During hot days, the air in my attic can reach temperatures much higher than the outside. This causes the rest of the house to warm up. As a result, cooling the living space requires more energy. To prevent this, I use gable fans to force the hot air from the attic to the outside. I have two fans, each located either on the east or west side of the house. Each fan has an independent thermostat that engaged the fan…
I’ve got two wall mounted space heaters made by King Electric. They are the Pick-O-Watt series and have a built in thermostat for control. They are easy to install and the option to set the load is useful. Setting the output wattage to match the room they are installed in saves energy. However, they were not centrally controlled. If one was left on, energy was wasted and is potentially dangerous. I wanted to avoid this. First, lets look at how…
When creating PCBs, the quality of the work is the most important element. If the design has a flaw, the work can lead to malfunction, damage, or worse depending on the application. Quality is key. It’s good practice to keep that in mind regardless if the design is complex or rudimentary. I’ve found that component placement on the board to be a good first step. It allows you to know that parts will fit and connect with the outside world…