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

["James Hoye" <james.hoye@xxxxxxx>]

> 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 ;-)

Another Holy Grail of HA ...

> 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..

Outside is good in that you don't have to have a pull cord.  That's what I
did.

> 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
"normal"
> 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!!)

What about using the LV switch to operate a loft mounted mains relay?  That
would give you simple ON/OFF.

> 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.

What about http://www.automatedhome.co.uk/review-secretswitch.html
- the
guts are ceiling/loft mounted.  Perhaps you could stick a normal (dummy)
switch over the aerial to make it look 'normal'.

> 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

Good lad - you know it makes sense - just ask certain list members ;)

> 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.

If regulations permit, why not put the switched fused spur outside the
bathroom (say airing cupboard) and put an AD10 after it.  A momentary
switch
could then be put outside the bathroom (by the lightswitch maybe) that
would
toggle the AD10.  You would still be able to isolate the radiator via the
switched fused spur, and the correct fuse would protect the cable.  You
will
need to check that this means of isolation will satisfy the regulations. 
My
guess is that it should ideally be RCD protected - you can get RCD
conection
units, see http://www.screwfix.com/product.phtml?4770

What about plumbing the towel radiator into the hot water loop - that way
you can dry towels during summer too when you have the CH off and only HW
on.  Inline valves mean that you can shut it down as well.

Hope that gives you some food for thought.

James H