Electronics engineer here........I'm just not a fan of having electronics like this behind a socket and helluva close to the wall insulation etc. It wouldn't be so bad, but they tend to design these things cheaply and without a good controlled failure mode. Hmmm, I wonder how many failures and resultant house fires there have been?
As an electrician and electronics engineer since 1984 - I would tell everyone STICK TO NORMAL TWIN SOCKETS. None of this smart switching. Just plug an alexa/google socket into it. Much easier. Devices like this one can cause issues by tripping a complete ring main when they go faulty.
Knowing that Vince compresses his footage to make it an appropriate time length, the fact this was 1 hour makes me think it must of been many hours recording live 😮. Respects to Vince 👍
1:02:10 - You and me both. So much tech is now tech for tech sake. I specifically bough an LED torch as it had two modes - on and off. Not fast flash, slow flash, hi mode, low mode, SOS and disorientation strobe?! It's a torch. It lights things so I can see them.
What I love is how these things are marketed as "tactical", to appeal to the insecure and cowardly. No, Dougie; just because you own a "tactical" flashlight, or razor, or pair of cargo shorts, doesn't mean you're suddenly a US Navy Seal. All it means is that you overpaid.
Ha. I enjoy your videos so much I find myself clicking the LIKE button before I have even watched it! Call me old-fashioned, but I really don't like these 'built in smart sockets'. To have something that sooner later WILL fail hardwired into my ring main (UK power wiring) really causes me concern. The only way to isolate them is at the consumer unit as the electronics are active 24/7. Don't get me wrong, I have lots, over 19, smart sockets, but the type that you can simply unplug. Great video as always. Thanks Vince.
Wow you put some major effort into that. Well done! I've never bought one of those smart sockets because I'm not comfortable with having cheap electronics on a 32 amp house breaker. The instantaneous trip current on those breakers is enormous and the explosion would be rather large!
Exactly, I am not a fan of sockets with built in USB/Wifi - there is always a risk it may catch fire - at least you can pull out a plug in USB power supply
Honestly I hate those sockets. I had a USB socket from BG which over volted the USB ports. Luckily it was only connected to a cheap vape but it caused the cable to catch fire!
I nearly lost my mobile phone through a similar fault where the USB voltage was fluttering all over the place. For some reason the phone drained the battery dead flat with no other damage. Got a second use battery and a small tube of sealant from Ebay. Phone rescued.
Yeah. Agree. Definitely would not use that again. That looked like a pretty bad failure. Could have started a fire! I guess that fuse blew just in time. Could something like a slug have slid inside and caused a short? If powered on with nothing in it that is a possibility. I've got numerous smart plugs which would probably have the same problem eventually.
Cheers Paul, I'm looking forward to the comments to see what viewers think is the actual failure, that burn mark on the board looks like it was tracking from 240V AC trace to the low voltage DC trace. I wonder if that was the initial cause via some liquid damage.
@@MymatevinceCould it have been condensation in the walls? If the humidity's high enough you don't need to pour liquid into a device to have liquid damage, and inside a wall in an old house in a humid area...
I really do not like the colour of that red and green light, it should be opposite! I would plugg some thing in when it was green and expect the thing be live when it was red (dangerous). I would definitely not use this one... Brilliant content as always thank you!
Probably some liquid damage or some conductive debris got inside and caused arcing between pins and components to die and the low and high voltage arcing or shorting killing that wifi module. And yes 56:47 Those wifi chips are programmable and can be kind of compared to the esp8266 chips you also encountered, just that this is not an esp but some chinese manufacturer. Usually the Manufacturer loads tgeir firmware onto the chip and the firmware is the real magic sauce here doing the comminucation with the cloud and handeling the functions of the device
"Simplicity" - yes, I can relate. Had a bunch of home automation set up three years ago. But with every new bit, the "update/config/whatever" dance gets bigger and bigger. So the only thing that is still "smart" in my home are the lights. I recently started using Home Assistant again, because it's just easier for me to combine lights from different vendors and program some scripts and scenes. That's it. And I'm happy.
Worth remembering that when you find a diode across a relay coil it is there to quench the back EMF current when the relay de-energises. A shorted diode will stop the relay working and possibly cause upstream components to overload. In the video it looked like there had been some flash over from the Power side of the relay to the low voltage electronics. Water ingress maybe. There really should have been some isolation gaps in the PCB between the low and high voltage side particularly in the vicinity of the relays. 😂 Home Automation is a good way of wasting time if you get hooked into the Home Assistant solutions - just like VoIP/Asterisk was a few years ago 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Probably that socket was in the kitchen with people cooking and plenty of steam inside the kitchen...Did happen to my normal socket...was full with water inside when I plugged the kettle on... Now i did put silicone around the socket...I do have tiles on the wall so probably was leaking from the tiles inside the socket... Now i do have a dehumidifier and the kitchen hood on all the time when i cook and it's getting steamy...
Most likely moisture started it. The power to low side should have big gaps, they could had better layout. A slot would have helped so to stop moisture and increase the isolation. I have never wanted to fit these as always on and likely to fail.
