Lutron power module problem

[Scott OFE]

Installed 4 power module ( PHPM-WBX-120-WH) controlled by (Lutron, Diva, DVF-103P-BR
Diva, Fluorescent Dimmers . Lutron helped us design this system over a year ago. The load is 4, 10' sections of juno standard track with 5 120v heads per section and PAR 30 lamps totaling 1500 watts on each module, below the 2000 watt rating of the modules. 2 months ago one of the circuits had problems fist thing in the morning when switched on. The lights would not respond to the dimmer switch and start very dim. It would take about an hour to get to normal brightness and work fine. This would happen randomly at opening of the store. Our solution after talking to lutron was to replace both the dimmer and the module. This has worked fine for the last 3 weeks but the problem is back again and Lutron has no ideas. Please Help!

 

[GoldDigger]

Is the dimmer module one which connects to the neutral or to the ground for its control power? If so there might be a problem with the continuity of that connection. A series arc in the wiring to the track is also a remote possibility, but very unlikely.
Is the dim light level constant, without flickering and then comes immediately to full eventually?
It is possible that a parallel arc fault or other wiring problem is damaging the dimmer module or that just the disturbance of replacing the dimmer temporarily fixed the bad connection.
There could also be an intermittent connection in the wiring from the control to the module.


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[gar]

131213-2049 EST

Scott OFE:

I would take the power module and associated control, and do some bench testing. For simplicity I would start with a resistive load, heaters with no fan so voltage on the heater can be anything up to maximum rating, and select the right combination of heaters to get full load on the power module. The heaters must not have a thermostatic control that would operate. For fine adjustment use incandescent lamps.

See if this kind of load will produce a failure.

You won't know at this time whether the power module, controller, or the communication path is the problem.

Since the failure occurs at morning startup one might not expect a heat problem, but it could also be a cold problem. Don't use a heat gun the temperature is too high. A hair dryer at maximum heat is about 180 F just at the nozzle end. For cooling tests consider dry ice or liquid CO2 (not compressed CO2 gas, a siphon tank produces liquid CO2, or turn a regular tank upside down).

Also use a Variac to adjust line voltage.

See if you can perturb either unit to failure.

Don't get the power module too hot. It is certainly marginally designed.

If the problem does not initially exist on the bench, or severe input changes don't cause a failure, then there will have to be other tests concocted to try to ferret out the problem.

In its simplest form you have to develop a confidence level on how these components operate under stress.

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[grizwald]

Installed 4 power module ( PHPM-WBX-120-WH) controlled by (Lutron, Diva, DVF-103P-BR
Diva, Fluorescent Dimmers . Lutron helped us design this system over a year ago. The load is 4, 10' sections of juno standard track with 5 120v heads per section and PAR 30 lamps totaling 1500 watts on each module, below the 2000 watt rating of the modules. 2 months ago one of the circuits had problems fist thing in the morning when switched on. The lights would not respond to the dimmer switch and start very dim. It would take about an hour to get to normal brightness and work fine. This would happen randomly at opening of the store. Our solution after talking to lutron was to replace both the dimmer and the module. This has worked fine for the last 3 weeks but the problem is back again and Lutron has no ideas. Please Help!

So...what happened with this? Did you get this resolved? I'm not sure why you used the PHPM-WBX-120 instead of a HP-6 dimming module. Can you give more specifics of how this is wired?