Hi.
Am exploring to install/add a heating element mounted and with the size/shape of the outlet blowing grille of a plain 5000BTU window air conditioner that will disconnect its compressor to disable cooling.
It would be nice to have a single outlet receptacle that switches-off an auxiliary mechanical contact when a plug is inserted.
Anyone knows how to find one, or perhaps ideas to make one ? AC manufacturers want zillions for a $5 addition of a heating feature.

 

Adding an microwave-oven-duty interlock microswitch to one of these would be nice. When a plug is inserted, to act a microswitch behind it...

 

If you can't find that, how about using a current sensing relay to shut off the AC when the heater is energized (example below)?



Three cheers for the deciBel!!

 

I was also going to suggest something similar, but Crutschow replied much faster.

Nowadays the state of electronics is that, whatever gadgets one can think of, there will be something already available, fully assembled and tested and in a nice plastic enclosure, for sale at Amazon, Aliexpress, EBay or any other e-commerce website, at a price lower than the cost (to you) of the raw components themselves.

 

What I have seen is an OUTLET COVER that operates a switch when it is opened to allow a plug to be inserted. The immediate benefit is that it does not handle the power and so many rules do not apply. So that could be an alternative solution. AND it could be much safer.