Powering My AC Mains Project with a Push-Button Timer

AI Thread Summary
The discussion focuses on creating a switch to power a 110v fan and light for 10 seconds using a push-button timer. The original poster considers using relays and microcontrollers like Arduino but lacks experience with wall power. Suggestions include exploring off-the-shelf AC mains switch units and time delay relays, which can be adjusted for timing. The fan is intended to produce a strong airflow, similar to a hand dryer. After research, the original poster finds time delay relays to be a promising solution for their project.
harrison1216
Messages
3
Reaction score
2
TL;DR Summary
Thread for controlling 110v power with a button/timer
Hello! I am trying to create a special kind of switch for a project I am working on and I am pretty stumped. Basically, I need to power a 110v fan and light for around 10 seconds with the push of a button, and then have them all turn off and be ready for another button push. My brain immediately went to relays and microcontrollers like Arduino, but I've never worked with wall power with those before. I was wondering if anyone had experience with something like this or if there were a few products that I could use together to consistently get this thing to work.
Thank you for your time!
 
Engineering news on Phys.org
harrison1216 said:
TL;DR Summary: Thread for controlling 110v power with a button/timer

Hello! I am trying to create a special kind of switch for a project I am working on and I am pretty stumped. Basically, I need to power a 110v fan and light for around 10 seconds with the push of a button, and then have them all turn off and be ready for another button push. My brain immediately went to relays and microcontrollers like Arduino, but I've never worked with wall power with those before. I was wondering if anyone had experience with something like this or if there were a few products that I could use together to consistently get this thing to work.
Thank you for your time!
Welcome to PF. :smile:

Can you say more about your project? 10 seconds seems like a really short time to run a fan. Can you just use one of the standard off-the-shelf AC Mains switch units (controlled with WiFi or BlueTooth or powerline comm or whatever) to do this?
 
Try looking up a Time Delay Relay. Many are adjustable.
 
  • Like
Likes Windadct, berkeman, Lnewqban and 1 other person
berkeman said:
Welcome to PF. :smile:

Can you say more about your project? 10 seconds seems like a really short time to run a fan. Can you just use one of the standard off-the-shelf AC Mains switch units (controlled with WiFi or BlueTooth or powerline comm or whatever) to do this?
The fan would be to blow a fast stream like a hand dryer. I was thinking something like an air mattress blower
 
Tom.G said:
Try looking up a Time Delay Relay. Many are adjustable.
after some research, this seems like the easiest solution. These things seem great!
 
  • Like
Likes berkeman and Tom.G
Hey guys. I have a question related to electricity and alternating current. Say an alien fictional society developed electricity, and settled on a standard like 73V AC current at 46 Hz. How would appliances be designed, and what impact would the lower frequency and voltage have on transformers, wiring, TVs, computers, LEDs, motors, and heating, assuming the laws of physics and technology are the same as on Earth?
While I was rolling out a shielded cable, a though came to my mind - what happens to the current flow in the cable if there came a short between the wire and the shield in both ends of the cable? For simplicity, lets assume a 1-wire copper wire wrapped in an aluminum shield. The wire and the shield has the same cross section area. There are insulating material between them, and in both ends there is a short between them. My first thought, the total resistance of the cable would be reduced...
I used to be an HVAC technician. One time I had a service call in which there was no power to the thermostat. The thermostat did not have power because the fuse in the air handler was blown. The fuse in the air handler was blown because there was a low voltage short. The rubber coating on one of the thermostat wires was chewed off by a rodent. The exposed metal in the thermostat wire was touching the metal cabinet of the air handler. This was a low voltage short. This low voltage...
Back
Top