Repairing Philips Electric Shaver Model C644

 

24 January 2022

This Phillips Shaver was found not working.   The blade will move but if one starts to cut the hairs,  the cutting blade will stop moving.  One can still hear the motor spinning in the background.   If one removes the blade from the unit,  one can see that the blade rotator will spin but it will stop if one tries to use one's finger to stop the rotator from spinning.   

Why?

The blade rotator is slipping.    It is not "catching" firmly onto the rotor of the motor.   The rotor catch must be loose.   This article will recommend a fix.

Disassembling

1.  Removing the Blade holder

The blade holder which is in the form of metal clips must first be removed.  To remove the clips,  one must use a small screwdriver to free the top catch from the 2 catch holders as shown in the attached picture. 

2.  Remove Motor Chamber's Top Cover

Once the blade holder is removed,  one can easily remove the motor chamber's top cover by prying open its bottom using a small screwdriver.  The cover is shown in the following picture.    

3.  Remove the Sliding Adjuster Assembly

Next is to remove the sliding adjuster and the slider ring as shown.  

When removing the slider ring,  watch out for the spring-loaded plunger underneath the ring.  Make sure the plunger won't spring out.   If the plunger is lost and missing, the sliding adjuster will not work properly.

4.  Remove the Switch Cover

Once the slider ring is out of place,  one can start to remove the top cover or the switch cover from the shaver by using a small screwdriver to pry open the cover,  starting from the bottom and working the way to the top until the cover is completely removed.

The Parts

Why Blade Rotator is Loose?

There was no screw or other means to secure the rotator to the motor's rotor.  It is suspected that there is a "catch" built into the rotator because one can feel the "click" when one inserts the rotator back onto the rotor.   

The "catch" must have failed to catch firmly onto the rotor because the rotator was found to be quite oily.  In this case,  the owner must have overlubricated, sprayed too much WD40 or otherwise and accidentally allowed the lubricants to get into the rotator. This must have caused the rotator to fail to "catch" onto the rotor.   The slipping of the rotator will occur when the blade met some resistance.   

Knowing this to be the problem,  cleaning up and soaking the rotator in solvents such as thinner or acetone solved the problem.

What if the Rotator still Slips?

One will have to replace the blade rotator if one can find the spare part;  if not,  the only alternative is either to "stuff" in between the rotator and the rotor with a tiny strain of small electric wire.  The other way is to permanently fix the rotator to the rotor using superglue.  The use of superglue should be the last resort.

Reassembling

To reassemble back the shaver,  reverse the disassembling steps.

How To Assemble a PC? (Lesson No 3)

 21 January 2022

In this lesson,   we will install the motherboard and other PC components.  Take this motherboard as an example.  

The motherboard is made by Gigabyte and the model number is as shown which is GA-H61M-S2p.  It has the following built-in

1.  4 SATA 3 Gb/s output ports for disk drives and DVD ROM;

2.  8 USB 2.0/1.1 ports (4 ports on the back panel, 4 ports for front panel)

3.  1 Ethernet LAN Port

4.  1 VGA Port (D-Sub port)

5.  4 Expansion Port ( 1 PCIex16 for graphic card, 2 PCIex8 and 1 PCIex4 port for other cards

6.  1 x PS/2 keyboard port & 1 x PS/2 mouse port

7.  3 x audio jacks (Line In/Line Out/Microphone)

To install,  one would need to go to the motherboard webpage to download the following

1.  The User's Manual

2.  The following Drivers

a. Realtek HD Audio Driver

b.  Intel Management Engine Interface

c.  Intel Management Engine Interface

d.  Realtek LAN Driver

e.  Intel® Rapid Storage Technology

f.  Intel SATA Preinstall driver

g.  Intel VGA Driver (for Ivy Bridge CPU)

The manual will be required for the installation of the various casing connector to the motherboard.  The drivers will be required after one has installed the Windows operating system.  Without these drivers,  the windows will use the standard driver which might not give optimum performance.   One would need to select the OS to download the correct type of drivers.    

