Potential hazard with arlec grid connect smart sockets.

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richms

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#310858 27-Nov-2023 11:22

I have got many of these - about $20 each, energy monitoring and tuya app support. Whats not to like really?

Anyway, Because of the well documented trash relays they us in them, they sometimes stick in the on position despite being switched off. If I put my festoon lights on one of them there was always a good chance that the relay would stick on and I would be unable to control them until I gave the smart socket a whack with something.

The big hazard I found was I had some LED string lights plugged into one of them. It seemed to be working ok except that one section of the string light had a very faint glow when "off"

Poking with the meter on the output showed that only the live side had stuck on. The neutral side was still switching ok.

Richard rich.ms

pih

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#3164385 27-Nov-2023 11:33

So when they are functioning properly they definitely use double pole relays to switch active as well as neutral? I only ask because there was an issue with earlier Athom smart plugs where the (single pole) relay was ONLY switching neutral, maybe these have the same problem? Athom has rectified it in the latest version apparently, but they still only switch active. It's kind of surprising to me that cheap smart plugs would use double pole relays.

richms

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#3164388 27-Nov-2023 11:43

pih:

So when they are functioning properly they definitely use double pole relays to switch active as well as neutral? I only ask because there was an issue with earlier Athom smart plugs where the (single pole) relay was ONLY switching neutral, maybe these have the same problem? Athom has rectified it in the latest version apparently, but they still only switch active. It's kind of surprising to me that cheap smart plugs would use double pole relays.

There are 2 relays inside it. One of the aussie states made it a rule that anything that plugs in has to switch both sides incase its plugged into something wired wrong. Yet in the process have made it more likely that something will end up with the neutral switched.

Richard rich.ms