For several years, I have been using Jasco 43078 Zigbee switches to control my two HVAC blowers and furnaces in the attic without any issues. These two switches are always on and are there simply to power down the blowers in case of a fire so smoke is not spread throughout the house more quickly.
It is important to note that I live in Texas, so the attic can easily reach 40°C or more during the summer. However, I am unaware of any issues with these relay-based switches operating in those conditions.
The furnace is gas-powered, so its power draw is negligible. The blower draw is between 600W and 800W. The blower itself is just a basic AC fan motor.
I am trying to build out my Thread mesh network, and given the many Zigbee-related issues with Jasco products, along with the lack of updates, I am on a quest to remove them all. All of my smart outlets and attic switches were Jasco devices. I purchased a 5-pack of VTM30-SN switches and have already replaced the three light switches in the separate attic spaces. Those are low-power LED loads, configured as relays, and are normally left off anyway. To date, I have not had any issues (max temp reported by switch since install 39C).
I would like to use the remaining two VTM30-SN switches as emergency shut-off switches for the HVAC blowers and furnaces. However, I have found conflicting information on these forums regarding these types of loads, especially larger AC fan motors (assuming all relay based switches share the same limitations). I am hoping to get a better understanding of the feasibility and potential risks.
Would using the VTM30-SN to switch HVAC blowers and gas furnaces on and off be an issue?