This has me baffled!

[Rockingit]

A rainy Sunday thread.....

Right, this is MY house, which I rewired top to toe a couple of years ago (left some of the drops in where the cable was good to save on replastering).

A couple of weeks ago, Mrs Rockingits laptop charger died, so I found a new one from a Bay shop and life continued. Apart from the simple fact that this seems to only want to work from certain sockets. It's got me baffled. It doesn't follow a pattern of how they're wired, is the same across two split RCD separated circuits, needless to say that I've double checked all connections for tightness, everything passes every test, and the sockets which DONT work for the charger power everything else perfectly well.

So what I've got is a new (original part, not copy) charger which appears to work perfectly fine, a 'new' house rewire which seems to work perfectly fine, but certain combinations where they don't work together. (oh, and Mrs Rockingit giving me all the 'think you're a decent sparky, then?! teases).

The only thing I can think of beyond this is to get a scope and see if there is some bizarre waveform chopping going on which might affect the switch-mode psu, but then if that WAS happening, it would continue through the rest of the circuit from that point....and that's not the case!

Suggestions on a postcard.....

 

[malcolmsanford]

1. Different Accessories?

Could the E-bay charger perhaps have slightly shorter/more insulation pins and if you do have different accessories it may work in one and not the other.

also try just swapping some, so where it don't work replace it with a plate that does work, and vice versa, at least that will eliminate the accessory idea ..................purely straw clutching now

 

[telectrix]

agree with malcolm. pins not making contact in socket due to design of pins on charger.

 

[Darkwood]

all point to charger fault maybe internal intermittent open circuit depending which way pin is pressured which will differ socket to socket.... solution is a new wife or charger

 

[yellowvanman]

get one of those multiple socket adapters, plug the charger into that and go around the house trying all the socket outlets, will eliminate a possible problem with the charger plug.

 

[Richard Burns]

I would agree with the insulation on the pins being the cause, some sockets will have different positions of the copper and may miss the plug pins, try pulling the plug out slightly or at a slight angle and seeing if they work.

 

[Rockingit]

1. Different Accessories?

Could the E-bay charger perhaps have slightly shorter/more insulation pins and if you do have different accessories it may work in one and not the other.

also try just swapping some, so where it don't work replace it with a plate that does work, and vice versa, at least that will eliminate the accessory idea ..................purely straw clutching now

Same accessories - Hamilton stainless downstairs and MK Logic upstairs, fault mixes across the two. I was just starting to hold out some hope on it being the pins/insulation from all your comments, when I've just remembered that it's the same plugtop from before - it was an extra 83p to buy the IEC lead, outrageous!

When I'm next home alone I'll swap a couple of the plates over and see if the fault moves with them.

 

[vinny electric]

is the polarity correct at the socket check it with a socket tester i bet this is what is wrong.

 

[Richard Burns]

Old IEC lead possible broken connection inside the lead that shows up when the lead is at a certain angle when plugged into those sockets?
I remember a hedge trimmer that only failed to work in one socket because the plug top was damaged inside and disconnected at that angle.

 

[Strima]

is the polarity correct at the socket check it with a socket tester i bet this is what is wrong.

Don't use a British Gas one, the whole installation would have to be condemned!!! :lol:

 

[drew35]

And you don't think it's the new charger? From eBay? The ones they tell you not to buy because they burst into flames? The ones you see videos of on the Electrical Safety Councils website burning down a mock house where they've been left charging the laptop overnight. When you rewired did you fit fire detection?

 

[alarm man]

as vinny says,socket tester in all sockets,if that passes its the charger.