ELK 9100 Installation Help

[politics123]

So, I've owned an ELK-9100 for about 9 months, and am only now getting around to installing it (I'm automating my Hot Water heater). The actual power connections are easy to understand.

What I don't understand are the dry-contact connectors. ELK provides screw terminals for 12v (+/-) and for the dry contacts. Why? If I wanted to wire the 9100 for dry-contact use connected to one of my ELK contacts, which terminal screws do I need to use?

Thanks!
Michael

 

[Steve]

In the manual for the 9100, it says to use the "Trig 1 Relay" terminals.

CONTACT CLOSURE OPERATION
The relays may also be controlled from the hardwired terminal inputs located inside the unit. In the RELAYS GROUPED
operation mode, if the "Trig 1 Relay" terminals are closed together (shorted), both relays will go to the "off" state. In the
RELAYS SEPARATED operation each relay is individually controlled by closure (shorting) the the appropriate trigger
terminals. A relay which is hardwired triggered to be "OFF" cannot be turned ON via X-10.

Also, in this post Spanky talks about the new 60A contactor. It's funny, from that post it made it sound like the 9100 did not support contact closure, but it obviously does. So I guess the new contactor is just higher current and supports other plc protocols, but they both support dry contact.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

Michael, I'm wondering why the contacts are labeled "12v" as well. There should only be two sets of contact closures for the relays. Could you post a pic of the terminals?

Also, are you controlling a 120 or 220 VAC load?

I would also suggest turning off the X-10 repeating function if used for 220 VAC operation if you already have a signal/coupler in your breaker box.

 

[politics123]

Michael, I'm wondering why the contacts are labeled "12v" as well. There should only be two sets of contact closures for the relays. Could you post a pic of the terminals?

Also, are you controlling a 120 or 220 VAC load?

I would also suggest turning off the X-10 repeating function if used for 220 VAC operation if you already have a signal/coupler in your breaker box.

So, on the PCB, the 12v is listed as "12v DC output." There's nothing in the manual why ELK provided a 12v output. Is it for signaling, an indicator lamp, or a remote button? In my pipe-dream, it would provide variable output -- 12v current when there's current flowing through to my water heater, and 0v when no current, and I could use it (similar to a CR) to count how many hours in the day the hot water heater is drawing current.

 

[heffneil]

Can I ask a stupid question? What are you automating in regards to your hot water heater? Do you plan on turning it on and off when you aren't home? Does that really make sense? Is there any science to shutting the unit off and on for short or extended periods of time? I could see extended but if you are going to be away extended do you need to shut it off remotely? I would assume you would shut it off and drain it properly.

Thanks,

Neil

 

[politics123]

Can I ask a stupid question? What are you automating in regards to your hot water heater? Do you plan on turning it on and off when you aren't home? Does that really make sense? Is there any science to shutting the unit off and on for short or extended periods of time? I could see extended but if you are going to be away extended do you need to shut it off remotely? I would assume you would shut it off and drain it properly.

Thanks,

Neil

I have a solar HW system. It doesn't make sense to energize the heating elements when the solar HW is running.

 

[Photon]

"I could see extended but if you are going to be away extended do you need to shut it off remotely?"

I rarely think about a need to turn my heater OFF remotely, but I'd like to turn it ON remotely several hours before we return. I have thought about shutting off my water heater when we leave on vacation or business for a couple weeks, but I never do because we like to shower soon after arriving home. It takes a while for an electric heater to get back up to speed.

I recently read a posting that calculated the savings achieved by shutting an electric water heater down while gone. I could save as much as fifty cents by doing so. I won't live long enough to reach the payback on installing an Elk-controlled contactor.

 

[politics123]

I recently read a posting that calculated the savings achieved by shutting an electric water heater down while gone. I could save as much as fifty cents by doing so. I won't live long enough to reach the payback on installing an Elk-controlled contactor.

I realize I'm not the best example, but let's not thread-hijack That other posting (mine, in the on-demand heating thread?) can be used for each person to determine whether this is beneficial or not for their own circumstances.

If you DO own a 9100, what are you supposed to do with (or what CAN you do with) the 12v output terminal screws?

mh

 

[rvbki]

So, I've owned an ELK-9100 for about 9 months, and am only now getting around to installing it (I'm automating my Hot Water heater). The actual power connections are easy to understand.

What I don't understand are the dry-contact connectors. ELK provides screw terminals for 12v (+/-) and for the dry contacts. Why? If I wanted to wire the 9100 for dry-contact use connected to one of my ELK contacts, which terminal screws do I need to use?

Thanks!
Michael