WiFi Heavy Duty 120-277V Automated Load Controller Assembly 1470

Know how it will be used

The first one I purchased got it's contacts ruined. I've since bought two more. I'm using them to control ice melting heat trace on the roof of my place. It turns out that the folks that make the heat trace don't really tell you about how much current the trace draws on start up. Mine draws 10 amps under normal conditions. The contactor is rated at 40 amps for resistive, 30 amps otherwise. Which should have been enough. But, the initial draw to warm up the trace is nearly 50 amps. this doesn't trip the 30 amp breaker in series because it has a delay in it. The current is down below 20 amps within 20 seconds. This is not really a problem if you just engage the contact and leave it. There is no arc drawn as the contactors make. But if you try to disconnect the contactor within the first few seconds, you will be trying to turn off over 40 amps and the contacts arc and fail. This is not a problem with the load controller, it is a problem with the nature of the heat trace. I'm solving the problem by dividing up the circuit, hence buying two additional units. The Wifi aspect works great. I recommend them, but you need to understand how they are going to be used.