2-pole 2-way switch as 'electrical accessory'

[JohnW2]

You can fit 2 gridswitches in these ...

Intresting, although probably bot what I was hoping for.

... though unlikely, would it be a problem if one switch failed and did not switch

Nothing nasty would happen, but nor would anything work as intended. Certainly not the end of the world.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Indeed - that's what I'm thinking of doing. However, as I said, that still might well 'throw' someone else subsequently look at/dealing with it!

I did wonder about that when I recently installed some outside lights.

2 lights, with 2 timer switches, either one turns both lights on, and two normal switches, each one turns one light on.

I decided that if it really threw someone then they shouldn't be fiddling.

 

[JohnW2]

I did wonder about that when I recently installed some outside lights. ..... I decided that if it really threw someone then they shouldn't be fiddling.

Yes, that's one view, and one have had to take in relation to many of the 'unconventional' things I've done in my house (to the electrical installation and otherwise)!

Kind Regards, John

 

[333rocky333]

Indeed - that's what I'm thinking of doing. However, as I said, that still might well 'throw' someone else subsequently look at/dealing with it!

Mind you, I'm also thinking of possibly using a toggle switch on a blank plate, deliberately to provide a clue to any subsequent observer that it is not a standard electrical accessory for which they could buy a replacement! That would also have the advantage that a round hole is much easier to make in that wretched 'unforgiving' material than is a rectangular ones

Kind Regards, John

Do you have any old 1 gang dimmers knocking about, there white plates tend to be more plasticky and machineable than blank plates

 

[JohnW2]

Do you have any old 1 gang dimmers knocking about, there white plates tend to be more plasticky and machineable than blank plates

Yes, I'm sure I've got some old ones and, now you mention it, I think I've noticed that they are sometimes made of far less brittle materials, perhaps even some type of PVC in some cases.

Mind you, even if I say so myself, over the years I've got quite good at 'machining' the nasty stuff (urea-formaldehyde resin, I think), without too many efforts ending up in the bin - it's just that one has to be very careful and take quite a bit of time over it. It seems that very high speed tools tend to be the safest - I suppose one has to think of it as a ceramic tile.

Kind Regards, John

 

[FrodoOne]

Hi. I have a need for a 2-pole 2-way ('2-pole changeover') switch.

DPDT switches as you may require are available in Australia (and New Zealand) from Clipsal - and probably others.
http://www.clipsal.com/Trade/Products/ProductDetail?CatNo=30MD2
(These may be available through Schneider-electric in the UK.)

Note the number is 30MD2 (30MD is a DPST switch.)

Schneider-electric produce UK sized wall-plates which accept these "mechanisms".

 

[JohnW2]

DPDT switches as you seem to require are available in Australia (and New Zealand) from Clipsal - and probably others.

Thanks. I did look for Clipsal modules, and all the other makes of modular switches I could think of, together with grid switches, but did not find this one (or any others). I can't say that I'm a lover of 'the new shape', but at least it comes with the functionality I'm looking for.

If nothing else, the searching exercise has reminded me how poor can be the accuracy of product descriptions, adverts and even catalogues, perhaps in some cases due to a lack of understanding of correct terminology by those who write them. I found a good few products which (like the one I initially posted) had a 'headline description' indicating that they were DPDT switches, but which subsequent investigation revealed were actually no such thing. Seemingly confusing "2-pole" with "2-gang" was the most common apparent error.

Kind Regards, John

 

[SimonH2]

Are they not usually spring-biased to a centre 'off' position?

Not only that, but I suspect most are only single pole which applies power to one winding of a 2 winding motor - with a cap between the two windings so that the "unpowered" winding provides the field rotation.