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How to keep both AC units from working at the same time?

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How to keep both AC units from working at the same time? randall.reed 12-17-2006
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Posted by jamesgangnc on December 18, 2006, 11:03 am
Over engineered the crap out of that one didn't you?

thrugoodmarshall@hotmail.com wrote:
> Since you weren't specific, let's say that it's just the AC function
> you're trying to interlock and not a heat pump and it's a 24V AC
> system.
> Again, you didn't specify what controls you already have (2 thermostats
> and some sort of txfer switch, I hope) so what follows is really
> academic.
>
> This will get you started.
> Please see the "notes" section for some followup you're going to have
> to do yourself!
> If you want to hack together all these features, you really don't want
> to do it with relays--see again the "notes" section.
>
> In this example, the "Y" wire of the first thermostat turns on the
> compressor or the 5T unit. Connect the coil of a 24VAC relay from the
> "Y" output of that thermostat and the opposite leg of the 24VAC
> transformer.
>
> Similarly, for this example, the "Y" wire of the second thermostat is
> used to turn on the compressor of the 3T unit. Lift the wire from the
> "Y" terminal of that thermostat and land it on the N.C. contact of the
> relay. Connect the common terminal (not the coil common--the common
> for the N.C. contact you just landed!) to the "Y" terminal of the
> second thermostat.
>
> Now, the signal to turn on the 3T compressor has to go through those
> N.C. contacts.
> This will give the 5T unit priority and both units will never be on
> together.
>
> If you want to be able to run both units together when you're not on
> emergency power, just put the N.O. aux contacts of the generator
> transfer switch in series with the coil of the new relay.
>
> Notes:
>
> Fan:
> Typically, the fan output is turned on whenever the thermostat calls
> for AC.
> Depending on your system, you'll have to deal with this.
> One way would be to use a double pole relay and wire the fan signal
> through the other set of N.C. contacts just like the compressor signal.
>
> Restart Lockout:
> You'll probably want to use a restart-lockout relay to prevent the 3T
> unit from starting up again too soon after it's been shut down.
>
> Short-cycle lockout:
> Once the 3T starts, you'd probably want it to finish its cycle before
> dropping for the 5T. You can install this circuit twice, once with the
> 5T as primary and once with the 3T as primary. To prevent relay races,
> wire N.C. contacts between the thermostat output and the relay coils in
> both instances. You get the added benefit of sharing priority equally
> if you do it this way.
>
> However, at this point, relay logic becomes silly. You should be doing
> all this on paper instead of just going out and buying relays, and at
> this point, your design is probably pretty complicated.
>
> Instead, buy a smart relay (a little tiny PLC is what it is) and
> program it however you like. Some sources--www.factorymation.com,
> www.automationdirect.com.
>
> Have fun, and let us know how it turns out.
>
>
>
> randall.reed@gmail.com wrote:
> > Alright, so I just had a 20KW generator installed to power the whole
> > house. I have two units, 5 Ton and 3 Ton and I don't want them ever to
> > run at the same time, because the two would be too much for the 20Kw.
> > The units are a year old, and I'm using the Honeywell digital
> > thermostats How can I keep the two from ever running at the same
> > time? Should I replace the thermostats with two that talk to each
> > other, or can the Honeywells do that?


Posted by thrugoodmarshall@hotmail.com on December 18, 2006, 11:55 am

jamesgangnc wrote:
> Over engineered the crap out of that one didn't you?
>

I think that was my point.

Thank you for your support.


Posted by on December 18, 2006, 12:22 pm
On 18 Dec 2006 08:55:19 -0800, "thrugoodmarshall@hotmail.com"

>
>jamesgangnc wrote:
>> Over engineered the crap out of that one didn't you?
>>
>
>I think that was my point.
>
>Thank you for your support.

        I sure hope we're not talking in terms of athletics here.

        Not that a nice 'thank you' would be out of line in any
event ....

        I don't suppose anyone would care to entertain the concept of
'use the ATS of the generator, and the sub-panel it drives, to drop
down to simple manual selection of AC units during non-grid time
periods. Naaahhhhh...... too fucking simple.....


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Posted by thrugoodmarshall@hotmail.com on December 18, 2006, 1:40 pm
.p.jm@see_my_sig_for_address.com wrote:
>         I don't suppose anyone would care to entertain the concept of
> 'use the ATS of the generator, and the sub-panel it drives, to drop
> down to simple manual selection of AC units during non-grid time
> periods. Naaahhhhh...... too fucking simple.....
>
>

I suspect that telling the users (wife & kids; clients, whatever)
"Now, when the generator kicks in, you can run the upstairs AC or the
downstairs AC, but not both." is not the best solution.

Heck, if we're going to go that far--just run the heat and cool command
wires through light switches! "OK, sweetie--when it's too hot, flip
this switch. When it's comfortable again, turn it off."

When you've already bought and installed a 20kW genset & I don't think
another hundred bucks (OK, $75, with a cable) for a smart relay and an
hour to RTFM and write 5 rungs of ladder is that hard.


Posted by thrugoodmarshall@hotmail.com on December 18, 2006, 2:21 pm
.p.jm@see_my_sig_for_address.com wrote:
>         I don't suppose anyone would care to entertain the concept of
> 'use the ATS of the generator, and the sub-panel it drives, to drop
> down to simple manual selection of AC units during non-grid time
> periods. Naaahhhhh...... too fucking simple.....
>
>

I suspect that telling the users (wife & kids; clients, whatever)
"Now, when the generator kicks in, you can run the upstairs AC or the
downstairs AC, but not both." is not the best solution.

Heck, if we're going to go that far--just run the heat and cool command
wires through light switches! "OK, sweetie--when it's too hot, flip
this switch. When it's comfortable again, turn it off."

When you've already bought and installed a 20kW genset & I don't think
another hundred bucks (OK, $75, with a cable) for a smart relay and an
hour to RTFM and write 5 rungs of ladder is that hard.


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