Save Money with Appliance Timers

[wishiwas]

I bought a heavy duty appliance timer at Target (because I needed a three-pronger for my units). But I guess the Marbella heating/cooling units have odd-shaped plugs.

So where do I find special appliance timers for non-standard plug types?

[Matt]

Is one of the flat pins twisted 90 degrees? If so, that is a standard 20 amp plug.

http://store.yahoo.com/rewilliams/120v.html

Notice the picture of the jack. The 20 amp jacks are set up to accept the pin either normal or sideways, since there's nothing wrong with plugging a 15 amp device into a 20 amp jack. However, you can't plug a 20 amp device into a 15 amp jack.

I don't know anything about that seller in the URL above, but I just used google to look for "20 amp timer" and they are out there.

[Nic]

Thanks, Matt. I think these things are going to be in heavy demand in Marbella this winter. Don't get too useful though. I know WishIWas drools over you even more than she does puppies, and Anita is also asking about joint membership of fan clubs.

[Matt]

I will be happy to provide personal appliance timer service to all members of my fan club. Why be serviced by a mechanical device when you can have the personal touch of, well, me?

[Nic]

I've been told we (men and appliances) each have our uses.

Back to the serious stuff of gadgets though, Matt, the a/c I've got has a three pin socket with an earth and two flat positive/negative pins, but they are angled in line with each other instead of parallel. What designation would that be?

[Matt]

Back to the serious stuff of gadgets though, Matt, the a/c I've got has a three pin socket with an earth and two flat positive/negative pins, but they are angled in line with each other instead of parallel. What designation would that be?

Is it a twist-lock or does it just push straight in? The following pages should help, though sometimes it can still be tough to tell because the difference between two types might be as simple as a slightly larger pin...

http://frentzandsons.com/Hardware%20References/plugandreceptacleconfiguratio.htm
http://frentzandsons.com/Hardware%20References/twistlockplugandreceptacle.htm

[Nic]

Looks like 250v 15 or 30amp. Presumably that's using two phases? I thought you guys only used 110v. I put so much stuff in storage in the UK because it wasn't dual voltage. You also use 60Hz here instead of 50Hz which stuffs some things which use the frequency for timing even if you use a transformer.

[Matt]

230v is common in the US for clothes dryers, ovens, and air conditioners/heaters. That is about all that uses it. I think the basic cutoff is that you won't ever find anything higher than 20 amps at 120v. Any appliance requiring more power than that will use 230v.

http://users.pandora.be/worldstandards/electricity.htm

According to this page, European equipment can be connected to these US 230v outlets. Of course, you probably only have a single outlet so it wouldn't be very convenient anyway. :)

[Nic]

Wow! That's worth knowing. I could have brought all my UK stuff over. I have 4 a/c units plus a cooker and clothes dryer in my pad that probably all run off 230v. I just need to find the right adaptor plug!

Now your next ch*****ge. Do you know how to convert an NTSC signal to work off a PAL box?

[LostinLaMancha]

If you get that working, let me know how you did it. I once got a video game for PS2 from UK, and it wouldn't work on my PS2 in US. I wish I could get that working.

[Scott]

Of the topic, should this thread move to "Technical Talk" forum?

[LostinLaMancha]

Of the topic, should this thread move to "Technical Talk" forum?
No, because technical forum description says that "Please post any messages related to the Bulletin Board itself within this Forum". This thread is not related to the Bulletin Board in anyway.

may be we should have a forum for heavy duty appliance timers?

[Stan]

I bet punjabi loves your idea! ;)

[LostinLaMancha]

I bet punjabi loves your idea! ;)

I bet Sonia loves my idea too.