Cli-mate Frequency controller FC2010-T15 15A

The heaviest frequency inverter in the range: up to 3.3 kW motor power and 15 amps, stepless and without hum.

Overload capacity, and why it is quoted

The specifications carry a line that appears on the smaller versions too but means most here: 150% overload for 60 seconds.

That is not a marketing figure. It describes exactly the moment a controller is worked hardest: starting up.

A stationary motor has to be got moving, and that costs considerably more current than keeping it turning. The peak lasts a second or two, but it is substantial, and a controller with no room for it will trip or fail. Which is precisely why you cannot choose a controller on the consumption your meter shows once everything is already running.

At 150% for a full minute, this controller has room for a heavy motor's startup, and for a moment of extra resistance too, such as a filter clogging and making the motor work harder.

More than one fan

At 15 amps and 3.3 kW the question arises whether you can run several motors from one controller. You can, provided you watch three things.

• Add up the motor power, not just the amps, and stay comfortably within 3.3 kW.
• Count the startup. If two motors start together, their peaks add.
• They always run at the same speed. There is one sensor and one output, so you cannot control intake and extraction separately. For that you need two controllers.

That last point is usually the reason to choose two smaller controllers after all. In a grow room you often want intake and extraction set independently, to hold a slight negative pressure.

Technical Specifications:

• Type: single-phase frequency inverter with temperature sensor
• Supply: single phase, 220 to 240 V
• Rated motor shaft power: 0.1 to 3.3 kW
• Rating: 15 A
• Output frequency: 5 to 50 Hz
• Overload: 150% for 60 seconds
• Operating temperature: 0 to 40 °C

Frequently asked questions

Can I control intake and extraction separately?
Not with one controller. There is one sensor and one output, so everything connected runs at the same speed.

Is this size overkill for a single box?
For a common box, yes. Choosing generously does no harm, but you pay for capacity you will not use. The T7 covers most setups.

Why is a frequency inverter so much more expensive?
Because it rebuilds the AC supply rather than merely lowering it. That is considerably more electronics, and it is what delivers retained torque and the absence of hum.

How do I know my motor is within 3.3 kW?
Check the rating plate for motor power. Common fan boxes for grow rooms sit well below it.