Master electrical switch

tonygcan
tonygcan Solar Expert Posts: 91 ✭✭✭✭
in Energy Use & Conservation #1
Hi. I'm looking for a switch that cuts off electricity to a room similar to those that you see in hotel rooms. The ones that turn off power to the whole room when you remove the key card from the slot.

Only, I'm looking for one that I can install in a bedroom so that when the kids leave all they have to do is switch off one master switch and it cuts off all the electricity to the room for savings.
· Share on Twitter

Comments

  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: Master electrical switch

    Good idea. But if your kids are anything like ours were you'd better look for a motion-sensor based system. In my experience children do not understand the words "no", "don't", or "off".
    · Share on Twitter
  • tonygcan
    tonygcan Solar Expert Posts: 91 ✭✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: Master electrical switch

    Haha. Point taken. :D

    Yes I've seen those motion detector switches in the comfort rooms of some fast food places here. Thing is, if they're laying or sitting still in front of the computer it might suddenly trigger the motion switch to turn off the power.
    · Share on Twitter
  • TheBackRoads
    TheBackRoads Solar Expert Posts: 274 ✭✭
    #4
    Re: Master electrical switch

    This might work with some re-wiring.......;)



    http://www.solar-electric.com/sqddisw24acn.html

    TBR.:p
    · Share on Twitter
  • dwh
    dwh Solar Expert Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    #5
    Re: Master electrical switch

    http://magnetic-circuit-breakers.carlingtech.com/circuit-breaker__86.asp
    · Share on Twitter
  • waynefromnscanada
    waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭
    #6
    Re: Master electrical switch
    Cariboocoot wrote: »
    In my experience children do not understand the words "no", "don't", or "off".
    Sad but true that a lot of wives are in the same boat as the kids. My cousins wife is one of them. She can't understand why it's impossible to run a full sized electric clothes dryer off 440 watts PV and two L16 batteries at their camp, or to have lights on 24/7. Already ruined one set of batteries by repeatedly running them dead, but that means nothing to her. What to do - - have a relay kill everything whenever the voltage drops to 12.4?
    · Share on Twitter
  • solar_dave
    solar_dave Solar Expert Posts: 2,397 ✭✭✭✭
    #7
    Re: Master electrical switch
    waynefromnscanada wrote: »
    Sad but true that a lot of wives are in the same boat as the kids. My cousins wife is one of them. She can't understand why it's impossible to run a full sized electric clothes dryer off 440 watts PV and two L16 batteries at their camp, or to have lights on 24/7. Already ruined one set of batteries by repeatedly running them dead, but that means nothing to her. What to do - - have a relay kill everything whenever the voltage drops to 12.4?

    Divorce? Hit man? Remote taser?
    · Share on Twitter
  • solarix
    solarix Solar Expert Posts: 713 ✭✭
    #8
    Re: Master electrical switch

    Use a "latching relay" as the master - driving whatever slave relays if necessary to handle multiple diverse circuits. Latching relays have a magnetic element that holds its position either way so it doesn't need power when off.
    · Share on Twitter
  • TheBackRoads
    TheBackRoads Solar Expert Posts: 274 ✭✭
    #9
    Re: Master electrical switch
    solar_dave wrote: »
    Divorce? Hit man? Remote taser?

    Make a wiring diagram like they did on the TV show "Green Acres" ????:D:D:D
    · Share on Twitter
  • westbranch
    westbranch Solar Expert Posts: 5,183 ✭✭✭✭
    #10
    Re: Master electrical switch

