I am hoping to find a z-wave wall outlet or module that could run a window unit air conditioner (on/off) for the summer months on command. it’s only warm here 3 months out of the year so no central a/c in my house. i would like to be able to turn on my a/c unit remotely from work before i head home so it’s not a sauna when i get there. i was hoping the GE ones on sale at radio shack would do it but they say max 15 amps and my a/c unit is 8000 btu so I think it would require more than 15 amps. any ideas?
You can do it with a relay that exceds by about 10% the amps consumption of your A/C unit, the relay have to be actioned by the same voltage as your current house circuit works, in that way you can control your A/C unit in a safe way without overcharging anything. The setup is very simple, your “binary zwave switch” action the relay, and the relay becomes the main switch for control your A/C unit, thats all.
I know its not a plug in module, but with a handful of parts from the hardware store and some electric wiring knowhow the ACT HomePro ZRF113 relay module might work for your application. Max load is 20 amps.
I tried another automated power on/off control device with a room air conditioner and the air conditioner always defaulted to off after a power outage. You might want to try it with a regular power switch, or even plugging and unplugging the unit.
Does your AC happen to have a IR remote? If so, maybe you should consider some kind of blaster setup connected to Vera instead?
A couple of things to consider when doing this…
What is the wattage of your AC. Watts / voltage = Amps. That will determine how many amps it draws. If your voltage is 120v then most power outlets are 15a maximum so any 15a switch should work. I use an outdoor module as they are designed for heavier use like car engine heaters.
Does your AC have electronic controls? If you set you AC on the way you want it, unplug the power cord, wait a minute then plug it back in does it retain the last setting or does it shut off as many do.
it does have IR so a blaster could work. only issue i see is running a line from the vera to a line of sight with the a/c unit. not really near each other. i dont know the specifics on the a/c as it’s in the attic. i’ll see if i can go grab it to check that stuff. i’m thinking that if i unplugged it, it would go to default settings but i don’t really remember
We have had some luck with air conditioners and SQ Blaster (www.squareconnect.com) - air conditioners have tricky ir codes. We have found a few that cant just be recorded and played back ( for various technical reasons) we are working on a solution to that, but it is several months away. If the blaster doesnt work for you, we are happy to refund. The blaster is wifi so it doesn’t need line of sight to Vera, and there is a plugin being available for Vera.
Mat
Hi. What JimMac says is correct. First, traditional outlet receptacles are 15 amp, and there are several 15 amp controllers available. I use the Leviton RZP15 to control a 15,000 BTU window air conditioner. The Leviton is 15 amp and rated for 1800 watts (because Watts = Amps x Volts).
As for your 8,000 BTU unit stats, it’s almost definitely not requiring more than 15 amps. In fact, it likely requires 8 amps or fewer, if the Kenmore unit stats are any guide. For peace of mind, you might try looking up the manufacturer power statistics for your unit, or for a comparable unit from your manufacturer. However, if you currently plug it into a regular non-dedicated dual-outlet wall socket, it requires less than 15 amps, and the Leviton will work fine.
Finally, as JimMac points out, make sure it’s either a manually controlled unit or an electronic one with auto-restart before buying this, otherwise an IR solution is a better bet.
Hope this helps.
ok, great info. thanks!
Heavy duty outdoor module.
Still 15 amp rating, but more robust design.
Why don’t use Remotec ZXT-120 (Z-Wave to Air Conditioner IR Extender)?
You don’t need to concern the relay rating (Watts = Amps x Volts) and the Air-con status after relay turned on.
The ZXT-120 IR control can replace your original Air-con remote controller through the Z-Wave control at anywhere.
I believe that it can 100% fit your application.
remotec.com.hk
Timothy
Remotec ZXT-120 sounds great but: Couldn’t find any specifications (there were a place holders for the manuals but none was clickable) and the device seems to be European Z-Wave frequency.
Checkout this:
[quote=“Gommasch”]A little more info on the Remotec ZX-120:
http://www.etotal.eu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=139&sid=d3bf3addcd53db3594e3e45dfec9d41f
It can set temperature, heat/cool and fan speed, or it can learn buttons from another IR remote.[/quote]
[quote=“themagixboy, post:14, topic:167396”]Checkout this:
[quote=“Gommasch”]A little more info on the Remotec ZX-120:
http://www.etotal.eu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=139&sid=d3bf3addcd53db3594e3e45dfec9d41f
It can set temperature, heat/cool and fan speed, or it can learn buttons from another IR remote.[/quote][/quote]
The link is broke. Anyone have an idea on how to control a regular window unit. I would love to set the temp. As of know I use a regular wall unit to turn it on and off.