Just as car manufacturers often have to recall certain models because of faulty parts that pose a danger to drivers and need to be replaced, have you ever wondered if the same could apply to the household appliances that we all purchase from time to time for our homes? In the UK recently, appliance brand Beko, which isn’t available locally, announced that several of its 6 and 7 kg condenser tumble dryers may be affected by a faulty third-party capacitor that could fail, overheat and pose a potential fire risk.
According to the manufacturer, the warning applies to around 51 000 appliances, of which 30 000 are in consumers’ homes. This type of occurrence highlights the need for testing electrical equipment thoroughly to prevent injuries, save lives and avoid fires in the workplace or home, the results of which can be catastrophic for households and businesses.
Portable appliance test instrumentation specialist, Seaward, represented in South Africa by Instrotech Test & Measurement, manufactures a comprehensive range of portable appliance testers and accessories, which are used widely in electrical equipment preventative maintenance programmes and enable users to verify the electrical safety of all types of appliances quickly and effectively.
Beko has put a voluntary corrective action programme into place, including national and regional press advertising, to make consumers aware of the problem and to get them to check their tumble dryers to see if they own any of the models affected. Are South African manufacturers and/or users doing enough to ensure that the same problem doesn’t occur here?
Four-digit multifunction instrument Vepac Electronics
Electrical Power & Protection
The OM 403 model series comprises four-digit panel programmable instruments designed for maximum usefulness and user comfort, while maintaining their fair price.
Read more...New function/arbitrary waveform generator Vepac Electronics
Electrical Power & Protection
Siglent has released the SDG1000X Plus series Function/Arbitrary Waveform Generator, providing engineers with a more flexible and efficient signal generation solution.
Read more...World’s fastest 14-bit arbitrary waveform generator Vepac Electronics
Electrical Power & Protection
The ARB Rider AWG-7000 is the world’s fastest 14-bit arbitrary waveform generator, with a 20 GS/s real time update rate and 14-bit vertical resolution. Thanks to Simple Rider software, it offers best-in-class performances and an easy to use interface.
Read more...Steam on demand
Electrical Power & Protection
Rental boilers are increasingly popular, offering the convenience of on-demand power and heat without the commitment of a permanent installation. They are an ideal solution while a customer awaits repairs, or only needs a boiler for a particular period, or does not have the capital to invest upfront.
Read more...High-voltage backup power solutions
Electrical Power & Protection
Businesses are facing increasing pressure to rethink their approach to power. As a result, there’s been a significant uptick in interest in high-voltage installations, either as standalone battery energy storage systems, or as solar installations feeding into battery storage.
Read more...Rotary friction welding – a first for Tutuka power station
Electrical Power & Protection
Steinmüller Africa has successfully used rotary friction welding in a project with engineering consultant, eNtsa. This innovative technique was applied to fabricating four headers used for high-pressure water heater boiler units installed at Tutuka power station in Mpumalanga.
Read more...Why it is vital to size soft starters carefully WEG Africa
Electrical Power & Protection
The application of soft starters has become a well-established strategy to improve the uptime and lifespan for motors and mechanical equipment driven by motors, but they need to be chosen carefully.
Read more...Changeover switch between two power supplies Schneider Electric South Africa
Electrical Power & Protection
Schneider Electric South Africa has unveiled the Resi9 Changeover Switch product range which provides the perfect solution to switch manually between two power supplies or circuits.
Read more...Partial discharge monitoring solution for MV switchgear Schneider Electric South Africa
Electrical Power & Protection
Schneider Electric South Africa has unveiled its PowerLogic PD100 Partial Discharge Monitoring Solution, designed to be installed on MV switchgear to detect anomalies early, to prevent unplanned downtime.
Read more...ABB production site reduces total emissions by 80%
Electrical Power & Protection
Continuing its commitment to sustainable manufacturing, ABB’s Mexican production site for load centres and safety switches in Saltillo has reduced emissions by 80% in the past two years.
printer friendly version