Re: Bathroom automation questions... (LONG!)

["marty55_99" <m1234@xxxxxxx>]

In answer to one part of your long question!

Both Crabtree & MK make retractable pull switches, model No's are
below, hope this helps.

Crabtree, 6A Ceiling Switch, Retractive, 2147

MK, 6A Ceiling Switch, Retractive, 3190 RC WHI

Cheers

Martin Woodage


--- In ukha_d@y..., "Paul Gordon" <paul_gordon@h...> wrote:
> Hi All, (and appologies in advance for the long post!)
>
> I'm about to get started on extensive remodelling of the master
bathroom at
> the Gordon Intercontinental, and I'm still mulling over a few
design
> questions, so perhaps you might be able to offer some clarity?
(god knows I
> need it!)
>
> 1) Lighting first, - SWMBO definately *does* want dimabble
lighting, so that
> gives us a couple of choices to make: - the lighting itself, and
the control
> mechanism.. - The lighting choice consists of picking between LV or
mains,
> and we've pretty much already settled on mains Halogens (bought
some last
> weekend). The control mechanism is a little less clear-cut...
>
> SWMBO wants dimmable, but also wants "normal" operation, -
i.e.
quick on-off
> by a single operation of a "normal" switch (be that a
pushbutton or
a pull
> cord) Her preference would be to use a bog-standard mains dimmer
switch..
> :-(
>
> I want it HA-system controllable, and as little conflict with SWMBO
as
> possible ;-)
>
> My ideal solution would be a momentary pull-cord switch to replace
the
> current latching pull-cord, and an LD11 above the ceiling in the
loft.
> Trouble is, I don't believe such a beastie exists? (I think this
was
> discussed before?) - does anyone know if it is possible to get a
momentary
> operation mains pull-cord switch that is OK to use in a bathroom,
or if it
> is feasable to modify a latching one to break the latch?
>
> The second choice that finds favour with SWMBO is to mount the
switch
> OUTSIDE the bathroom door, and then use either a LW12 wallswitch,
or
> possibly an LD11 again and a clipsal switch..
>
> Also, I considered using LV switching so that I then could put the
Clipsal
> inside the room, and wiring it back either to a zone on the Comfort
panel,
> or an input to my Ocelot controller... This finds less favour with
SWMBO, as
> she intrinsically distrusts anything that gets too far away
>from
> operation (which decoupling the switch from directly controlling
the light
> does). I'm also concerned a little about any delay between
operating the
> switch and the light coming on, which SWMBO would not tolerate...
(and god
> help me if there was ever an X10 signal failure and the light
didn't come on
> at all!!)
>
> Finally, I even toyed with the idea of having 2 entirely
independent
> lighting circuits, one non-automated one, wired just as the
existing light
> is, and one automated one, with no switching other than X10, but
I'm not
> keen on this for several reasons.
>
>
> 2)In-room controller... I will be dropping in a CAT5 cable for a
wired phone
> point, as SWMBO wants a phone in the bathroom. - It will be wired
because I
> don't want an expensive DECT handset being dropped in the bath!.
Naturally,
> as I'm dropping one cable, I'm going to drop several!! (daft not
to!) - I'll
> probably drop 4 x CAT5 to the point where the phone is to be
mounted on the
> wall, which is also an ideal place for an in-room controller.
Because of the
> conditions in a bathroom, I don't want to use anything fragile or
expensive,
> which rules out Pronto/Epods/Fujitsu etc... I could use a HR10 X10
remote,
> or indeed a cheapo IR remote, but again, I disklike the idea of
anything
> using RF (not reliable enough), or anything battery operated
(batteries
> always give out when you're in the bath). Plus handsets can also
get dropped
> in the bath... So my preference was to design & construct a
purpose-
made
> wall-mounted room controller, just using some LV switches going
back to
> inputs on the Ocelot. I only need about about 6 or 8 switches, -
source
> select, Ch+/Ch-, Vol+/Vol- and possibly a couple of others I've not
yet
> decided on. Feedback can be via the in-ceiling speakers, (or by
observation
> of the actions!) so no need for LCD displays or anything... (LCD +
Bathroom
> = not good!). My questions re this are: Can anyone recommend some
nice N/O
> push to make momentary buttons that have transport icons on them?
(or that
> have removeable caps to put an insert under) - the main thing is
that they
> must look good.. Also, I'm considering dedicating a PC to handle
the
> bathroom automation functions, and also to provide the audio feeds
(via a
> WinTV-FM card) - the audio sources required in the bathroom are:
Terrestrial
> TV, FM radio, and the MP3 jukebox. It could also handle the HA
functions as
> well, in which case I'd like to get a I/O board for the switches on
the
> bathroom controller to talk to, rather than using up inputs on the
Ocelot.
> One board I quite like the look of is the WTDIO-M from
www.weedtech.com for
> just $59 which offers 14 fully configurable input or output lines.
Does
> anybody know if there's a UK source of these Weeder modules?
>
> 3) Dual-fuel heater - the radiator in the bathroom will be a heated
> towel-rail type radiator, which is both plumbed in to the CH, *and*
has an
> electric heating element for operation independently of the house
heating.
> The heater part has to be powered via a fused spur outlet. I want
to put an
> AD10 in the circuit as well, as follows:
>
> supply----AD10----Fused outlet----heater
>
> Question? - the fused spur outlet is a switched one, - so do the
AD10's have
> the possibility of local control via sensing through the load, like
ordinary
> appliance modules do? (I'm guessing not, seeing as they have a
proper local
> control via their switch terminals, but being a bathroom, I can't
really put
> a mains switch in the room for local control, so ideally I'd like
to have
> local control through the switch on the spur). If not, then I guess
I'll
> have to include a switch on the in-room control panel discussed
above for
> switching the radiator via X10.
>
> Phew! finished!
>
> TIA for any insights....
>
> Paul G.
>
>
>
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