Belkin PureAV Home Theater Power Console PF40 £38.87

Peridot

The circuit breaker is mounted on the back panel of the unit.

If you look at my first picture above - the mains cable comes in on the far left bottom corner. You can just about see a slightly darker brown wire which is the incoming supply that goes immediately to the circuit breaker. The more easily visible brown wire goes from the circuit breaker to the PCB connection.

Reversing the connections at the PCB basically means that you are using the blue wire as the Live and the brown wire as the Neutral to match the connections in the moulded plug.

Because the circuit breaker is wired in advance of the PCB connections it remains in the Neutral circuit.

Should there be an Live to Earth fault in something connected to the unit then the circuit breaker will not trip. It is then dependent on the speed of response of the next protective device in the chain to operate to protect the Power Console and the connected equipment/cable.

One risk is that the PCB tracks carrying the mains current to the various internal filters will burn out before any other protective device operates.

Mr Incredible

Cheers, that confirms my assumptions were indeed wrong.  I'll probably just cut off the moulded plug and put my own on!

Is there a way to change the connection at the breaker rather than the PCB?

Easiest thing is probably for me to look at it once I get it!  I'm having trouble visualising the connections!

Hasnath

Just wanted to add that the two I purchased show no sign of the fault described, so maybe a sign that the whole batch Ballicom aren't faulty but a few perhaps are.

Mr Incredible

It will be interesting to see if the one I get from another supplier exhibits the same problem or not.  I'll just have to wait!

Peridot

Oddly, the incoming wire is soldered to the circuit breaker, while the internal link from the circuit breaker to the PCB uses a 'Faston' push on connector. From a production point of view this wouldn't seem to be the easiest way of making the connections

I agree that the right way to sort out the problem is to replace the plug top. Although bear in mind that the cable to the unit is 4mm2 so it won't be the easiest job to wire. It'll certainly need a high quality plug top - personally I'd recommend the MK Tough-Plug. (Much cheaper from B&Q though )

n.simpson

It's possible but it would require some cutting of wires and some joining of wires. All in all, not terribly difficult BUT if Belkin will replace the units promptly then there's probably no need.

Mr Incredible

Much depends as well in the margin in the sales at the ±£40 and whether it's worth Belkin/distributor checking existing stock for the fault and then rectifying.  They may just take it on the chin and bin the lot; it could be cheaper than any remedial work and a full refund offered to the buyer.  I think I'd rather lop off the plug and replace it.  Any fault which may occur in the main unit during the warranty period can be dealt with by Belkin; a plug replacement is hardly going to void any warranty IMO!

carlymart

Hi I have just got one and is showing a fault one both the wiring and earth.
I have swoped the live and neutral over on the pcb and the fault goes away.
I don't see the point is sending it back along as I can fix it. From reading here replacing the mains plug will do the trick. Am I correct ??????????

Mr Incredible

Correct, provided you swap back the neutral/live on the PCB

carlymart

Thanks
, swapped it back straight away