There are several versions of the windows operating system.  The latest one is Windows 11.    The more common ones are Windows 10 and Windows 7.    Windows 7 is no longer supported by Microsoft.  One can still install and use it.  

As this is an old motherboard,  it has no drivers for Windows 10 or Windows 11 listed on the manufacturer's webpage.    For those who prefer to install the Windows 10 or Windows 11 operating system on this PC,  they would first have to use the drivers for Windows 7 first.  Windows will install the drivers if they are usable;   if not,  the new ones will be installed automatically when one do a windows update after the PC has been set up and running.  

Physical Installation

A) Motherboard Installation

1. First, install the Power supply Unit if it has not been already fixed onto the casing;

2. Then,  one will need to install the backplate;   after that,  the motherboard. 

The motherboard will have 6 screws to secure it firmly to the casing.   Once the motherboard has been installed,  one can start to plug in all the cable connectors.

The cable connectors are all "keyed" in such a way as to avoid any wrong connections.  The only connectors one would have to watch out for are those Front Panel USB and casing connectors.   One will need the User's Manual to connect up these 2 connectors properly.

1)  Front panel USB Connector

These connectors are often supplied with individual connectors,  one for each cable.  There are 10 pins for each USB connector. Each set of pins can connect 2 USB ports.   One will have to identify and install the cables properly according to the diagram.  The wrong connection could cause problems and may even spoil the USB devices or motherboard. 

2)  Front Panel Casing Connectors

Similar to the front panel USB connection,  the wiring might come in a different combination.  One will need to identify which cable will be going to which pin.  The cables are always marked according to function;  for example,  Power LED,  etc.

B)  Hard Drive Installation

Here is a tutorial video for the installation of the hard drives

C)  Windows Operating System

Here is an example of how Windows10 can be installed free

A copy of the windows 10 for evaluation can be downloaded here for free 

Replacing 2x40 Watts Fluorescent Fitting with LED Downlights

We have a situation where 2 Nos of 40W 4 feet fluorescent fitting were fitted inside a lightbox having an egg crate lighting diffuser at a ceiling height of about 3.5 meters.   We wanted to change them into LED lightings not only to save energy but also to get a brighter lighting system for the sitting room.   We came across these cheap 5 watts downlights which we have retrofitted with good results.  This article will describe how we retrofitted them and how we improved the lighting system with cheap materials found in the house.

The Downlights

These downlights are not only cheap, but they are also quite bright if one only could carefully read the reviews that some of the buyers were saying.  We replaced the 2 Nos of 40Watts fluorescent fitting with 8 Nos of these little glitters and managed to get a better and brighter lighting level.

How?

As advertised & to our surprise,  we found the brightness of this little glitter is equivalent to about a 60-80W incandescent lightbulb.  As downlights are direct lightings, their lighting output will not be cut by the egg crate diffusers which we had had in our old lighting setup using 2x40 Watts fluorescent fittings. 

Retrofitting

The retrofitting was relatively easier with the egg crate diffuser.  All one needs is a wire cutter that one can use to cut a hole of about 60 cm in diameter. Wiring up was a piece of cake with the quick wiring connector that one can wire up the lamps in a matter of half an hour with simple double core wirings.  Each lamp consumes only about 5 Watts so any type of double core wiring would be suitable.

Calculated Energy Saving

If what was claimed is to be true that each LED downlight consumes only 5 Watts,  the total wattage saved for replacing the 2x40Watts fluorescent fitting will be around 60 Watts considering that a 40 Watts fluorescent fitting will consume 50 watts including the ballast which will consume another 10 watts.   The total saving would be roughly  60 W x365 days x5 hrs per day or about 109 kWh per year.  At an electricity cost of around $0.25 per kWh,  the saving  would be around $27/= per year.  This is about twice the cost of the downlights which is around $1.60 each.

