ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade Non-US Electrical Systems & Trades Remote Controlled What??

Paul,
I must say I'm with you on that comment.
I'm just glad it's not my job to install this equipment.
uksparky,

On the surface of things, I don't really think that the home-owner has put a lot of thought into what effect this is going to have on his house.
When I was having a "walk-through" look at the place yesterday, I can see this job turning into a real can of worms.
There's all sorts of gear that's going to have to be segregated from any Contactor system:

• The house is fed with 3 phase 230V.
• The house has Under-floor heating all through it.
• The guy has 2 fridges and 2 Deep Freezers.
• There is a 9kW Air Conditioning Unit that has a mains-operated timer controlling it and the timer isn't on the switchboard.
• The guy want's his alarm clocks to stay on too!.
• The security lighting is on a seperate timer and that isn't on the board either.
• My colleague tells me that there is a security camera system that is fed from a plug circuit, that is required to be isolated at night, but the home-owner wants the cameras on 24/7.

Adding to all this, the house is what you would call a country house, in the true sense of the word, the switch-board looks so old, I reckon Captain Cook installed it and there is very little room left on it.
I told my mate to run as fast as he could!.

This does sound as though he really hasn't thought it through properly. If lots of devices have to stay powered, then what's the point of wanting a main remote isolator?

If he's concerned about not leaving certain appliances on overnight, how about an X-10 type control system with all devices set to a common code?


[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 12-01-2004).]

Wise move.

There cometh a point where you have to say...ummm....no

Sorry I couldn't get any pics while I was there, my camera was flat and also I had a rather busy schedule that day.
But the switch-board was a real shocker, it was full of old MEM Switch-fuse units and the like, none of your DIN Rail mounting gear here.
The whole panel measured (roughly) 1600 wide x 800 high, it was HUGE! and it was packed with meters and fuses
I went and dropped the fuses before we opened the panel up and it was full of old TRS wire and heaps of TRS-TPS junctions behind the panel.
We closed it again quickly!.
I re-inserted the fuses and told my mate what I thought and left.
I had a cold shiver run down my back after that one!.

Sounds like complete rewire time to me!

Just a lil' update on this one.
The job never went ahead, after my mate and I were talking on the 'phone, the cost seemed to get higher and higher!.
We added all of the essentials up and a few "other things" thrown in, the guy didn't like the cost of it all.
Anyhow, I hate to see a bad job get worse and considering that I had little input into this job, you guys can't prove a thing!!.
Thanks a heap for your advice though guys, it means a lot!.