Technical > Home Improvement > X10 Appliance Module: Window A/C???

X10 Appliance Module: Window A/C???

»www.smarthome.com/2001/X10-Appli···1/p.aspx

This one's good for 15 Amps (1800 Watts)

reply to batsona

reply to batsona
Here are a couple of other products to choose from:

»www.smarthome.com/31278/EZSwitch···A/p.aspx

»www.smarthome.com/2242I/Leviton-···I/p.aspx

The larger on would be wired in line with the existing receptacle and the second one listed would be a replacement for your existing receptacle.

Zach

reply to alphapointe
alphapointe: your link is a module I'd already looked at. Resistive load is 15A, while incandescent load is 500W. Does this tell me that something with a powerfactor of 1, can pull up to 15A of current, whereas something with a poorer power factor can pull much less? What's a window A/C unit more like, Incandescent, or resistive, or in-between?

I would say in-between. Since an A/C really just has two motors in it, it is an inductive load.

Here's a 20A 120V X10 outlet:
»www.smarthome.com/2243I/Leviton-···I/p.aspx

I have a more accurate reading now. I have a true-RMS meter, and wrote the VA measurement on the side of the AC. It says 523.

Would something rated for 15A (PF=1) and 500W incandescent be OK to pull 523VA thru?

reply to SparkChaser
Yeah, considering an incandescent load is purely resistive (for all intents and purposes).

I don't really care for the X10 stuff, but I do have some funny stories about it.
When people move out and leave the modules in, but no controls, many of the new owners are completely oblivious to whats installed. Then, lights start dimming themselves and coming on at all hours. It's funny. I've had quite a few "haunted" houses. The X10 is susceptible to interference from other sources, so it usually doesn't take too long after the move in date for the "ghosts" to show up.
--
Looks like Reverend Wright got his wish - God Damn America.

reply to batsona

reply to batsona
Good point about the inrush current. Inrush for a window A/C unit probably exceeds the 15A breaker on the branch ckt. Since it only lasts miliseconds, it can be tolerated. If I had a Digital Sampling Osciliscope, I'd be able to measure inrush accurately.

Refering back to the stats that SparkChaser posted; I agree; the stats are misleading. If an incandescent bulb is purely resistive, (PF=1) and the unit can handle 500W resistive, and the unit can handle a "15A resistive load", ONE of these statement is incorrect.

One of the modules reccomended was a NEMA 6-20R reciptical. While this will handle the load as far a wattage goes, I'd be breaking code to do it. I can always try the Appliance module & see how hot it gets. I'd rather not wake up to the house on fire. --Did I mention that the A/C units is in my daughters rooms? Their rooms are on the same side of the house upstairs, fed by the same 15A branch ckt. I don't like running two window A/C units on the same 15A branch. Therefore I'm using x10 units to alternate them on/off thru the nite.

Not to hijack my own thread, but my kids started to try to kill each other (9, 11) so we put them in seperte rooms. I'm an only child, and my mother is too -- I can't figure out why siblings fight.. Anyway.. I'll buy my $49 copy of ActiveHome with the Macros, and see if the Appliance module melts. The TStats in the A/C units routes the full current of the compressor thru it - I thought it might be a low voltage relay, then I could have controled it as a 24v relay, but no such luck.

reply to SparkChaser
Uphill both ways, of course!

reply to TheMG