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Summary

A Power Select is an interface that allows a switch to activate a standard appliance (e.g., fan, blowdryer, vacuum, radio, and so on).

Contact Information

Trace Mansfield
tmansfield@lesd.k12.or.us

Equipment Image

Power Select
Power Select

Instructions

  1. Plug in the Power Select. (Only plug it into a three-prong/grounded 120V AC outlet.)
  2. Plug (up to four) appliances into the Power Select.
    • You can only activate one side at a time (i.e., appliances plugged into the right side won’t turn on until those on the left side turn off, and vice-versa).
    • Do not plug two heat-generating appliances into the same side (i.e., hair dryer, heating pad, and so on), where the maximum wattage per side is 1700W.
  3. Plug in (up to two) switches along the front of the box (⅛-inch mono jack).
  4. Turn the appliance(s) on. (The equipment won’t actually turn on until the associated switch is activated.)
  5. Use the lower knob to choose the control mode:
    • Direct ()
      • While the switch is pressed, the appliances will stay on.
    • Timed Seconds or Minutes (S or M)
      • Set the time with the upper knob.
      • After the switch is pressed, the appliances will stay on for the set time.
      • The control unit will turn off after the selected time has elapsed (even if the switch is still being held down).
      • To turn it off before the time has run out, turn the upper knob to zero.
    • Latch ( )
      • Each time the switch is pressed, the appliances will turn on/off.

Troubleshooting

  1. If an outlet on the Power Select does not work, press the little reset button that is in the middle of each outlet on top of the device.
    • NOTE: the reset button only works when there is current going to the outlet, so have a switch plugged in and hold that switch down while you hit reset.
  2. To see if an appliance should work with the control unit (when it is not):
    • plug the appliance into a regular AC outlet;
    • turn on the appliance;
    • unplug it without turning it off;
    • wait 10 minutes; and plug it into the regular utlet again.
    • If the appliance turns back on when you plug it back into the regular outlet, then it should also work with the control unit, which means that it is not the applicance that has the problem.

Cautions

  • Only use a Power Select with appliances that have an on/off switch that you can normally turn on and leave on (e.g., a fan, vacuum, shredder, lamp, radio, and similar); in other words, do not use this with the likes of a microwave.
  • Do not use a Power Select with equipment that is sensitive to power surges, such as a television or a computer.
  • Do not submerge the Power Select.