Using Rule Machine to cycle on/off

📐 Rule Machine®
1

Is there a way to get a 20 min on, 20min off cycle

2

Sure, but how do you want to start it and end it?

3

I got a broken refridgerator (it dont turn off when temp is low) that I have connected to a Innr switch.

4

OK, Try this:

Trigger Event:  Periodic, Every 20 minutes
Actions:
   Toggle:  Refrig switch

It would start once you hit Done. Later you can use Pause to stop it. and restart it.

5

This is a bad idea. Compressor life is dramatically shortened if you cut power while they're on. If you Innr plug supports power reporting then you can modify your rule to only turn off when very little power is being drawn, i.e. the compressor is not active.

6

Thanks for the info, I will try to repair it so its internal mechanism start working instead.

7

This is a good idea.

8

How so? The Compressor doesn't have a ramp up/down curve... it's either with or without power. It doesn't matter how the power is cut. I just transformted a refrigirator at work for a critical process. It's basically just a pwm thing. Just wih long pulses and long pauses.

9

My refrigerator's compressor has a cooling fan that runs for some time after the compressor is turned off. If you cut power to the entire appliance, as opposed to just the compressor, this fan gets cut off as well, preventing the fan from cooling the compressor.

10

Okey... makes sense in this case.

11

As an aside, while I don't have one of these, newer kitchen fridges sold in the US have variable speed inverter compressors. These have ramp up and ramp down speeds.

12

Yup, mine does... And, not surprisingly, in the owners manual they have a big warning about avoiding removing power while running (when possible). Obviously power outages will happen, and you can't control that.

1 Like
13

This topic was automatically closed 365 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.