Contactor for appliances

Discussion in 'Electricians' Talk' started by spen123, Jan 15, 2020.

  1. spen123

    spen123 Screwfix Select

    Evening all, I'm doing a kitchen but the customer has chosen a brand of accessories that are rather expensive, to cut costs for them and so I don't have a load of sfcu on show im thinking of switching the appliances through contractors.
    They want to have local isolation above the worktop and not hidden away.
    I could then switch the coils with normal light switches.
    Anybody see any issues this may have? I normally use fuse carriers and dp switches in a grid but they are not available in the chosen range.
     
  2. Bob Rathbone

    Bob Rathbone Screwfix Select

    You are making a rod for your own back. The contactors will be noisy and hum or buzz. Fit the expensive stuff and let the customer pay, it is their choice.
     
    Andy_1983 likes this.
  3. spen123

    spen123 Screwfix Select

    The contactors will be at the cu.
     
  4. Teki

    Teki Screwfix Select

    You could use a contactor but not common for a domestic setup. As Bob Rathbone says, just ask the customer to purchase additional FCUs and isolator switches. Not sure how expensive the switches are, but the cotnactor arrangement and wiring may end up costing the same.
     
  5. spinlondon

    spinlondon Screwfix Select

    Use 20A DP switches for the above counter isolation.
     
  6. techie

    techie Screwfix Select

    If you’re set on using remote contractors, make sure you get good quality items ‘cause as mentioned there will be some noise - the cheap carp particularly so.
    Looking further away there’s going to be maintenance needed.
     
  7. Bazza

    Bazza Screwfix Select

    Bear in mind that the switches will on all the time. That means the contactors will be energised 24hours:365 days a year. They’ll be on, humming away while your customer are away on holiday for a month. I wouldn’t want that in my house!

    why do you think you need a row of SFCUs anyways?
     
  8. spen123

    spen123 Screwfix Select

    It's the preference of th customer that they want isolation. I could use a DP switch but the range in question that would be over £50 per switch from why they have told me.
    So they asked if I can find another solution.
    The cu is in the garage not the house so you'd never hear them.
     
  9. Philip Hyde

    Philip Hyde Screwfix Select

    What switches are they using???
     
  10. Bob Rathbone

    Bob Rathbone Screwfix Select

    Spen, don't do this, use the trade acceptable route and fit the £50 isolators. How much extra is the associated wiring and contactor going to cost, how much trouble is it going to give you in the future. Not all sparkies are as clever as you or I, keep it simple.
     
  11. spen123

    spen123 Screwfix Select

    Thanks all.
    I will speak with them tomorrow and explain everything that's been said here.
     
  12. Bogle Crag

    Bogle Crag Screwfix Select

    You can avoid hum issues by using solid state relays, they might need mounting on a heat sink though, very reliable and not too expensive
     
    Teki likes this.
  13. spen123

    spen123 Screwfix Select

    Never used them, what's the advantage?
    My understanding is they don't use a coil?
     
  14. spen123

    spen123 Screwfix Select

    Plus using 24v switching you would need a transformer
     
  15. Philip Hyde

    Philip Hyde Screwfix Select

    You can get 80-240v input relays
     
  16. peter palmer

    peter palmer Screwfix Select

    Thomas Nagy has just done a video along similar lines, personally I'm not sure he is all that clued up but each to their own.



    Might want to skip to about 8 minutes when he's stopped being a movie star.
     
  17. spen123

    spen123 Screwfix Select

    Why do a video when he doesn't kn9w what he is doing.
    The wiring wasn't the issue I had.
     
  18. Andy_1983

    Andy_1983 New Member

    If you do go down this path, make sure you fit the contactors with the flywheel diodes to stop back voltages off the coils ... some might come with them built in but others don’t.

    I’ve got something similar in my garage. I’ve put a contactor on a water heater in there. The contactor is linked to the light circuit so the water heater isn’t on unless I’m actually in there (with the lights on). It’s really just to stop me leaving it on...
     
  19. techie

    techie Screwfix Select

    Struggling to think that this would be cheaper than just using suitable switches..
     
  20. Andy_1983

    Andy_1983 New Member

    That video was painful!
     

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