...
I am not a favorite of powering a PIC through a capacitor.
Isolation would be a pre for safety.
You can control the triac with an optocoupler like the ones in the MOC series.
This MOC can easely be controlled by a PIC.
The PIC itself can be powered with a tiny SMPS powersupply.
...

Thanks for the feedback.

My goal for this project was to build a small simple circuit into the plastic base of the fan. There is limited room, and I probably could not fit a small mains transformer or SMPS into there. Also, I have used MOC series optos with TRIACS, but on 240v AC it also requires a couple of 1W high voltage resistors and a mains rated cap etc. Then to get zero-cross detection that requires a second optocoupler and more mains rated parts etc. And all those mains-rated parts need to be properly spaced apart (ie PCB starts to be needed).

The whole project blows-out in time and effort and now requires a designing and making a PCB and some enclosure to hold the extra volume of parts and transformer etc. Not to mention that now instead of my fan project being neat and self contained it has a clumsy enclosure tacked on and possibly two mains leads.

At this point I am reluctant to go further with my original design on the forum due to the good reasons people like T06afre have raised. But I also don't think it is worth doing the project in the fully isolated overkill way, at least not at the moment with my current time constraints.

I appreciate everyone's feedback, thank you!

 

U can always put that in your website u know.

 

What would your mother think of your "circuit" and your part in destroying her home, her belongings, and her memories?

I don't think she cares. She's been dead for almost 5 years now.

That said her old house is still heated off of a wood burning boiler system I designed, built, installed and integrated in with the houses original heating and aC system controls and it was signed off as being acceptable by their insurance company so I really don't care any more than that.

Personally if an insurance company has to find ways to weasel out of paying for accidents that they are paid to insure or they try and dictate how I am supposed to live my life they are not a company I would stay with. Thats their job to pay for damages that happen when unexpected or unforeseen crap happens.

 

Congratulations! You don't suffer from the limitations of a beginner. Unfortunately, this site caters to beginners so we don't tell them to cut the cord off a kitchen toaster and twist the wires on to a capacitor or a rectifier.

 

Unfortunately, this site caters to beginners so we don't tell them to cut the cord off a kitchen toaster and twist the wires on to a capacitor or a rectifier.

Well maybe you don't but I have no problems with helping someone improvise a toaster cord rectifier capacitor thingy to run ihis DC motor from an AC source!

 

Really? Have you looked at that thread lately?

 

Theres a real thread on that?

 

Well maybe you don't but I have no problems with helping someone improvise a toaster cord rectifier capacitor thingy to run ihis DC motor from an AC source!

And if that were against the rules, the moderator would take action.

 

It's true!
Bill Marsden will rap your knuckles with a ruler.
I speak from experience.