LINE FILTERS WHAT WILL CAUSE THEM TO SHORT?

[ddstoys]

As the title suggest what will cause a Lin filter to short?   I finally got Bridebof Pinbot going so the family can play it at Christmas played half a dozen games without issue.  Cam out to the shed a few days later and the wholeshed circuit had tripped out?

[Homepin]

Lightning strike / power surge
persished internal insulation
bad luck
old age

[48]

Daniel, when you say the whole shed circuit, do you mean the RCD (safety switch)?
Or is it a circuit breaker for the shed?
2 different scenarios....

[ddstoys]

Safety switches were fine it was the breaker forth shed. 

  The varistor still tested fine and there were plenty of machines on the same circuit so im ruling out lighting strike.

   So they do just die from old age that's what I was hoping.  Thanks Mike.  Just didn't want to install another and blow boards or anything like that as every board are original with all matching serial numbers

   Thanks for the replies I'll go buy another tomorrow and see how I go

[Homepin]

they sure do just cark it from old age BUT lightning strike/power surge is not selective either - what might destroy one item may not affect another in the slightest.....My money is on old age, we will see more of this type of thing as our machines age more.

[shansta]

Old age catches up with everything sooner or later... 

[Chad]

If the line filter dies,  does it need to be replaced or can it be bypassed ????

Also I was told by a pinball tech that line filters were only a requirement for the us market and are not required on aussie pinballs, is this true ?

[Homepin]

Old age catches up with everything sooner or later... 

Yeah - then the smoke gets out, but you'll be right  

[Homepin]

If the line filter dies,  does it need to be replaced or can it be bypassed ????

Also I was told by a pinball tech that line filters were only a required for the us market and are not required on aussie pinballs, is this true ?

The machine will work perfectly without it BUT rando EFI (EMI) "Electromagnetic Interference" may affect other electronic items nearby (hence the USA requirement) or the Pinball machine might be affected by interference from external sources.

I would always fit one.

[48]

Sounds like it was a dead A-N short then.
I guess like all caps the ones in the line filters can die.
Hell of a way to find out Daniel.

[Mr Pinbologist]

I had that happen on my Buck Rogers pin once, blew the fuse for the garage. All the machines in the garage were on the same circuit, i had to test each machine for shorts one at at time til i found the shorted one 

after i replaced the crook line filter on Buck, i rewired the mains fuse on it's bottom board so that it was BEFORE the line filter, just incase it happened again! (the fuse was originally wired AFTER the line filter).

[48]

after i replaced the crook line filter on Buck, i rewired the mains fuse on it's bottom board so that it was BEFORE the line filter, just incase it happened again! (the fuse was originally wired AFTER the line filter).

Thats what I was driving at, thought all the line filters were after main fuse.
Might have to check my machines, pretty sure filters are after fuse, is on Cyclone cause I was looking at that the other week as per another thread somewhere....

Always check that main fuse size too, normally 4 amp here but a lot of machines have 8 amp in them.
A lot of info around is for North America and its easy to get  bum steer.

[Mr Pinbologist]

after i replaced the crook line filter on Buck, i rewired the mains fuse on it's bottom board so that it was BEFORE the line filter, just incase it happened again! (the fuse was originally wired AFTER the line filter).

Thats what I was driving at, thought all the line filters were after main fuse.
Might have to check my machines, pretty sure filters are after fuse, is on Cyclone cause I was looking at that the other week as per another thread somewhere....

I know that the early SS machines.. Sys 1 Gtb and early Bally /Stern SS had the power leads connected directly into the input side of the line filters, and the fuse on the output side of the filter. Im not sure about the later games how they were set up though