just so you experts can feel smug :-)

[Mike.::::::::]

I'm replacing a bathroom fan, this time I get the version with a timer, same size box, gonna be easy-peasy. Of course hadnt given any thought to the wiring, which of course needs a second power supply. OK, threads a 4 core through the hole and wires up in the hellhole called "loft". Test. Switch on, nothing. Switch off quick. Fuse didnt blow. Checks all connections, re -reads instructions, connects various cables to things to test my circuit, its fine. Decides fan is a dud, turns it over in hand and on the back is:- "important - delay timer does not switch on for up to 5 seconds".

Well, 5 seconds is a long time if you think your wiring could be wrong :-(

[Lobster]

Well at least you didn't get as far as returning it to the supplier for replacement!

David

[m1ss_wh1te]

He's done that before now. And returned red faced!

[Andy Dingley]

I was in Aldi today, buying one of the =A350 sliding mitre saw and pair of spare blades for =A39 (reports later, when I've used it).

I also picked up another fluorescent inspection light for =A36. Printed on the packaging is the dire warning "Light may flicker for a few seconds when first switched on. This is normal." Wonder how many they've had returned?

[Mike.::::::::]

Following up to Mike.::::::::

you can imagine it cant you, surrounded by pro-electricians looking on waiting to get their supplies, "you say you switched it on , sir, how long for exactly?"

[The Medway Handyman]

Installed an electric shower for my MIL years ago, switched on & it ran perfectly, hit the off button & it kept running. Killed the power, tried again, kept running,

Checked everything, finally read the instruction - it ran on for 60 secs to cool things down.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Huge argument going on at the moment in the model radio control world: Futabas latest transmitter on 2.4Ghz was clever enough to store its GUID (sort of equivalent to a unique IP address) in Flash RAM.

Switching it n for half a second then switching it off, erased it, causing all affected transmitters to share a common zero address.

Comments from Futaba 'no one should be turning a transmitter on for half a second and then off again'.

Comments from everyone else 'How else do you check the battery voltage readout on the panel before taking it out to fly with it?'

Sensible manufacturers will always follow what people do as a guide to the spec of what they need to build.

I have discovered that the auto box on our freelander,if moved from park to drive and immediately into sport mode, gets stuck in neutral..

[Andrew Gabriel]

There was a bug in one of the first Renault microcontroller based automatic gearboxes (must be ~30 years ago now). Kickdown worked by detecting you wanted more power than you were getting in your current gear, and seemingly not many other checks. So driving along on the motorway at 70 and you run out of petrol... Within a few seconds, it's kicked down to first gear...

[ARWadworth]

Make yourself rich by doing the same with an patented electric chair for the MIL.

Adam

[ARWadworth]

What make was the fan?

I fitted one recently that is activated by a momentary push switch and needs

2-3 seconds to start up.

Adam

[<me9]

OO er! Reminds me of when a colleague's 16 YO son was coming down a 1 in 4 hill on his 50cc moped (FS1E) and did the same.

[Mike::::::::]

Following up to ARWadworth

its buried in the wall now! Started with M, Mayer?

[Mike::::::::]

Following up to The Natural Philosopher

yes, I think - switch on - not working - switch off is a fairly natural sequence!

[Dave Plowman (News)]

That's weird as the drive/ neutral /reverse selection is usually still hydraulic even with electronically controlled boxes. It's to give a limp home mode if the electronics fail - you still get one forward gear, usually fourth, neutral and reverse.