Any ideas?

[jimmymac]

Hello people, i had an enquiry last night when i was in my local boozer. Here, goes it......There is a heater in the outdoor smoking shelter which was installed last year by another spark. At the moment it is controlled by a switch that can be operated by anyone and is positioned below the heater. The problem is that people just keep leaving it switched on (all day and night) and wasting power.

I've been asked what could be done, so, i suggested a timed switch that could be set for approx 10 mins. The landlady said that the previous spark had tried that but it didn't work for long because when the punters had had a few too many they would punch the push button switch breaking it in the proccess and they were being replaced every couple of weeks. The other spark doesn't want to know now and said he's done all he can and to be fair he has tried to sort the problem out several times.

I thought of an occupuncy sensor but i haven't installed one before and all the ones i've seen in the catalogue are listed as internal so i presume they are effected by wind, mist, temp ect. (the shelter has no walls).

I think a PIR would do it but i've only known them be used for lighting before so does anyone see a problem with this?

The landlady said she would like me to come up with a solution but she doesn't want to spend a fortune as they've already paid for the job once which is quite right really.

So, any ideas? Anybody encountered this previously??

 

[RWJ]

You can use a PIR.

We recently (well over a year ago now!) upgraded a pub's smoking area and put the heaters on a PIR.

The previous setup was a push button to timer , I can't remember why we changed it. I think the timer was set for 30 minutes so people were popping in for a quickie and it was staying on.

EDIT: Just remembered the buttons were getting abused and broken, when we removed one of the push buttons (Supposedly IP 66 rated) it was full of p***.



We just rigged up a 180deg outdoor PIR, set the timer to about 6 - 8 minutes, (turned off the light level control) then wired the output in to the contactor that was already there.
I can't remember but I think a PIR had to be selected that would see the heaters and stay on.

 

[telectrix]

most external PIRs that are generally used to switch floodlights will switch 2kW so would not be a problem.

 

[RWJ]

most external PIRs that are generally used to switch floodlights will switch 2kW so would not be a problem.

I dunno what heaters jimmymac is using but the three heaters we installed were 2k each

 

[telectrix]

I dunno what heaters jimmymac is using but the three heaters we installed were 2k each

bloody 'ell are the punters coming out for a smoke or a suntan?

 

[RWJ]

They only use all three in the winter, two in spring or autumn and 1 in the summer. Seriously...but that's what the landlord spec'd

 

[jimmymac]

I haven't even seen the heaters yet so i dont know the output (non-smoker). She also said that there is two heaters but only one works now because the switch burnt out and the other spark told her that the switch couldn't handle both of them so one isn't even connected, but that's another story.....

 

[RWJ]

I haven't even seen the heaters yet so i dont know the output (non-smoker). She also said that there is two heaters but only one works now because the switch burnt out and the other spark told her that the switch couldn't handle both of them so one isn't even connected, but that's another story.....

GREAT... Someone did a good job originally then lolol

Heaters are normally 1, 1.5 or 2kw

 

[jimmymac]

It looks like i might get some work out of it but i won't be charging alot because, like i said, it's my local, she pulls a good pint and she's got a lovely pair of **ts

 

[telectrix]

i put 1 in for a pub the other week. it was selectable output, 500w,1000w, 1500w, selected with a pullcord on the heater. the miser had me set it on 500w and then cut the string off.

 

[jimmymac]

Thats the way it is nowadays, nobody wants to spend money, everybodys skint!

 

[jimmymac]

I've just been to electricfix, they've got a 180 degree PIR that can do up to 2000w. Thanks for the help guys