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Switch is affecting electronics, what do I need?

Hi, last year come Winter, the baseboard heaters (2 x 220v x 1500W) decided to die. They are an old design built into the baseboard so we couldn't get modern replacements that would drop in so we had to wait three weeks for r eturn to factory for repairs.

For the interim we bought a few cheap ($20) sunbeam fan heaters from walmar t. We live out in the boonies and walmart is a round-trip of about 120-mile s. Why do I mention that? Glad you asked. :)

When we got the heaters home, the one big black button that sets the thermo stat is pressed to cycle through the temps. As in, HI, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, LO, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80 and then back to HI. If you miss 65, then you have t o press the button all the way around again, DUH! This needs to be done eve ry time it is turned on. DUH bloody DUH!

Too far to drive back to wallys and get something that wasn't designed by a monkey-on-crack, so we used them.

To make life easier, I opened them up and put in a 120v-15A switch to cut b etween the controller and the element/fan to leave the temp setting where i t was. Works great -- mostly. Sometimes when throwing the switch it kicks t he electronics and makes the temp-setting jump randomly.

I assume it is some form of spike from the switch, so what do I need to do to stop this happening. I guess it is just a cap across the switch, but wha t kind and what value?

I also have some 250v-16A switches on the baseboard heater thermostats to t urn them on/off without affecting their settings. So far the Honeywell digi tal thermostats are not showing the same problem with the 220v incoming pow er switching, but I would like to also add caps to those just in case. So, again what kind, what value?

Thanks

Dave

Reply to
Dave, I can't do that
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See if you can find the SSR/TRIAC inside the thing, and put an R+C across that.

It's probably okay with itself thanks to a zero crossing type SSR; the problem is, you're throwing the switch on the peak, sometimes, which causes... stuff.

More filtering around the line components may help, too. Kind of a "suck it and see" situation unfortunately, without being able to see and test the equipment in person.

(As for Wally's, I wasn't aware they sold anything that wasn't made by crackmonkeys. ;-) )

Tim

-- Seven Transistor Labs Electrical Engineering Consultation Website:

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For the interim we bought a few cheap ($20) sunbeam fan heaters from walmart. We live out in the boonies and walmart is a round-trip of about

120-miles. Why do I mention that? Glad you asked. :)

When we got the heaters home, the one big black button that sets the thermostat is pressed to cycle through the temps. As in, HI, 60, 65, 70,

75, 80, LO, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80 and then back to HI. If you miss 65, then you have to press the button all the way around again, DUH! This needs to be done every time it is turned on. DUH bloody DUH!

Too far to drive back to wallys and get something that wasn't designed by a monkey-on-crack, so we used them.

To make life easier, I opened them up and put in a 120v-15A switch to cut between the controller and the element/fan to leave the temp setting where it was. Works great -- mostly. Sometimes when throwing the switch it kicks the electronics and makes the temp-setting jump randomly.

I assume it is some form of spike from the switch, so what do I need to do to stop this happening. I guess it is just a cap across the switch, but what kind and what value?

I also have some 250v-16A switches on the baseboard heater thermostats to turn them on/off without affecting their settings. So far the Honeywell digital thermostats are not showing the same problem with the 220v incoming power switching, but I would like to also add caps to those just in case. So, again what kind, what value?

Thanks

Dave

Reply to
Tim Williams

I always try to buy things with simple knobs that turn, nothing digital if I can avoid it.

Portable electric heaters are dirt cheap; I'd throw out the digital crap and order something sensible from Amazon.

--

John Larkin         Highland Technology, Inc 
picosecond timing   precision measurement  

jlarkin att highlandtechnology dott com 
http://www.highlandtechnology.com
Reply to
John Larkin

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