Jump to content

Welcome to Smart Home Forum by FIBARO

Dear Guest,

 

as you can notice parts of Smart Home Forum by FIBARO is not available for you. You have to register in order to view all content and post in our community. Don't worry! Registration is a simple free process that requires minimal information for you to sign up. Become a part of of Smart Home Forum by FIBARO by creating an account.

 

As a member you can:

  •     Start new topics and reply to others
  •     Follow topics and users to get email updates
  •     Get your own profile page and make new friends
  •     Send personal messages
  •     ... and learn a lot about our system!

 

Regards,

Smart Home Forum by FIBARO Team


Fibaro FGS212 outdoor (-30c) to control car heater


storskogen

Recommended Posts

I know the spec is 0 to +35 but have anyone tried to mount it outside?

 

My plan is to mount two (in the power outlet housing) of them to control the heater in the car (engine+inside of car) to eliminate external timers.

 

Anyone got an easy and wife friendly solution to setting the time of departure (My plan is to adjust the run time of the heater based to outside temp.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know the spec is 0 to +35 but have anyone tried to mount it outside?

 

My plan is to mount two (in the power outlet housing) of them to control the heater in the car (engine+inside of car) to eliminate external timers.

 

Anyone got an easy and wife friendly solution to setting the time of departure (My plan is to adjust the run time of the heater based to outside temp.)

 

This solution (on the Swedish z-wave forum)  will do the job 

Please login or register to see this link.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please do not run a devices out of spec. Unless you have the means to characterize them while running out of spec, but that is difficult... A manufacturer will have built in some margin, but how much? 10 degrees? 20 degrees? For a while I worked as a test engineer at a chip factory, and most chips are (at least) tested at -25 degrees. But that's for the individual chips, not the whole product.

Even if it works, you can only blame yourself if it behaves erratically or gets destroyed. Or if it has a shorter lifespan.

Also, may I kindly request not to put a dimmer in an ordinary wall socket? Use a special enclosure to "make your own wallplug" like this:

Please login or register to see this link.

Important: the "Strapubox SG 322B" has screw terminals for the socket, but for the plug part you need soldering skills!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did I just say "not to put a dimmer in an ordinary wall socket"? Yes, that's my recommendation. But,... You never said "dimmer", you said "FGS-212 relay". I must be still asleep.

Please login or register to see this image.

/emoticons/default_icon_smile.gif" alt=":-)" /> Or I thought you wanted to control the heater output with a dimmer.

Anyway... I have issues with a FGS212 in a wall box too. The relay is not rated for the full 16 A or 20 A of the socket and circuit breaker. What you can do to avoid destroing the relay is to add a glass fuse, 10 A T, in series with the output.

It's actually in the manual of the FGS: "Over-current protection: required external 10A circuit breaker".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Topic Author
  • My plan is to put two Fibaro modules inside a box like this one (already installed but without timer, power is connected outside of the house). Two 6 A outlets. 

     

    Please login or register to see this link.

     

    I can live with no warranty because it´s not "correctly mounted" and I will make sure it´s safe from water for safety.

    But it would feel better if someone already tried it and it survived the cold and the moisture.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Looks very nice... So that's a two-prong plug? That would limit the current indeed. Clever!

    Unfortunately, in Belgium the coldest temperature was only -5, on one of my double relays. Sorry I can't help you with this...

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

  • Topic Author
  • This picture is from the inside of a product similar to mine:

     

    Please login or register to see this link.

     

    I google a bit and found a link to another forum where a user had done this with Nexan module but i had died after a few years so maybe i will skip this and get another box like this one with built in timer (wintersafe and in the long run cheaper than changing the relay modules every other year)

     

    Please login or register to see this link.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    That looks like it was designed for harsh environments. I've worked with liquid nitrogen, cooling test equipment at -25 and -50. It's amazing how brittle every plastic or rubber part becomes... It's an estimated guess that the Nexan module died from mechanical stress. Maybe the only alternative is to heat the enclosure, but that is really guesswork from my part.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    • 3 years later...
  • Topic Author
  • I have know used a FGS212 for ~3 years and it is working, only problem is when we have an power outage I have to remember to poll the device (today I activated periodic polling, maybe that solves the prpblem).

    I also tried a FGS-213 but that one don't work. When it gets colder than -10C it sends out "overheating" (no load) :) and doesen't work.

    Not saying anyone should try it, as you say that plastics might not like the cold and that could lead to a fire (my switch is far away from any material that could burn)

    • Thanks 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Thank you for reporting back, very interesting to know. I knew the 213 had over-temp protection but not under-temp! I learn something new every day!

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

  • Topic Author
  • The funny thing is that it reports overheating when it gets cold :P When I think about it it might have been with the device activated and maybe a load connected...

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    2 hours ago, storskogen said:

    When I think about it it might have been with the device activated and maybe a load connected...

    Yes, that is possible, or maybe they use the same notification.

    It is an intriguing question!

    I would test that for you, but I have no spare FGS-2X3 and even worse, my fridge died! Average temp in Belgium right now: about plus 9°C :wacko:

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

  • Topic Author
  • 2 hours ago, petergebruers said:

    Yes, that is possible, or maybe they use the same notification.

    It is an intriguing question!

    I would test that for you, but I have no spare FGS-2X3 and even worse, my fridge died! Average temp in Belgium right now: about plus 9°C :wacko:

     To bad with the fridge :(

    +3°C in northern Sweden, no snow :(

    Im building a garage next summer, then I will put the relay on the inside of the wall where it's warm.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    It is cold here in Finland also :-)

     

    I am doing this with fibaro wallplug inside the house and the cable going through the wall. I did  find POP ip44 form the net but did not get it paired with fibaro or vera.

     

    I use 3 scenes that are  aborted based on outside temperature from netatmo.

     

    < -15 (45 minutes)

    < -10 (30 minutes)

    > +5 and  <-5   (15 minutes)

     

    Works but you have to leave same time every day for work. :-) 

     

    I have this on Vera but it works also on HC.

     

     

     

     

     

    • Thanks 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Join the conversation

    You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

    Guest
    Reply to this topic...

    ×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

      Only 75 emoji are allowed.

    ×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

    ×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

    ×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

    ×
    ×
    • Create New...