How to insert a relay between the fuse box and appliances?

[michaeldon]

Hi All

I am building from scratch a new system which will put apartments into "life support" when the occupant is out. That means heating and electricity.

I think I've worked out how to do the heating cheaply, but I need a neat solution for interrupting the electricity supply. My plan is to insert switched relays between the fuse box and the appliances. Obviously this must be done at the fuse box.

Anyone know of a neat solution for that so I won't have cable joins and wires all over the place?

[toscal]

Try looking on http://uk.rs-online.com for din rail mounted relays or contactors. I know Merlin Gerin and Hager do them. The Hager part number for the 25A din rail mounted relay/ contactor is ES 220 239220 This is designed to switch both the live and neutral. Its not cheap about 55 euros and is a single module. Don't know if they are available in the UK though. Have a look here http://www.hager.co.uk/menu/products...vices/1106.htm or here at the catalogue http://www.hager.co.uk/files/downloa...larDevices.pdf

[michaeldon]

Thanks

By the way, I noticed most home control systems cost an arm and a leg and you need to be patient to get payback for a small property like an apartment.

I plan to be able to control heating and electricity in an apartment (in a relatively inflexible way but with some customization possible) with occupancy detection of some sort for around 300 euro including all hardware, software and the CPU and it would allow remote control via the web to over-ride the normal mode.

I'm hoping to cut the utility bills down by about 30% without the need for customization.

I am making this for me, but what are the opinions out there? Is this a product I could sell?

[TimH]

Are you in the UK?
UK domestic properties is usually feed appliance sockets from a ring which starts and finishes at the fuse box, rather than running "radials" from the fuse box to each socket location.

This gives 2 considerations:
1. you'll need 2 relays, one on each side of the ring,
2. If you isolate a the fuse box, you are turning off *everything* on that circuit, not just the devices in standby.

Following-on from no. 2, this means, PVRs, set top boxes, phone chargers, broadband routers, PCs, NAS devices etc. all being shut down and potentially losing settings.

Customers may prefer to be a bit more selective as to which devices are turned-off - i.e. the TV, but not the PVR, the printer but not the computer, some may want the washing machine on when they're out so its ready when they come back, etc.

X10 provides a relay-based solution (appliance modules) and uses communication over the mains wires to provide the control signals (so no separate wires). Rako & Z-wave (I think) also do similar solutions but are RF (wireless) based for control.

HTH, good luck with your project

Tim.

[michaeldon]

Thanks for the idea. My properties are based all over, so some will be in the UK. I anticipated problems like this in older buildings even using old clay fuses