Temperature sensors

[ThomasB]

Hi,

I am planning on using the 1-wire sensors but wonder if they will work with a reasonable response time lag if they are fitted behind a blank plate. Also does anyone know of alternatives that would be discrete / flush and still compatible with the 1-wire extension. I found those (http://www.datanab.com/sensors/1wire-temperature-sensor-flushmnt.php) but wonder if they would work.

Any comments welcome,

Thomas

[TomM]

I have found that temp sensors in a wall switch back box (floating) with a plastic switch plate is not ideal.  It works but there is definitely lag.  I have also found that a couple of backboxes are cut into 100+ yr old walls which are solid and no insulation - this causes the back boxes to be cold at all times.  You may not find this an issue.

If you are using metal switch plates then you can attach the bare temp sensor to the metal plate which is, obviously, a great conductor of heat and will minimise lag, some sort of heat paste will work.

The other solution I have tested is to have some air vents cut into the switch plates, my issue is that the only versions of vents I've come up with are not particularly good looking!

The flush mount sensors you linked to look like a really great solution though, I would test them out before committing your install to them

Tom

[Duncan]

if you use the schnieder screwless plate switches, you can get metal blank switch plates - glue the 1-wire sensor to the back of the metal switch blank using heat transfer epoxy and put a squirt of expanding foam on the back to insulate it - the metal switch is a large metal surface in direct contact with the room, no holes and it looks the same as the other active switches and its pretty responsive to temp changes.

for cold outside wall boxes, you will need to add some rockwool as well to further insulate the back of the sensor.

[TomM]

All excellent ideas.  Think I'm barking up the wrong tree with trying to get airflow into the back box.  I'm going to try a few of these ideas and I'll report back.

[Lea Pilgrim]

Hi, did you get anywhere with this? I have the same issue.

I thought of going along the lines of a PT100 button sensor into a 0-10v convertor, but at £45-50 each and needing quite a lot of them, I think this will blow the budget.

On Saturday, April 9, 2016 at 8:08:36 PM UTC+1, ThomasB wrote:

[Duncan]

heres some photos of my schneider screwless setup with integrated 1-wire sensors

[yesimag]

Going to (hopefully) be using the touch tree/air switches for all of my temperature/humidity readings.  Since almost everything else in the house is completely flush to the drywall (can trims, exhaust grills, step lights, baseboards, etc.) I'm going to try mounting the switches in a similar fashion, mudding in the trim piece.  I'll have to develop some tool for extracting the switch should the need arise, but I'll make sure everything is working before I click them in. 

Hopefully I don't run into the problem of inadequate airflow to get an accurate reading.  I'll report back when we're further along with this.

[Seb Leal-Bennett]

Duncan, do you think that will also be effective on the back of an MK plastic blanking plate? We are looking at the MK Logic range [1] for sockets and the Lomax button dimmer switches [2].

[1] https://www.mkelectric.com/Documents/English/EN%20MK%20Catalogue/Logic%20Plus.pdf

[2] http://www.forbesandlomax.com/button-dimmer-controllers.html

[Duncan]

i cant honestly say for the plastic blanks because they are made of insulating material

the only way is to buy a couple, set them up and test them against an accurate room thermometer to see

as long as they arent too slow to react, you can adjust the 1-wire reading by adding or subtracing in loxone, but you dont want to have to do that really if you have a large number of sensors

[Seb Leal-Bennett]

I found that Lomax & Forbes do a paintable thin metal blank plate. I should be able to discreetly put these in each room and paint them the colour of the wall with the sensor mounted behind.

Duncan, what glue do you use that is thermo conducting? 

[1] http://www.forbesandlomax.com/sockets.html

[Duncan]

i use the 2-part thermal glue used to stick heatsinks onto computer parts

http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_silver_thermal_adhesive.htm

[Faradite Ltd]

Hi,

We have just launched the TAP-5, a 5 button capacitive switch plate that has a built in 1-wire temperature sensor at the base of the switch. The Faradite TAP-5 switch plate has been designed to ensure that the temperature sensor receives optimal airflow to allow for accurate readings without the lag that is introduced if you mount the sensor behind the switch plate in the back box. For more information, please feel free to contact us directly on in...@faradite.com, or you can find out more on our website, www.faradite.com.

Many thanks,

Faradite Ltd
www.faradite.com

On Saturday, April 9, 2016 at 8:08:36 PM UTC+1, ThomasB wrote: