Can I use the Smartthings outlet to turn on a window AC? Is that to much power to be pushing throw the wall outlet?
Thanks in advance,
Darrell
Also which SmartThings outlet are you asking about. The original CentraLite model or the brand new one they just started selling? The older is rated 12A (1440W), the new one 15A (1800W). For the most part even the largest AC window units are not rated above 1440W however you may need to pay attention to the initial surge that may occur at startup. For example, I would not put one rated 1440W on the older plug. As long as the AC unit uses a normal 15A socket, the new model will work fine.
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There’s also the question of whether you want to regularly control an air conditioner by essentially pulling the plug out of the wall, which is what the plug-in modules do, since all they do is cut power to the device. Just cutting power at the wrong time in the compressor cycle can be pretty rough on the air conditioner. And many air-conditioners do not turn back on just because power is restored. It’s generally better to find a way to control the air-conditioner that uses its own on/off commands.
If the air-conditioner has a remote control, you may have other options:
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