Red LED on Parkside SDS

[Graham.]

lmgtfy

10.2 carbon brush ware indicator.

[Harry Bloomfield]

I have had a mains Parkside BMH 1100 SDS drill for a few years, its been 100% reliable, soon after getting it (after the instruction were lost) a red LED lit up leaving me guessing as to what it was for..

It has a usefull green LED for when it has power, then a red one. The red one has rectangular solid line box symbol, followed by a second rectangular box symbol made up of dots. It is double insulated and uses a two core flex, but the symbol next to the red LED is not a double insulated symbol. Anyone know what the red LED indicates, it comes on as soon as power is applied to the drill?

[Steve Walker]

A quick google brings up the manual and the red LED is warning of "Carbon Brush Wear."

SteveW

[Harry Bloomfield]

Steve Walker formulated on Friday :

Thanks, I wonder how they measure that? I have opened it up, to dust it out and the brushes look fine..

[Brian Gaff]

Probably either the intermittent sparking or the spring tension or length of the brush. Normally though if you let them go too far the comutator starts to get eroded away, so best to swap them. In old vacuums they had a similar thing, but you don't see it these days, probably cos they are chuck it away and by a new one merchants. Brian

[Harry Bloomfield]

Brian Gaff has brought this to us :

I checked all of that, not realising what the LED meant - it was all fine, good brushes and perfect com.. The red LED came on soon after purchase, comes on as soon as power is applied and remains on like the green power LED.

My best guess, is that it checks and compares resistance through the brushes and com. and should light up if its too high. It must be a false indication, so best ignored.

[Jack98]

I'd be making a warranty claim myself.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Jack98 explained :

It will be well out of warranty by now.

[Jack98]

I meant when the red led first showed itself.

They might accept your story that it did that very early if it's a known fault with that drill.