Salter Electronic Aquatronic scales model 3007 keep drifting to 'negative load' (2024 Update)

[Dougie Nisbet]

Before I chuck these in the bin I wanted to have a go at dismantling and cleaning to see if it helped. They are about 5 years old and over the last few months they have begun to drift downwards while weighing. e.g. Weigh something at 100g and watch, and gradually the displayed weight decreases. Switch them on and zero them, and after a few seconds the display changes to 'negative load'.

There are 6 screws on the base of the unit. When they are all removed it is possible to wiggle and dislodged the base. However it cannot be removed because the weighing platform itself seems to be firmly attached to the base, and therefore is prevented from detaching because of the upper part of the unit. Logic would suggest that the weighing plate dislodges in some way (in the same way as slide-on control knobs on a cooker) but this does not appear to be the case. I have exerted a lot of pressure and it feels like any more pressure would just break something.

Does anyone recognise this type of fault? Is it fixable? Or is it time for the bin?

Thanks

Dougie

[Howard Neil]

I will also watch the answers to this one with interest. I also have the same model (about 18 months old) and they have just started exhibiting the same behaviour.

Is it a problem with this model? Is it a problem with this make? Or is it a problem with electronic scales generally?

[Jonathan Schneider]

Given it's the last few months when it has been warm I'll guess it's to do with nasty capacitors used in the analogue bits. They can be replaced.

A few years ago far eastern manufacturers produced squillions of bad capacitors from a stolen formula and as a result there are many unreliable/broken PC motherboards about where you can see bulging capacitors. A rather different application to scales but you get the idea. These things are really built down to a price.

Jon

[Guy King]

The message from Howard Neil contains these words:

I've not experienced it with other scales. Time to take it back to the vendor.

[mike]

Howard Neil wrote in news:44d85649$0$18079$ [e-mail]:

Me, too mine is older, but still fine, but occasionally needs cleaning, and water always gets inside.

It always dries out ok, but if I could get the platform off life would be a lot easier.

I'd try a lump hammer or brick bolster, but it's not that far gone yey.

mike

[manatbandq]

I'd love to see a reference to the story behind this. I haqd a similar fault (bulging caps) with a Freeview boxes but I had assumed it was due to wrongly specced components.

MBQ

[Steve]

I don't think anyone quite got to the bottom of how many items were afected by this, just putting faulty capacitor into google produces loads of links, this

seems to be the basic facts.

Steve

[Dave Fawthrop]

|Before I chuck these in the bin I wanted to have a go at dismantling and |cleaning to see if it helped. They are about 5 years old and over the |last few months they have begun to drift downwards while weighing. e.g. |Weigh something at 100g and watch, and gradually the displayed weight |decreases. Switch them on and zero them, and after a few seconds the |display changes to 'negative load'. | |There are 6 screws on the base of the unit. When they are all removed it |is possible to wiggle and dislodged the base. However it cannot be |removed because the weighing platform itself seems to be firmly attached |to the base, and therefore is prevented from detaching because of the |upper part of the unit. Logic would suggest that the weighing plate |dislodges in some way (in the same way as slide-on control knobs on a |cooker) but this does not appear to be the case. I have exerted a lot of |pressure and it feels like any more pressure would just break something. | |Does anyone recognise this type of fault? Is it fixable? Or is it time |for the bin?

Mine still work fine :-(

[Richard]

Mine lives in a self-seal A4 plastic bag - I replace the bag when it becomes to tatty for me to read the scale display.

Richard

[mike]

Richard wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Thats a _good_ idea....., Son

mike

[Howard Neil]

Further to this, I went on the Salter website and asked for their comments. They did not reply by e-mail but today I received a returns card through the post. I dug out my original documentation and now notice that these scales have a TEN YEAR guarantee. I will be returning the scales tomorrow and await their analysis.

[Severin]

hi, i have the same problem: i cant open this thing cuz the pressure plate on top is i thinl unremovable.

[Tim Streater]

Another HomeOwners Hub bozo responds to a 17 year old post.