Finding the fault in this circuit (UV lamp controller)

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around troubleshooting a UV lamp controller circuit that occasionally burns out. Participants explore potential causes for the failures and seek additional information about the circuit's specifications and design.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions whether the failure is a one-time occurrence and asks for specifications of the UV lamp.
  • Another participant lists several possible causes for the circuit failure, including load issues, bad components, and design flaws, suggesting that the order of probability may vary based on the circuit's origin.
  • Concerns are raised about the quality of the schematic, with a participant asking if it is a home-brew design and inquiring about its source.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the specific cause of the circuit failure, and multiple competing views regarding potential issues remain unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about the circuit's design quality and component specifications are not clarified, and the discussion includes various hypotheses without definitive conclusions.

engnrshyckh
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TL;DR
Guys this circuit and shematic is of UV lamp controller.. It burns sometime as shown in figure can someone tell the reason?
Guys this circuit and shematic is of UV lamp controller.. It burns sometime as shown in figure can someone tell the reason?
 

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Is this a one time failure? From your description, 'sometimes it burns', does this mean it has happened with a replacement controller, too? Do you have UV lamp specifications you can let us see?
 
engnrshyckh said:
Summary:: Guys this circuit and shematic is of UV lamp controller.. It burns sometime as shown in figure can someone tell the reason?

It burns sometime as shown in figure can someone tell the reason?
Several possibilities:
  • Load is too heavy (wrong lamps? high humidity?))
  • Running without a load
  • C6 bad
  • Transformer has shorted turn(s)
  • A resistor has changed value (looks like they have overheated, replace 'em)
  • Supply voltage is (occassionally?) too high
  • High ambient temperature
  • Bad design (parts under-rated for the use)
The above is roughly in order of probability. (unless it is a third-world design with a very low price; then the bad design is most likely. :wink:)
Likely a few more "maybe's."

From the looks of them, those transistors have failed shorted. Which could be temperature related (overload, shorted transformer, shorted C6) or from voltage spikes (running no-load, or open C6). Could also be a bad resistor.

Cheers,
Tom
 
@engnrshyckh -- The schematic looks a bit amateurish. Is this a home-brew circuit? Did you design it? If not, where did you get it and the schematic?

1583505330208.png
 

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