    After 4 + years of adding small loads , one at a time, at the old cabin, I got through to my 'better half' that we need to 'think about' what loads we want to put into the new place... amazing what constant looking at the CC and battery monitor will do to spark conversation...have to admit I was a bit anal about my aging AGM... but now SWMBO ( she who must be obeyed) really does understand amps, voltage, watts and Kwh per day.:D:D:D

    cheers
    Eric
     
    KID #51B  4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM
    CL#29032 FW 2126/ 2073/ 2133 175A E-Panel WBjr, 3 x 4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM 
    Cotek ST1500W 24V Inverter,OmniCharge 3024,
    2 x Cisco WRT54GL i/c DD-WRT Rtr & Bridge,
    Eu3/2/1000i Gens, 1680W & E-Panel/WBjr to come, CL #647 asleep
    West Chilcotin, BC, Canada
    · Share on Twitter
  • icarus
    icarus Solar Expert Posts: 5,436 ✭✭✭✭
    #11
    Re: Master electrical switch

    Trouble is, even a lvd is not a real alternative, since certain loads will drop battery voltage below that threshold, even if the batty is good.

    I have tired to instill conservation with my guests in our off Gordon camps that batteries have a limited capacity, and we don't provide a lot of things for them to plug in.

    T
    · Share on Twitter
  • Paul54
    Paul54 Registered Users Posts: 18 ✭
    #12
    Re: Master electrical switch

    If you are lucky you may already have the solution in place. Some rooms are wired with some of the recepatacles, or the top recepticle controlled by the light switch. Plug all loads in to these only and you are done.

    If you can get access to the wiring it is easy enough to change to have all the recepticles switched with the overhead light switch. Be careful though, your light circuits are typically fused and rated at 15 amps, while the recepts are at 20 amps.

    You can also buy wireless remote control switches and power strips. They are easy to install. Set everything in the room to the same remote code, mount the remote control on the wall near the door.
    · Share on Twitter
  • tonygcan
    tonygcan Solar Expert Posts: 91 ✭✭✭✭
    #13
    Re: Master electrical switch

    Thanks. I'm actually about to renovate the house in a major way including the entire electrical installation.

    Wiring to a switch seems like a good idea. I'll study it. Thanks.
    · Share on Twitter
  • techntrek
    techntrek Solar Expert Posts: 1,372 ✭✭✭
    #14
    Re: Master electrical switch

    That's how my house is - every other outlet the top outlet is wired to a wall switch. TV's, satellite boxes, lights, nearly everything is on those switched outlets. Of course, as someone else mentioned, my kids never turn them off. Or the hall lights. Or the overhead lights in whatever room they were last in. They will probably be telling their kids how Dad was always on their case because they didn't turn the lights off...
    4.5 kw APC UPS powered by a Prius, 12 kw Generac, Honda EU3000is
    · Share on Twitter
  • SCharles
    SCharles Solar Expert Posts: 123 ✭✭
    #15
    Re: Master electrical switch
    solar_dave wrote: »
    Divorce? Hit man? Remote taser?

    [my wife is telling me that this thread is getting a bit "out there" for this forum. :roll:. -Bill B.]
    · Share on Twitter
  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #16
    Re: Master electrical switch
    SCharles wrote: »
    Find a wife with an IQ higher than a bucket of gravel.....

    Just kidding.

    Well......

    At least I've got that. She's almost as smart as me. :p
    And she's good with shutting things off. Unless it's something she's "using" (which therefor needs to be active 24/7 just in case she goes back to using it). She will shut off the TV should I nip to the kitchen for a drink during commercial break. :grr

    But she does understand about the need for managing energy. 20+ years of having no electric at the cabin teaches you what a luxury it really is.
    · Share on Twitter
  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #17
    Re: Master electrical switch
    Cariboocoot wrote: »
    At least I've got that. She's almost as smart as me. :p
    And she's good with shutting things off. Unless it's something she's "using" (which therefor needs to be active 24/7 just in case she goes back to using it). She will shut off the TV should I nip to the kitchen for a drink during commercial break. :grr

    But she does understand about the need for managing energy. 20+ years of having no electric at the cabin teaches you what a luxury it really is.

    i think shutting down the tv during a commercial break is going too far. it is not going to save that much power in those few minutes and turning a tv on/off allot is hard on the electronics.

