Do NOT buy this model

[woodieallen]

I have one and found several occasions where it had decided to turn itself on all by itself and run all night. I put it down to just one of those things. But I see Peter Millard had the same problem...same model.

Good enough for me. Please don't let your workshop/hose burn down.

 

[robgul]

Hmm, I have a very similar if not the same item purchased from Amazon in May 2020 - the two socket/1 remote version . . . . . only using one unit at the moment connecting a Henry for dust extraction duty - no problem that I'm aware off. Is something else in the workshop/nearby has a similar wavelength signal that's operating the switch??

Perhaps to quote Aristotle: One swallow does not a summer make . . . .

 

[Lefley]

Hmm, I have a very similar if not the same item purchased from Amazon in May 2020 - the two socket/1 remote version . . . . . only using one unit at the moment connecting a Henry for dust extraction duty - no problem that I'm aware off. Is something else in the workshop/nearby has a similar wavelength signal that's operating the switch??

Perhaps to quote Aristotle: One swallow does not a summer make . . . .

try stuff you have to see if anything else will turn it in or off. Ie garage door owner, tv remote. Etc. I even have 6 remotes for my 6 led lights in garage. I sure wish there was a way they worked off one remote!

 

[woodieallen]

One swallow ...yes. But now you have two swallows.....

And in neither case were there any other remote controllers etc. I have another make (an older version) and which has never caused me any trouble.

Quite simply, when I saw Peter's video and recognised the same controller, alarm bells started ringing.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

try stuff you have to see if anything else will turn it in or off. Ie garage door owner, tv remote. Etc. I even have 6 remotes for my 6 led lights in garage. I sure wish there was a way they worked off one remote!

Mine wasn't expensive and has five working off it.

 

[Lefley]

That seems really cheap for a plug and remote that is Made in the UK. Does it come with all the appropriate stickers or whatever you have in uk, that makes it a safe electrical appliance that is covered if it burns flown your house, or is it an unapproved device shipped in from China. Here in Canada a lot of homeowners buy there lights now from the USA through Amazon and we can not install them as they are not Canadian approved! Have not been through the Canadian electrical standards route.

Edit: my mistake, these things are not that expensive, I might need to get a few. The ones with all good reviews that is!

 

[artie]

How about putting it on a timer.
Only switched on during working hours.
If it accidently switches on no drama, and you might get to figure out the cause.

 

[Doug71]

I think it's best to turn off and unplug everything when you leave the workshop.

 

[Sandyn]

Interesting, the advert says 'UK Device fully safety Approved' which is an unusual statement to make. I would love to see the safety report and what testing was actually done. If it really has full CE certification, that covers safety and EMC, Any design engineer worth their salt would have discovered the random switching problem at the design stage. Proper testing in EMC should have discovered the random switch problem. Something doesn't add up!!

 

[Sandyn]

I even have 6 remotes for my 6 led lights in garage. I sure wish there was a way they worked off one remote!

There is a cheap solution to your problem

 

[powertools]

Just switch it off at the socket when not in use.

 

[Sandyn]

Here in Canada a lot of homeowners buy there lights now from the USA through Amazon and we can not install them as they are not Canadian approved!

Interesting. How is it enforced?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Just switch it off at the socket when not in use.

If all the sockets used are easily accessible there'd be little point in having a remote control. None of mine are.

 

[robgul]

If all the sockets used are easily accessible there'd be little point in having a remote control. None of mine are.

It's the time saved walking around the workshop (albeit mine is quite small) switching, in my case, just the shopvac on and off. I use the remote as a sort of poor-man's auto start you get with vac systems like the Festool where you connect the tool/machine to the vac.

Have to say I was a bit surprised at the claim that it's made in the UK . . . I may still have the instruction leaflet - I'll see what that says about approvals etc, if any.

 

[Crazy Dave]

Copied from my post in General Chat regarding Automating workshop with Alexa.

May I give you a warning about the RF remote switches, I used to use these before Alexa came on the scene and have had a few instances where the controlled device would come on without me touching the remote. I used to work with radio devices for MOD years ago and I know that radio waves do some really strange things so I would never trust those RF remotes to control anything more than a light.

 

[clogs]

Apart from 1 light circuit, on 24 hrs a day
I shut the whole workshop down electrically now
i got to the shop one morning and my 5 hp x 3 phase compressor had been running all night due to a blown hose….
now the procedure is to turn of the air line system with a ball valve and right next door is the main power breaker 3 phase n single
so it won’t happen again….
be warned, I was lucky to get away with it….
new comp pump is £3000…… ouch

 

[Distinterior]

I turn off & unplug everything in my workshop after working in there....The only thing that's left powered up is the Alarm system and even that has a battery back up....

I know people who leave tool batteries on charge overnight.....They must be mad taking that sort of risk!

 

[evildrome]

Interesting. How is it enforced?

Probably annuls your home insurance.

Which is dice you do not wish to roll.

 

[HamsterJam]

Correct me if I misunderstand but this doesn’t look like like a safety issue with the device itself, rather the use the device is being put to.
i.e. the hazard the OP refers to arises from power being unexpectedly applied to devices for prolonged periods which in some cases causes them to overheat.

My guess is that in pursuit of cost reduction, immunity to false triggering has not been properly considered in the design.
As well as using a certain radio frequency or channel, the remote sends a signalling sequence to address the right socket and indicate whether it should turn on or off etc. The chips to do this are a standard commodity and will be bought in by the manufacturer.
My guess is that this socket either uses a very simple signalling sequence or a default sequence, maybe both. This will make it prone to interference from other devices or perhaps just radio noise.

The only work around is to isolate the machinery supply when you leave the workshop.

 

[Misterdog]

All mains consumer units both single and 3 phase have a 'main' switch.
If you want full safety - use it.

i got to the shop one morning and my 5 hp x 3 phase compressor had been running all night due to a blown hose….

I worked in a dental surgery where the same as the above had happened and the compressor had been running all weekend.

The smoke coming off the motor was probably an hour away from a fire.