Shortcomings

The only shortcoming we have had is the glare from these fittings.  It is quite unbearable especially when it is installed at such a height.  It is quite eye-catching and disturbing when one sits on the couch,  looking at them.  There were no lampshades we could find online to fit the lamp.  Finally,  we use cupcake plastic bowls we found sitting at the corner of the house.  This is how we did it

Things to watch out

1)  Buying the downlights

There are many varieties of downlights available online. Most of the cheaper ones are from China. They all use the same advertising pictures and descriptions and appeared to be the same but actually,  they are from different manufacturers;  therefore,  they can be entirely different.    When they claimed to be white light in color,  some might be a mixture of bluish and yellowish light.  The lighting level can also differ.  It is good to read the review to buy the correct type.

2)  Cutting the holes in Egg Crate Diffuser

The plastic could be old and brittle after some years of working.   Be careful when cutting the hole.   Plan first before deciding where to cut the hole.  It would not be possible to repair the hole after the hole cutting.   Hot glue is good assistance if some piece of the egg craft came loose while cutting the hole.    It is a good practice to glue a round plastic ring to reinforce the rims of the egg crate cuttings.

3)  Safety First

Go without saying.  Make sure the power is always off before doing any electrical work and advise that no one will turn on the power while one is working on any electrical wiring work.

 

How Do You Make a Spring Onion PanCake the Easy Way

14 June 2021

The traditional way of making a Spring Onion Pancake can be very time consuming.  One can easily spend up to 2 hours to make the dough and wait for the yeasts to make its way.  Then the rolling will start.   Some make it so complicated that it can be piece of art work.

This article will introduce one easy way which can be done in less than 20 minutes includng making the pancake crispy using air fryers.  Here is how.

Water & Electricity Saver for Instantaneous Heater

Important Note & disclamers :  Modification to any water heater is extremely dangerous.  It should only be done if only you are familiar with the device as there are many accidents involving electricity electrocutions if the modification is not done properly.  

The alternative and safe way to achieve the same result is to turn on the tap to switch on the instantaneous heater on a high setting for a few seconds  and then turn off the tap for the water in the heater to be warmed up.

This article is just for reference only.  The author assumes no responsibility whatsoever.

Introduction

In tropical countries,  electrical instantaneous heaters are often used.  This is because residents often need only heating for showers. These heaters do not occupy space. They often save water and electricity as compare to water storage heaters. Also, they are less than 3 KW and can be powered from the usual 13 Ampere power point. This article will describe a device that will further save some water and electricity.

Working Principle

Every Instant water heater has a small heating exchanger. It gets power through a set of micro-switches that select 2 or more heating elements to warm up the water. The modern ones nowadays use electronic TRIACs to control the heater.

 

For these heaters to heat up the water, one needs to first set the selector switch and turn on the water. The water pressure sensor will pick up the pressure and actuate the micro-switches. These switches will turn on the appropriate heater element to heat up the water in the exchanger. The schematic circuit diagram of Aerogas Elegance water heater is as shown below:

 

Water & Electricity Savings

To heat up the water, water must first flow through the heater for the pressure sensors to pick up the pressure. Water amounting to 1.2 litres will be wasted before warm water can flow out of shower head. At the same time, electricity amounting to about 8 Watts-hr will also be wasted. Assuming a household of 4 persons might take 6 showers per day,  a total of about 2,600 litres of water and 17 kWh of electricity can be saved per year. This might sound to be petty savings for one household.  But it is still a sizable saving for a township of more than 10,000 families.

 

How Water and Electricity Can be saved?

To save, one can use this electronic gadget called “Trigger Delay Time Off Timer” as shown in the following:

 

Circuit Description

The gadget operates on 220V AC supply.  The delay time off is triggered started by a button.  The complete schematic diagram is as shown below

For the gadget to work in the seconds range, the default variable resistor must be changed from 50K ohm to 5K ohm. As the heater will consume 9-13 amperes, it is also necessary to add an external relay. The built-in relay has only a 10 ampere rating.

This gadget has an opto-coupler to isolate the trigger button from the 240V Supply. But the button is linked to the neutral terminal of the 240V supply. It does not offer complete electrical isolation. It will be ideal if there is an isolating transformer for electrical isolation.

