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How to describe this concisely… The recent problem was a new water softener with a 10 ft. extension (factory built, but just an 8 conductor control cable, not twisted pairs) for the electronic control module: without the extension the softener was working, but with the extension installed, it stopped metering water flow. (The reason for extension is because the softener is in an insulated enclosure in the fairly large garage – the softener was an afterthought installed several years later than when the house was built with no basement, it being close to groundwater.)
Ferrite chokes added to the softener AC adapter cord and to each end of the three control wires internal to the valve body as well as to the extension did not solve it. But… ferrite chokes added to the wires of the wired wall controls of the garage door openers did. (I had to chisel the sheetrock behind the controls to make room for the ferrite chokes to enable remounting the little control panels flush in their original positions, just a few feet from the softener.)
So the most serious problem is ‘fixed’. Add another twist though… We have a PIR motion sensor on the garage ceiling near the steps up to the door into the house so that when entering the garage from the house, opening the door turns on a carriage light-like light on the garage wall next to the door (very handy not to have to fumble for the light switch in the dark while carrying something!). The new and not too serious problem is that now the garage door opener light on the opener in the bay further away from the house turns on spontaneously. There seems to be definitely I can learn to live with it if I can’t solve the issue. So multiple ferrite chokes later – one on either end of the power cord from the ceiling to the opener, one at the ceiling and one at the opener for each of the two control wire pairs. I also installed chokes at each of the two optical components for both doors – the problem remains.
A couple of possible complicating factors: both openers are connected to the net via WiFi, both ceiling lights in the garage are large Cfl, and there are at least three LED bulbs in the kitchen which is not too far from the wired garage door opener controls in the garage on the wall by the door into the house.
(Is there a better way to troubleshoot this kind of issue than the scattershot trial and error method? I don’t have easy access to high-end test equipment, but I may be able to borrow a decent o-scope.)
Ferrite chokes added to the softener AC adapter cord and to each end of the three control wires internal to the valve body as well as to the extension did not solve it. But… ferrite chokes added to the wires of the wired wall controls of the garage door openers did. (I had to chisel the sheetrock behind the controls to make room for the ferrite chokes to enable remounting the little control panels flush in their original positions, just a few feet from the softener.)
So the most serious problem is ‘fixed’. Add another twist though… We have a PIR motion sensor on the garage ceiling near the steps up to the door into the house so that when entering the garage from the house, opening the door turns on a carriage light-like light on the garage wall next to the door (very handy not to have to fumble for the light switch in the dark while carrying something!). The new and not too serious problem is that now the garage door opener light on the opener in the bay further away from the house turns on spontaneously. There seems to be definitely I can learn to live with it if I can’t solve the issue. So multiple ferrite chokes later – one on either end of the power cord from the ceiling to the opener, one at the ceiling and one at the opener for each of the two control wire pairs. I also installed chokes at each of the two optical components for both doors – the problem remains.
A couple of possible complicating factors: both openers are connected to the net via WiFi, both ceiling lights in the garage are large Cfl, and there are at least three LED bulbs in the kitchen which is not too far from the wired garage door opener controls in the garage on the wall by the door into the house.
(Is there a better way to troubleshoot this kind of issue than the scattershot trial and error method? I don’t have easy access to high-end test equipment, but I may be able to borrow a decent o-scope.)
