Electrical power

AC power frequencies

There are two widely used mains power frequencies for alternating current: 50 Hz and 60 Hz. Unless specified by the manufacturer to operate on both 50 and 60 Hz, appliances may not operate efficiently or even safely if used on anything other than the intended frequency. But there are also other frequencies used for power. But

Sauna stove fires

The Finnish sauna is a substantial part of Finnish culture. It was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists at the 17 December 2020 meeting of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The sauna in Finland is an old phenomenon and its roots are difficult to trace. Saunas

Light bulbs and tubes bans in 2023

The time has come to phase out the use of toxic materials, such as mercury and phosphorus, in order to protect human health and the environment from their harmful effects. In the European Union, the use of mercury in products has been phased out gradually since 2006, and it is restricted by the RoHS Directive

Ceiling light wiring in Finland

Replacing or installing a ceiling light fixture is often necessary because an old fixture has worn out or you want to do a decor overhaul. The work itself is usually quite easy, though anytime you are working with electricity there is some danger. Since an incorrectly installed lamp can cause an electric shock or fire

New DCL light socket

European ceiling lights will start to use a common plug for easy installation. Device for Connection of Luminaires (DCL) is a European standard for ceiling light fixtures introduced in 2005 and refined in 2009. The history is longer. The history of the common ceiling light plug goes longer. In Finnish apartments, for over thirty years,

What is low Z on multimeter?

What is low Z on multimeter? Dual impedance digital multimeters have feature to control the input impedance of the multimeter. LoZ stands for Low Impedance (Z). This feature presents a low impedance input to the circuit under test. A typical digital multimeter has typically around 10 megaohms input impedance, which loads the circuit being measured

Digital timer clock teardown

Here is a tear-down of a mains powered (230V 50 Hz) timer switch. Let’s look how this is built. Many mains power timers use mechanism that has mains powered syncronous motor, but this is different. This one has a electronic clock timer in it. There seems to be one clock IC with a crystal (around