 Wiring up

Safety Precautions

Important Note: Wiring up will need one to know about safe use of electricity. A wrong wiring such as wrong polarity connection by interchanging the line and neutral wires for example,  can cause shower head or water to be alive. It can be dangerous causing electrical shorts and execution.

Whenever possible, use only push button of plastic material. If metal material is used, its body must be connected to the earth.  Only waterproof push button can be used.

Further, one should always test the integrity of the heater’s earthing system. The method described in this article can be used to test theearthing.

To further protect the heater, it is recommended to install the following:

1) A Thermal fuse to cut the supply to the relay when the heat exchanger reaches an abnormal temperature of 85^oC. This temperature is about twice the normal operating temperature of the heat exchange. The thermal fuse must be of non-metallic type.  It is to be attached to the heat exchanger for proper operation.

2) A surge diode is to protect the relay contacts from electrical arc welding. This will prevent the relay from welding. Heat exchanger is wire wound. They cause inductive current that could cause the relay to use and weld together. The surge diode will clamp the voltage to less than 328 Volts. This is the breakdown voltage of the 400V surge diode.

For information, the thermal fuse and the surge diode would cost less than USD$1/= each. It is good investment for a piece of mind.

 

 

Repairig a Battery Operated Clock

23 December 2019

The Clock stopped. What can be wrong? What can I do about it?

Should I replace it? Replace the motor mechanism or the whole clock?

What can be wrong?

Nowadays, battery operated clock comes with a clock motor and other parts and components.

The mechanism are pretty simple and they seldom breakdown.  The use of Alkaline Batteries are usually the common cause of breakdown. Users should use only the common Zinc Carbon Batteries instead.

Many users thought that the Alkaline battery is better as it last longer. Nonetheless, these battery's electrolyte often leaks. Over some time, it would “smear” all over the clock's mechanism. This cause short circuiting in the electronic components.

How to determine the cause?

By simply measuring the resistance of the battery terminals. A good clock will give at least about 8 to 10 mega ohms, the bad one will only get about 1 Mega ohm.

To Replace or Not to Replace

If the clock is a sentimental one, it is worth to change the clock mechanism which is usually cheap. Nonetheless, some would choose to repair the clock.

How to Repair?

The repair work involves the use of dish washing liquid to get rid of the electrolytes. After that, drying them with dry paper towels and hair dryer.

What is inside the clock mechanism?

They consisted of few components as shown

1. A motor that consist of copper windings and the electronic board

2. A set of about 7 gears

3. The battery connecting strips

4. The split plastic casing 

How to repair?

A Simple and Cost Effective Water Irrigation System for Flower Pots

 24 September 2019

 # Water irrigation,  flower pot, capillary,  dripping  https://tinyurl.com/yxc44fzg

Jump to:

1. What’s needed?
2. Special Feature of System?
3. How System Work?
4. Preparation and Installation? 
5. The Previous Home Irrigation System

A Simple and Cost Effective Water Irrigation System for Flower Pots

This is another water irrigation system for flower pots.  It is  improved  from Home Irrigation System described here.   This  irrigation system  utilises the same working principle using water dripping method through capillary action;  only,  in this setup,  the preparation  is much simpler and water dripping rates can be controlled.

What are the Features?

a)  The system is simple;

b)  Cost effective;  mostly using waste and cheap materials;

c)  Wicks are covered and do not allow algae growth

d)  Easy to maintain and last longer without much attention.

What’s needed?

  

1.  1 roll of 4 mm diameter silicone aquarium air tube;  preferably black in color or painted black to prevent algae growth
2. Fish tank aquarium 3 way connector
3.  MS TP250 70cc Plastic water cup with lid for each plant as water receiver to keep water level constant for capillary flow
4. Dremel or similar with abrasive grinding Stone of 3.5 mm tip
5.  A few sheets of woven type fabric filter cloth
6   Few glue sticks & glue gun
7.  Mini float valve
8  MS 850 (800 cc)  Disposable PP plastic Food container
9  One length of 3mm thick 28mm PVC water pipe,  6” (150mm) long

How Water Will Drip?