The diode is used to clamp the voltage skpike that occurs when the coil of the relay is turned off. In this case it should protect the switching transistor agianst these voltage spikes, you can put there almost any diode.I think a 1n4007 is the best choice in this place because it is capable of up to 1000V and can handle 1A.
few shocks in the 80s n 90s off big TVs and Hi-Fi transformers ? cant remember a nice shock though, but love the "Terminology" all ads flavor to the video Vince m8 (",)
I agree with you. It’s a sad commentary on the modern age that an able-bodied person can’t be bothered to get up and turn a switch on or off. Simplicity also means fewer potential points of failure.
I noticed the chip had broad link on it, they have there own range of devices. Many brands use Tuya. There is a place for home automation, but I definitely prefer to use a plugin smart socket.
This is not like you vince. Normally you would have swapped the chip, rather than the entire module. I am a bit curious if the chip was the only fault in that module. Regardless, this was an awesome fix!! Well done!!
Hey Vince, please could you remind us what that outtro track is? I love that lady's voice... Nice fix as usual, I quite agree about too much automation. It's great when you actually need it but it just gets in the way otherwise. Simplest is best.
It'd be interesting to see in a few months whether the YT monetisation provides enough to cover the cost of the new socket (plus assorted other components) :)
are we ever gonna see another car laer on your channel i like those videos better being a car flipper and restoring guy and a nascar certified mechanic and classic car restorer ? thanks love the vids mate
The diodes looks to be across the coil, if so they are a snubber diode so when the relay goes off, there isn't a load of energy thrown back in reverse from the coil into the transistor Definitely looks like it has tracked the live across to the coil trace there, and cause mayhem, maybe it was on an outside wall and got damp, or splashed! I doubt the diode going short should cause that, if anything it would just blow the fuse or the transistor The bridge rectifier is just 4 diodes, so you will see a short from one side to the other Get yourself a cliff quicktest, they are great for testing stuff!
Contacts on the relay are 16amps But the track are not my thought is they have plugged in a heavy load that’s my guess u need to ask the client what he’s plugging into the socket
Im wandering where abouts in the house it was, being a wifi socket it may probably have been used in a garage, conservatory, shed or out house. If its been producing a little heat it may have attracted condensation and this could have caused it to fail.
Almost certainly, the mains voltage side tracked across to the low voltage for some reason (potentially moisture), destroying the diode and transistors in the process.
@6:48 That is an ESP32 or similar:-) This also means that it's possible to reprogram them with custom software... basically a single board computer that can be programmed to work with a smarthome system of your choice... it's nice so you can make it work and you do not need the app of the vendor and you can have all your smart things in one app instead of 20 different apps (like an app for your camera's another app for your switches another one for your central heating and so on.....) This is good because i live with a person that is not really tech minded... and i can let him use just one app instead of letting him think about what app to use for what purpose.... There is just one problem i would have with this device and that is that you have to destroy it to be able to re-flash the chip...
You need a series lamp to check for inrush current. It will tell you immediately if something will go bang. A globe, a bit of wire, a plug and an electrical box, is nothing compared to the injuries that could be sustained by dodgy gadgets.
The main reason I use smart sockets and lights is because im disabled..and i use the ones i can voice control...and they make it so i can actually safely use my living space...so yeah, they definitely have some very good applications 🙂
The relays would be for each socket .Using Alexa or other things you can switch each socket on or off rather than both at once .Unfortunately even the bigger more respected "makers" (importers) have probably the exact same production lines as the knock off stuff so names no guarantee of good products in this day and age .
That's the problem with 'smart' tech Vince, the only 'smart' thing in the mix is the fat cats taking the cream when you purchase them. Just like my electric meter, 50 years old and working fine, let's see how many disappointed people there are with smart meters in 50 years time......I think I already know the answer. Great fix, one of your best.
Great fix Vince, I would of thought everything after the bridge rectifier would of been toast, especially after the bridge rectifier going short but luck was on your side, glad you sorted it 😊
Patreons exist. Patreons get exclusive features like behind the scenes content or early videos and often download links (depends on what the channel owner selects). But yes members also
hi my theory why this failed so spectacularly is because this uses a non isolated buck power supply only the live control power was fused and the non fused live shorted to the low voltage circuitry sending 240v half wave (because of rectifier) in to the 3.3v circuitry frying the wifi module and also surging well over 1A shorting the bridge rectifier and blowing the fuse when the rectifier shorted
yeah i dont like the idea everything wifi but a few wifi things in the home are okay like automatic lights or as you said a hard access outlett like under your bed wifi things should be of convinient if you must not lazyness
Definitely a very good video, thanks :) For the future, a small nightlight you plug directly into a socket could be useful in testing this for the camera. They're cheap too, in case one breaks. Also, a big power bank with a mains socket on it would probably be a safer device to connect something like that to.
I agree that these smart sockets are not the best idea for the long term. I use smart plugs for all the ancillary lighting in my house and run them with Alexa routines and voice control. Should a plug fail it's an easy swap for another one. I enjoyed the video and the repair for the sake of the video but these things are riveted for a reason and not worth the effort in the real world.
Things are a fire hazard imo, My dad had one installed and I honestly don't think it even works it broadcasts an ssid but all my experiments just connect to the real router.
hi them sockets are money pits never get one it use power when you arde not in the cost of power now is very high i left my power meter on i could see what is used
These things are ridiculous. Wall outlets should be good for 20-30 years - they're not user-replaceable (yes a savvy individual can do them but it's recommended this is done by a qualified spark), but when you look at this thing the components look to be the usual consumer-grade Chinese stuff that is known to have a high failure rate. Unacceptable.
