A spark killer at home is recommended ? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: ammjy
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 12, 2021, 01:41:18 pm
content: Hello, EEVBlog users !I want to ask one question in here.Sometimes I see the sparks(arc) while I plug-in cords cable in wall outlet or power strips at home.I don't like it, so now I am thinking put spark killer in switch board.is it good think ?Please, let me know.

author: Siwastaja
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 12, 2021, 01:50:44 pm
content: Define "spark killer". Never heard this term, no proper results in Google except some trivial RC snubber things.Seeing sparks on some power supplies (like laptop / phone chargers) is normal and due to the design of said chargers. You can't do anything about it."Your house wiring is sparking and your house is on fire soon" detectors also exist, detecting longer term sparking and disconnecting the whole house supply / some circuits of it. The problem with these is the potential for false positives. Generally, it's a better idea to rebuild very old / faulty house wiring. But this has nothing to do with sparking you see while plugging in devices.

author: themadhippy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 12, 2021, 02:06:30 pm
content: sounds like a snake oil product,easiest way is to turn off the socket before plugging something in,or at the very least make sure whatever your pluging in is turned off .Or are you getting confused with an arc-fault detection device (AFDD) in the uk or in most other places an arc-fault circuit interrupter (AFCI)?these wont stop arcing when plugging in a load,they detect arcing when things go wrong (supposedly)and disconnect the power

author: ammjy
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 12, 2021, 02:19:46 pm
content: I am sorry, my meaning was arc suppression circuit !thanks you for your time !

author: ammjy
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 12, 2021, 02:21:18 pm
content: thanks for attention and time, it was arc suppression circuit.

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 12, 2021, 02:38:28 pm
content: The sparks are created by plugging in loads which are already switched on or don't have a power switch at the "wrong" moment, i.e. not during the AC's zero crossing. It should be possible to build an anti-spark adapter based on a TRIAC type optocoupler with zero-crossing detection.

author: CaptDon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 12, 2021, 02:46:02 pm
content: Just buy a power strip that has a switch. Leave your device plugged into the power strip all the time and use the switch on the power strip to turn your device on and off. All of the new stuff with SMPS power supplies directly run off the line make a pop when you plug them in due to the large capacitors and no inrush protection.

author: wizard69
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2021, 12:47:45 am
content: Making and breaking electrical circuits create sparks so you should get use to it. This is why they tell you not to switch anything in a house if you smell gas. Sometimes you can see the arc for example at an outlet other times it is out of view in a switch body.At a power outlet you can avoid much of the arcing simply by making sure the device being plugged in is turned off. That is put the device in a state where no current flows.