Hi,
I would like to protect my Shelly Dimmer 2 from overload due to faulty led light bulbs.
Here is the setup: I have had a very pleasant 100% working setup with a Shelly Dimmer 2 controlling a string of 30 dimmable LED light bulbs for more than a year. Each bulb is 6 watts.
A few month ago, while it operates as usual for about 20 minutes, it stops, and I hear a "Pshffhop" sound from the Shelly box. I removed the Shelly from the setup and tested the light string alone, triggering the corresponding house breaker.
I then tested one bulb at a time and found that bulb #29 was the faulty one. I replaced that bulb and tested the light string again without any problems.
The next step was to buy a new Shelly Dimmer 2 and replace the fried one. For good measure, I added a 1-amp glass tube fuse between the Shelly and the light string (30x6w=180w / 230v = 0.78 amp).
I hooked everything up tightly and cleanly, switching on/off and dimming up/down; everything worked as intended—awesome! I'm a happy geek.
Weeks passed, and the last "OK Google, turn light string on at 20%" resulted in a "Pshffhop" and infinite darkness. The glass tube fuse fried, as well as the Shelly Dimmer 2.
I followed the same procedure as before, finding, removing, and replacing the faulty light bulb.
Now, I am trying to protect the Shelly Dimmer from the next light bulb failure more effectively.
Light bulbs are no-name Amazon light bulbs, and I won't consider changing the whole set as I still have a few spare ones. Therefore, I'm looking for a system to prevent the Shelly Dimmer 2 from failing when it happens.
I was thinking of replacing the glass tube fuse between the Shelly and the light string with a differential breaker.
Any advice or considerations will be highly appreciated.
Have a great one.