suggest u not to buy china made product for sensitive /costly device.

Regards

Sun

Thanks Sun, Can you suggest a good UK/ European manufacturer of a similar product?

Good idea. I have had the same problem with some cheap remote controlled mains plugs and I hadn't had idea what the reason was for. I removed them and decided I would check them before I discard them, it would not be a big pain. But finally the air conditioner started _not_ to turn off and it's a bit more expensive... Of course, service manual is not generally available and when you get one, the electronic part is only a box on the schema...

Thank you, I've given a GA :-)

Thanks Andy Germany and Aurizon for your technical insight - it backed up my own suspicions of the Triac.

Thanks Aurizon for the fascinating info on the Rule of 72

Thankyou all for your spirited and quite valid comments on Chinese imports.

I searched, nay, toiled to find a European or US manufacturer of touch sensitive light switches to no avail.

Does anyone know of any?

Of course there are good mechanical alternatives but I'm amazed that in an age when we can get a an implanted microchip to deliver a daily dose of medicine within the human body, we can't turn a light on and off electronically RELIABLY!

Why use electronics when a silent switch works fine? These are very light loads.

Buy American, we need the jobs and manufacturing plant.

The whole buy American, Canadian, English etc, is a disguise for countries that have not kept their house in order and have allowed inflation and cost of living allowances to wreck their physical plant. A wage increase of 3% added to a cost of living allowance of 3% = 6% in total. Under the rule of 72 this doubles in 12 years. run that rule since Ww2 and that is why we are where we are. At first, the cost of steel plants was a barrier to entry, but wages were so high that essential plant maintenance and upgrades were sacrificed to union demands. At the end The Bethleham Steel works was a rusted ruin. Western NY all died that way.

You need to have a mechanism to block this.

I wonder how it would work if competing unions had to bid on staffing a factory - low bid wins, no collusion allowed. Look how the use of so called pattern bargaining wrecked the car industry in America. 90% of all their jobs gone. What about strike insurance? pays for replacement workers. Right to work - that is what we need all over the USA and Canada

Rule of 72

Actually on today's financial globalization, a country keeping the wages "high" in the short run doesn't even show. That condition however is perceived as natural by it's citizens, that increase their imports from countries that (for dark reasons if you ask me) do the opposite. Worst is that this condition quickly gets irreversible unless you go through very abnormal conditions. S.M

Some countries, Like Japan and Switzerland, become efficient process economies and zealously block imports via all manner of funny rules so they can maintain the facade of free trade. Eventually Korea and now China are on that path.

The only long term solution is to have wages the same in all countries and a global currency. ( and we all speak same jabber-jabber) Then freight would become the major factor in bulky cheap items, like mattresses and technology and efficiency in small precious items. Even then, with not trade barriers, specialists in making various things would emerge and become the best and cheapest = all others starve.

The ultimate would be one large machine making all things, all packed and shipped by robots to warehouses where people select online what they want and have it delivered. Utopian?? but slowly coming

such devices have limited life time specially china made so it will be fine to change the switch.

u may goin for 22o to 240 v relays for thins kind of switching operation whether light

ldr/sound operated types.. which is available in riche st,in chennai mount road than electronics operated. iam having one clp switch lamp for 10 yrs of this type for 60w incandecent lamp and still ok.

In my 40 years of doing repair and selling electrical items made in china ,I have

yet to find any thing that has a Ul test approval stamp on it . All the wire is

under gage and not UNITED STATES STANDARDS. But your right , we'er killing

this country .I try my best not to buy china made. I REFUZE TO SELL OR SERVICE

CHINA MADE !!!! DR. Brown

Your post makes little sense when you look at the first and last sentences.....you wrote first:-

In my 40 years of doing repair and selling electrical items made in china......

and last:-

I REFUZE TO SELL OR SERVICE CHINA MADE !!!! DR. Brown

What is the truth, you sell and service them or you don't???????

You say no UI stamp and that wiring is thin, so you appear to have some direct knowledge of the units concerned......how do you achieve that?

Andy your right .I worded my discussion wrong . If my company has taken in any used items made in china(prc) ,I say outright no warranty and no return. and its on the sales contract. And yes , if its not working ,we do disassemble to diagnose the problem before its trashed Dr Brown