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I have high ceilings and basically all the heat stays on the ceiling unless I run the ceiling fan to push the air off the ceiling and down to where I can feel it...I would like to wire the ceiling fan to come on with the heater if possible-how would I go about doing this? I'm familiar with wiring automotive relays and figure there is some way I can do the same with the heater-using a low voltage input from the heater to switch high voltage of the fan? Thanks!
You don't say what kind of heat you have. If it's forced air the blower is controled by a relay in the furnace. It would probably overload that relay to add the fans. I use the blower relay to control a second relay that runs booster fans in duct work going to my second floor during A/C season. I would assume you can run wiring to turn fans on. It's just like automotive relays except you cannot use the chasis for ground, you need to run 2 wires. Hot water heat is a litte more trouble. The water pump wiring could be used to control relay but would not be low voltage. I wonder why you just want the fans running when the heat runs. The hot air continues to rise when the heat is off. I think you could save money and keep more even temp by running fans, on low, 24/7.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pilot1
Keep the ceiling fans running 24/7.
Even if you are in Houston, TX and paying about $0.14/KWH (and it's easy to pay more than that), running a fan 24/7 will cost about $120 a year. You would probably spend between 50% and 70% of that on materials alone to slave the fan to the heater in addition to an estimated 90$/year to run the fan. The payout on that operation would be a long one. From an economic standpoint there is a weak case for such a project. Also, you would need some way to override the slave wiring if you just wanted to have the fan operating independently of the heater.
As to the OP we don't have a clue what you have installed. Not even the type of heating? Shouldn't you have given us a mild hint?????
But it of course can be done anyway a fellow desires. Not even close to rocket science.
You need a contact closure that sezs I am giving you heat. Then you could go hi tech and use something like X-10 technology which is a form of automation and send a coded signal from one "Box" to another "Box" at the fan. Basically it is all off the shelf stuff, they do make a gizmo thing that replaces a typical wall switch that can act as the receiving box, they also make another gizmo device that can interrept a contact closure to send a coded signal to the automation type gizmo now acting as a normal control switch.
With that type of approach there is no wires required. The lash up would be done at the heating equipment to generate the proper signal. The controls at the fan would see that coded signal on the power wiring and do the required function. It does require a think thru to get it all ship shape and proper. You could have a ton of options. Start / stop the fan, change speeds.
Most modern fancy hi-tech heating plants with a bunch of electronics already generate a bunch of signals. Including probably spare contact closures when the system is firing. Those should be available to be wired out from the board. Or it can be done by putting in a relay in the proper place. You must be careful, any type of jury rig can void your equipment warranty and your house insurance may be no good.
With all that said. You could get a bit more complex and forget about the heating plant. Just put a temperature switch up in the ceiling area and maybe switch the fan on in high speed when a certain temperature is reached in the affected zone. That would be my approach, that is what you are concened about, fan would start / stop to maintain the ceiling zone volume within some parameters. Technically more simple, lot less potential legal complications. Would give the least energy use for the most comfort. Could do it with just a rewire to put a temperature switch in series with the fan power, basic sensor setup up in the ceiling with a short wire run to the fan. Fan control switch would always be on, fan would cycle on / off as the temperature switch cycles. Even a dummy should be able to wire it, well almost a dummy.
Or you could again get fancy and do it with automation techniques. For fun dump it all in a computer and control it that way. Hey, why stop there, control and monitor the entire house at the same time. Lots of methods and equipment floating around for that purpose. I've had a lot of experience doing it, more fun than rassling wild monkeys naked on the floor.
Of course it all assumes you have some sort of technical type expertise. If not, do not try any of this at home. Maybe just run the fan all the time.
Looks like that boy's temperature switch is wire backwards. The NO is cross disconbobulated with the NC leaving the C floating in a positive grounded state. Must have been an error in reading shelf postion while still in the box.
The furnace idea might be more complicated than you think
Quote:
Originally Posted by scottv
Sorry...I have a gas furnace, automatic pilot-less ignition...hopefully this is enough info. Thanks.
First, you can attempt to see if any auxiliary contacts are available from the control board (should be like a circuit board thing). Many times they are. You need some documentation, manual, diagrams, etc. Even then you probably will need the help of a heating guy if you are not very well technically qualified.
That might be just the start if you attempt to hard wire it. That may interfere with normal operation in summer if used for normal cooling, so may need a bypass type switch, on an on. You must also be sure what the legal type implications are. Many furnace designs do have auxiliary contacts for use by other functions of heating / cooling. Does this qualify in other folks eyes???? It probably looks more like a jury rig to many.
The better attempt to auto control is to cycle the fan based on sensed temperature at the ceiling.
Use the temperature switch idea if you really must control that ceiling temperature with fan cycling. Will be far more accurate type control and make the fan actually react to an actual condition. Give you the most energy efficient system.
Some 115 VAC thermostats might actually be able to do the function.
Would have to look at their contact ratings and what is the draw of the fan. Mount the thermostat up on the ceiling. Wire the black power wire of the fan in series thru the thermostat. On temperature rise, fan starts, runs until it blows enough warm air down to reach a lower setpoint.
Devil of these things gets to be in the details. What deadband is desired? ie, fan starts at 75 F, when should it stop??? Some thermostats do have the ability to do a deadband adjustment but the max is probably something like 4 F. You need a thermostat set up for a cooling function, contacts close on increasing temperature.
It could be also rigged to sense air flow out a register using a microswitch and start / stop fan that way. The catch on most of those designs is doing it so, normal fan / summer operation is available.
Being safe is paramount.
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Hot water heat is a litte more trouble. The water pump wiring could be used to control relay but would not be low voltage. I wonder why you just want the fans running when the heat runs. The hot air continues to rise when the heat is off. I think you could save money and keep more even temp by running fans, on low, 24/7.
Well like a lot of these type posts.......
