A Simple Fix To A Heavy Duty Scale With A Flickering Display
A restaurant owner brought this scale for repair. He said that the display is flickering and the weighing is not accurate.
These are the specs of the scale and it weight up to 150KG and this is being used in the restaurant to weight meat.
I have worked on such scales before but usually had to do with power issue only but when it comes to not giving the accurate weight that is something new to me but I was willing to give it a try.
That is a big size scale and hardly fit on my repair table so that was not an easy situation but I managed.
I powered on the scale and sure enough it came on but as the customer said, the display was flicking and of course it is hard to show that with a photo.
The AC charging light was on but it was also flicking which gave me the indication that is has a power or charging issue.
I tested the power coming through the charging port and it was down to 5DC and that is not OK. I disconnected the power charger and tested, this time it gave me 12 DC volts and that is what I was expecting but it seems like something was putting the voltage reading down causing the display to flicker since it was not getting the right voltage to operate.
The only suspect in mind was the battery so I disconnected that and powered the scale through the 12 power supply and guess what? There was no flicking this time, the scale was accurate and the display was fully there so the main problem was the battery.
As seen in the photo, I was getting the right voltage and now it is time to replace the battery and call the customer for pick up.
When testing the battery with a voltmeter, there was no reading whatsoever. I usually shake the battery and hear the sound coming out of it. If I hear any noise coming out, that is an indication of a dry up battery and that is what I got.
I installed a new battery and charged it for while then tested the scale and it was working as it should. I called the customer for pick up and he was glad with the outcome because this was an expensive to replace and to him it was worth the fix.
Mission Accomplished.
This article was prepared for you by Waleed Rishmawi, one of our ‘Master Authors’ and currently working in the Bethlehem area of Palestine repairing electrical and electronic equipment.
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Note: You can check his previous article on A Faulty Controller Checked But Was Not Repaired
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Ahmad Hadrab
August 19, 2023 at 7:59 am
Good job
Waleed Rishmawi
August 19, 2023 at 12:19 pm
Ahmad: thanks man. Have a blessed day
Parasuraman S
August 19, 2023 at 10:00 am
The shaking of the battery trick shook me! Something new! Many thanks for sharing!
Waleed Rishmawi
August 19, 2023 at 12:21 pm
Parasuraman: it was a dry battery and one of the ways to check them out. You are most welcome. Have a blessed day.
Fed
August 20, 2023 at 6:45 am
What kind of sound would you hear, if the battery is dry? Also, what would that sound/noise be attributed to?
Waleed Rishmawi
August 20, 2023 at 12:42 pm
Fed. It sound like something is loose inside and that is a sign of dryness inside the battery and because if that it can not hold a charge and it has to be replaced. Have a blessed day
Albert van Bemmelen
August 19, 2023 at 2:06 pm
I thought I already had seen this exact same repair and above posts?
Anyway I guess that the battery isn't needed if the AC power is feeding the 12V adapter input.
Which makes me wonder why the only 4V4 battery is needed here at all?
Waleed Rishmawi
August 19, 2023 at 4:09 pm
Albert: yes it is a repeated article for some reason. battery is needed here in case the AC power is down in the area. the scale can run on 4.4 volts battery in case there is a power failure in the area. have a blessed day
Roberto S.
August 19, 2023 at 2:26 pm
Hi Jestine, look at this
https://jestineyong.com/a-battery-replacement-and-maintenance-on-an-electronic-scale/
On July 22, 2023
Have a good day.
Jestine Yong
August 19, 2023 at 5:53 pm
Hi Roberto,
Thanks for pointing it out.
Have a good day!
Jestine Yong