I have a small AC / heater that runs off a 110 wall plug, the unit does not have a remote control and I recently found a remote controled plug that I can use inbetween the wall and the units power cable, if I use this is there a chance that it will damage the unit?
110 AC/heater window unit question
Feb 12, 2006
8 Replies
What is the rating on the plug? Most are made for lights and may not handle the heater load. If it does, it will not harm the heater.
Well, I haven't decided on one to get yet, was planning to get one off the net, what rating/plug to you recommend?
most remotes are not rated for this use. your device involves a heater but also a blower motor and a compressor. you will need a remote rated for probably the 15 to 20 amps of the load of the surge of the compressor starting up. your device's manual and most codes require the device be directly plugged into a proper wall outlet. if the remote fails to provide the proper rated connection overloading it will cause a poor connection and something in the circuit's gotta give out, from the device to the remote to the outlet to the circuit breaker. so how about you change the breaker for that circuit to an arc fault breaker and that will take some of the the worry out of the remote. see also: "The 2002 NEC now requires that all branch circuits serving receptacles, light fixtures or smoke detectors or any other type of electrical outlet inside bedrooms must be protected by a new device called an ARC FAULT BREAKER. This includes any circuit serving a bedroom and the requirement is requiring that the entire branch circuit to be ARC FAULT PROTECTED by an arc fault breaker !" this and more at:
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I would not use anything rated for less than 20 amp continuous. I don't know what kind of surge requirement may be needed.
See if the remote unit has a rating in "inductive" amperage and be sure it is greater then the inductive load of your ac/heater
What about this one?
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It doesn't say buy it seems pretty heavy duty.
The AC is a newer model (less than 6 months old) and the cord has a leakage current detention interrupter as well, if that makes any difference.
That may do, but they're not giving enough info. Contact the supplier and get the email address of the manufacturer and check with them. It clearly is made for an inductive load. Look inside your window unit, usually behind the grill and see what its electrical amperage draw is. As long as the remote unit is capable of carrying that amperage, you should be fine. Also, check at smarthome.com
The heateer could be good, but the remote plug switch might fry.
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