Each flower pot will have one water cup,  inside which has one or two wicks made from woven fabric depending on the size of the flower pot.  During operation,  the wick will suck up the water by capillary action and drip the water through the stem of the cup.  This will wet the surrounding soil to achieve proper irrigation.

Preparation and Installation

Description	Action	Remark  doubleclick to enlarge pictures
1.  Arranging the Pots	Arrange the pots and group them according to heights	1. The water in the cup must maintain at almost the same level for each group of pot. 2.  One can raise the swallow pot by using styrofoam or wooden planks 3.  For taller flower pots,  make sure the earth is filled only to the same height as the other pots;  hole will need to be drilled at the soil level for the 4mm  tube to thread through.
2.  Preparing the wick	1.  Take 2 sheets of fabric sheet and use an electric iron or a plastic sealer to join the 2 pieces at the edges
	2.  Fold the sheet to ease cutting and cut the fabric sheet into  multiple of ¼” to 5/16” (6-8mm) strips as the wicks
3.  Preparing the cups	1.  Drill 2 holes;  the top one about 5 mm diameter and the lower one about 3 mm,  just smaller than the 4 mm air tube	The top one is for fabric wick to pass through and the lower one is for the aquarium air tube.  The lower hole should be just smaller than the air tube to maintain water tightness when air tube is inserted
	2.  Cut a short piece of aluminium foil of about  10 x60 mm,  fold it and hot glued to the plastic cup	To hide the fabric and prevent it from exposing to sun to prevent algae growth
	3.  Install the wick hangers onto the interior of the cup for  water dripping rate adjustment	Water dripping rate will depend on the length of the fabric. The longer the wick,  the lesser the water dripping rate.  The hangers will allow the wick to be  circled around the internal top of the cup
	4.  Painting the external of the cup to prevent sun exposure and connecting up the plastic cups with T shape air connector
3.  Preparing  the water reservoir	1.  Drill 2 holes on a 800 cc disposable container.  One on top for the mini float and the other at the bottom for the 3 way connector   as shown
	2.  Cut about 6”(150mm)  from a 3 mm thick 28mm PVC water pipe.  Split and heat flattened the pipe to make few  pieces of 15x150 mm PVC strips
	3.  Bend the PVC strip into shape using a lighter;  then rivets onto the reservoir  as shown
	4.  In the field,  using a lighter to further soften and bend the PVC strips so that it will attach onto the selected flower pot as shown.  Using bubble leveller if necessary to set the level.
4.  Field Setting up	1.  Daisy-chain the cups using 4mm aquarium tube and T joint and install the water reservoir	One 4mm hose should be able to daisy-chain more than 6 flower pot.
	2.  Water prime the system by filling up the water reservoir   and  lifting the reservoir;
	3.  After a few hours,  check the level in the cup and adjust the  water level to about ½ cup by lifting up or pressing down the cup	1. If the lifting the cup expose too much of the stem,  use  a larger open ended (top and bottom) disposable cup filled with earth to increase the soil  height  as shown One can  raise the height of the cup by as much as 6”(150 mm) or more using other containers like a small mineral water bottle. 2.  One can put Styrofoam under the flower pot to lift the pot
	4.  Check and readjust the height of the cup	a)  If there is a lot of water leakages from the pot  after lowering the water level to a very low level,  one can further reduce the water dripping rate by  Adjusting the length of the wick that  circulate inside the cup Cut and trim the width of the wick b)  If the flower pot is excessively big,  one can  install more water cup or add an additional wick into the existing water cup.
5,  Painting up	Paint the transparent or semi transparent aquarium hoses, containers, cups dark	So as not to allow algae growth

Source of Water Supply

The water source can be from a water tank like toilet cistern or overhead water tank.   Water mains can also be used provided permanent piping are used for connection from the water source to the water reservoir.     

According to specification,  the mini-float can withstand a maximum water pressure of about 0.6 MPA or 87 psi.

Video Clips for the above Article

Part 1 : How to Make the Water Cup for Flower Pots 

 

 Part 2 : How to Make the Water Reservoir for the Flower Pot Watering System