ADSL Filter/Splitter failure

[dlorde]

Had an unexpected problem tonight, when I noticed my phone saying 'External Line Disconnected'. I'd just been browsing online, and double-checked and found the ADSL connection was fine, but the phone side was dead. I checked the phone cable and the connection to the wall - and found the phone was OK when plugged directly into the wall socket. So I swapped the ADSL filter/splitter for a spare one, and all worked well again.

Examining the faulty ADSL filter/splitter internals showed no signs of a dry joint, or other obvious problem (I'm not an electronics engineer, so that's as far as it went). I carefully cleaned its phone socket and tried it again, but it stayed dead on the phone side.

The phone cable connections haven't been touched for months, and we haven't had any storms recently, so there was no obvious reason for the failure - I'm curious to know if anyone else has had this kind of ADSL splitter/filter failure?

[Steve]

It is not unknown, I think the components have a low voltage rating so any spike is going to break them.

[Simon]

I've known of several 'soap-on-a-rope' type filters pack up for no apparent reason, so as Steve said, it isn't all that uncommon.

[dlorde]

OK, thanks for that guys - I was thinking that being discrete component circuits and so low voltage, these things would be quite unlikely to fail, but I guess over time spikes can take them to the edge, then perhaps it's just a matter of time.

Glad to know it's not that unusual

[Rik]

Always keep a spare.