Quick change 'plug & socket' Sunvic 3 port actuator

[Harry Bloomfield]

Hi,

Changing my spring return 3 port valve actuator for a new one and for the n'th time - I decided it really needed a plug and socket to avoid the struggling with wiring at a peculiar angle in the airing cupboard into a twelve way connector block.

Plug and socket, so that there were no concerns about inserting the four wires into the wrong pins of the 12 way connector, plus the making notes on which goes where. I could not find a suitably rated 4 pin plug and socket, so what I did is as follows:-

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[Lurch]

On Sat, 12 Mar 2005 14:29:56 GMT, "Harry Bloomfield" strung together this:

Thanks, I'll remember not to do that. If you could refrain from making up random bits of pointless shortcutting it would be much appreciated.

If you keep posting things like that I'll set Phil on you.

FWIW, a proper 4 pole mains rated connector isn't really that expensive.

[Aaron]

Maybe look at bulgen connectors or even neutrik speakon?

Check out RS or CPC, just a tho

[Harry Bloomfield]

Aaron submitted this idea :

Thanks..... I actually called into Maplin on the way home from HRP, to see if they had anything suitable. They didn't, the best they could offer was XLR, which set me thinking of an alternative solution for a quick and error free method to swap the actuator.

Undo four terminal screws and its out. A good enough solution if it only needs to be substituted every few years, which was why I took the trouble to write it up. It works well, its quick, so why incur additional time and expense fitting a proper plug and socket when it is solved?

[Andrew Gabriel]

Original posting not shown up here, but when I installed my heating, I used the 8-pin circular bulgin connector, which used to be (and maybe still is) common on disco lighting and the like. I drilled out a blank patress plate to take the socket, and attached the plug to the actuator. Two of the spare pins in the plug are looped and effectively in series with the thermostat for the zone on the 'A' port (upstairs heating in my case) so that if the plug is removed and hence the actuator is stuck on the spring return 'B' zone (downstairs heating in my case), the other zone cannot demand heat which cannot be satisfied.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

XLRs aren't suitable for mains use. And Maplin shouldn't have recommended them. Although they are 250 volt rated. ;-) Probably something to do with them latching, or perhaps because they have a conductive body.

RS do do a cheap XLR compatible range made entirely of plastic with no latches. If I had to, I'd use that one for mains. :-)

They do have an eight pin mains connector, though. HL 39 and HL40.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Andrew Gabriel brought next idea :

I enquired of the supplier what the differences were between the four types of actuator in the spring return range. He suggested that one of them was a plug in type, but did not seem able to supply a matching socket.

As indicated the actuator gives less problems since I added an heat deflector. I suspect the usual jamming leading uo to complete failure is a result of the grease lubricant on the actuator drying out due to heat.

I also noticed the original actuator (as fitted when the heating was installed 18 years ago) was not fitted with what I assume to be an internal heatsink for the motor as fitted to later models of the Sunvic.