WAC1 Building

[Top Shotta]

Hi guys so after much research I think the best way to get a non humming single speed fan controller would be to build on myself (Has nobody had the idea to build WAC1s with a plug and a trailing adaptor wired up safely, I'm sure people would pay £50+  )

Anyways... The list of things I will need to build this (Please add and correct me if I miss anything or there are better alternatives feel free to pm me)
 
Xpelair WAC1 Single Fan Controller £27.55

1 Gang with 3 Metre Lead rated at 13A £5.95


So the plan would be to cut the 1 gang plug socket off with around 1m of spare cable, leaving the other end with the 3pin plug with around 2m (If my calculations are correct lol) 

The tools I have currently are : 
Stanley Aviation Snips :  

Some random assorted screwdrivers.
A bunch of random stanley knifes stolen from the building site (Old bad habbit of keeping them in pocket )
(This is a diagram of how to wire it)


Should I connect the wires on the single trailing adaptor should connect with the LF + NF + Earth? (The Fan will be plugged into this)

Should I connect the wires on the 3pin plug that goes into the mains connect with N + L + Earth? (Do I put both Earths on top of each other in the Earth block?)

As I will be using a 5" RVK fan with this controller in the future (I want to build this controller first) I have watched how you wire the fan and noticed there is no Earth in this fan ?
Any photos of your WAC1s wired up with the case off would be a great help or full pictures of your WAC1s
Any advice on items / tools I should buy for this too would be great.
Would it be better to use lower amp fuses than 13A? The RVK would come with a 5amp stripped cable to wire to the fan can i plug this into the 13amp trailing adaptor?
Thanks guys and thanks @Joint hogger  

Here is a picture of what I expect it to look like (Apart from both cables being on the same side and the plugs same colour ) 

Edited September 24, 2019 by Top Shotta

[3potheads]

I currently have a twin socket wired up to a wac1 in the exact fashion you are talking about, it's runs my 2 circulation fans totalling around 65W 

 

Not sure if you're supposed to do it like I have but (touch wood) no issues so far.

 

I just purchased some flex cable, a plug and a twin socket from screw fix. Cut the 5m flex cable in half, 1 half has a plug and is connected to L / N + earth and other half has double socket and is connected to LF / NF + earth.

 

Tools required should be Philips screw driver to separate enclosure, flat head for connectors and some wire strippers to strip back cable.

 

Make sure you don't go over 75W as that's all it's rated for.

 

If I remember when I'm next up in loft I'll get some photos.

 

I am NOT a sparky so please take my advice as advice only and not instruction. 

[Joint hogger]

tbh I would prefer to run the wac1 just under 70w 24/7, running it at the max 75w will work but I prefer to err on the side of caution.

 

@Top Shotta  as you said your fans self earthed, you wont have to wire the earth up, just cut the earth cables down & wrap some leccy tape aroung them,

you could buy the plug, 2 core cable & the trailing socket & wire the wac1 up with out an earth, it'll be dearer to buy the parts than just buying a 3 core trailing socket 

[Hesketh]

Hi 

 

Wire the socket to 

Fan live 

Fan N 

E 

Wire your lead with plug on the end as feed in 

L

N

E 

Just put the earth one one top of other in E terminal. 

1.5mm flex has a current carrying capacity of around 17A, so the 13A fuse in the plug is fine. 

Dont cut the earths out. 

 

HTH 

 

[Joint hogger]

But if the fans self earthd & there's no need for an earth in the wac1 then you can cut theem out, tho I'd be more incllined to fit a 1A or 2A fuse in the plugs instead of using a 13A fuse.

Edited September 27, 2019 by Joint hogger

[Hesketh]

Yes, but all cables that carry 230v are required by UK regulations to contain an earth. ( this doesn't include appliances/ TVs etc )  it's a safety device and to cut it out isn't wise. 

And the fuse is designed to protect the cable from overload... so 13 in 1.5mm flex is fine. 

 

HTH

[80085]

Just got myself one of these wac1 step controllers, just wondering are these safe to run on the 1 setting? I know its not good to run your fans less than 40% speed but was wondering if these type controllers are different?  

[highcontrast]

Ive been running mine at 2 for a few years with no problems. 
 

i dont believe no.1 setting would be run fast enough for the minimum speed required by manufactures guidelines to cool itself or something along them lines 

[80085]

@highcontrast nice one thanks mate I will use 2 as my lowest setting then 

[Aurora Ruderalis]

Always start on full whack when turning on and then adjust speed down to suit when up and running.  Your fan will last much longer.

 

[Jimmeh]

@SasquatchI PM'ed you but I think tagging you in this thread might help more 

I was about to mock-up something in Photoshop then I remembered I'd seen TopShotta's last pic in the OP which I exactly what I was going to do

Edited May 2, 2020 by Jimmeh

[Sasquatch]

Thanks again  Jimmeh, this is exactly what I need to know.  Am I right in thinking the wires from both the plug lead and the socket lead both go in the same screw-up connectors?

[Jimmeh]

7 minutes ago, Sasquatch said:

Thanks again  Jimmeh, this is exactly what I need to know.  Am I right in thinking the wires from both the plug lead and the socket lead both go in the same screw-up connectors?

 

No mate if I understand right, you don't need to "double-up", by pushing two sets of wires into one terminal.

 

You see the pic above with the red ring around the four terminals?

So the Live/Neutral wires from the mains-end go into the "L" and "N" terminals. (this is where power goes in)

The wires that run to the fan (or an empty socket, if you're building Top-Shotta's removable version) go into the "LF" and "NF" terminals. (this is where power goes out)

 

The "F" in this case means "Fan", so that way you'll know which Live and Neutral run to the fan, and therefore the other Live & Neutral run to the wall.

 

 

The exception to this would be the Earth, which is discussed more above, but my reading is that if you use the earth, then both the fan's Earth wire, and the mains' Earth wire go into the same copper terminal on the upper case corner (pictured with the red arrow), so on that one you would double-up both wires into one terminal.

 

I'm positive that is the way to wire it, please anyone correct me if I have mangled the explanation.

[Joint hogger]

[Space_Cake]

Hey man, just wondering if you could satisfy my curiosity? 

 

I tried a wac6 controller a while back and it buzzed like hell even on almost max setting. Could you let me know if the wac1 is the same? I would have thought the wac1 and 6 are the same item just a higher power rated version?