    that said, now i know i've done my share of complaining about my other half's bad habits and i could justifyably join in, but i'm not going to jump into this bandwagon as things need to get back on track here a bit.

    maybe make a thread of its own if you guys would like to continue this and put it in the opinion section.:confused:
    · Share on Twitter
  • SCharles
    SCharles Solar Expert Posts: 123 ✭✭
    #18
    Re: Master electrical switch
    niel wrote: »
    i think shutting down the tv during a commercial break is going too far. it is not going to save that much power in those few minutes and turning a tv on/off allot is hard on the electronics.

    that said, now i know i've done my share of complaining about my other half's bad habits and i could justifyably join in, but i'm not going to jump into this bandwagon as things need to get back on track here a bit.

    maybe make a thread of its own if you guys would like to continue this and put it in the opinion section.:confused:


    Sorry, I was just trying to be light-hearted about it, just kidding, really. My own spouse is 100% on board with our system and is often the one who gives guests the "tour" and explanation of how we use electricity here.

    In fact, I have two friends who are the "wives" and are the family members who not only run "control" over husbands who gritch about conserving and who also, the wives, set up and even installed the PV systems they have on their own, without hubbies' assistance. In both those cases, their homes are 100% PV-powered.
    · Share on Twitter
  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #19
    Re: Master electrical switch
    SCharles wrote: »
    Sorry, I was just trying to be light-hearted about it, just kidding, really. My own spouse is 100% on board with our system and is often the one who gives guests the "tour" and explanation of how we use electricity here.

    In fact, I have two friends who are the "wives" and are the family members who not only run "control" over husbands who gritch about conserving and who also, the wives, set up and even installed the PV systems they have on their own, without hubbies' assistance. In both those cases, their homes are 100% PV-powered.

    no need to say sorry as it was not just you. i'm just saying it's time to go back to the original subject and if you like you can continue this in a thread of its own.
    · Share on Twitter
  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #20
    Re: Master electrical switch

    Apologies. I'm more at fault than anyone else here, as I made the original comment about certain people being unable to grasp the concept of "OFF" on a switch. :blush:

    Which loops us back to the original matter: shutting down power to a whole room. Is it viable? Because there is the underlying issue of people not turning off switches. If they won't turn off three, will they turn off one?

    Then there is the matter of parasitic loads from all those wonderful wall warts and the "instant on" equipment that is so much a part of our lives these days. The latter includes a category of devices that would not be happy to have the power shut off at the outlet. Some TV's and other electronic equipment may lose memorized functions. Certainly computers should be shut down "properly" before having the AC in disconnected: "Windows was not shut down properly." Takes a bit longer to reboot after that one.

    In that respect you have to pick and choose what is best killed at the outlet and what needs its off switch switched. Some combination of live outlets and switched ones would be best. Not everyone has a wind-up alarm clock. :p
    · Share on Twitter
  • SCharles
    SCharles Solar Expert Posts: 123 ✭✭
    #21
    Re: Master electrical switch

    What I eventually did was put in a number of power strips and I group various sets of electricity-users into each. Such as, the TV/dvd stuff and the computer/monitors/etc. Into those strips also go any wall-warts needed. The only things we leave plugged in to live sockets 24/7 of that nature are a couple digital radio-alarm clocks and our reverse-osmosis unit. Then again, we don't have a microwave or anything else that needs to be left powered in order to avoid re-programming when turned back on. We have to set the volume on the TV every time we use it, that is about the worst and no big deal. I set up the power strips when it became unreasonable for me to go around unplugging wall-warts for cell phones and laptops and etc. every night. Now I simply click off few power strips and am done. The computer equipment sleeps on their own internal batteries so no problem there.

    We do have some 12 volt appliances [Sunfrost stuff and greenhouse swamp cooler and some fans and etc.] we leave plugged in to 12-volt outlets but they don't have any ghost power usage, only draw when actually on and running.
    · Share on Twitter

Categories