NZ Electrics (off topic content removed )

[SUNRAY]

I worked with a sparks from South Africa who used 'Alive' in place of 'Live' but then 'A, B, C' for 3ph.

Fairly recently I changed an in-line RCD along this sort of style

which had a window showing a red/black mechanical flag beside a neon.
Operation was 'Reset' turned from black to red and lit the neon (if it was powered).
'Trip' only tripped it if it was powered. IE the extension lead could be plugged in and out until the cows come home without ever touching a button.

I'm pretty sure we used to have some of this sort of thing

which followed the same format.

 

[JohnW2]

I worked with a sparks from South Africa who used 'Alive' in place of 'Live' ...

Fair enough, so are you suggesting that "A/P" may mean "Alive/Phase" ?

but then 'A, B, C' for 3ph.

My three phases were orginally labelled as A, B & C (and with red, blue and green coloured disks). Although when the supplier installed an isolator they labelled that outputs asL1/L2/L3, they also attached A/B/C markers, presumably to retain reference to the previous status quo ...

 

[plugwash]

Is it just me, or is it somewhat less than clear what those two LEDs indicate?

I wonder if the left indicator is not a LED, but a mechanical indicator. Certainly I've seen such mechanical indicators on RCD sockets in the UK.

 

[JohnW2]

I wonder if the left indicator is not a LED, but a mechanical indicator. Certainly I've seen such mechanical indicators on RCD sockets in the UK.

Yes, that's another possibility,even though it looks the same as the one on the right, which presumably IS an LED. I must say that, assuming that such is what the labelling means, an LED could display 'black' - but I guessed that was perhaps the 'apparent colour' when an LED was not illuminated.

In any event, be it an LED or a mechanical indicator, I'm not really sure (from looking at the device and its labelling), exactly what it means (different from the 'on/off' LED to its right).

Maybe New Zealanders are more clever than us

 

[plugwash]

A LED/Neon indicator tells you whether or not there is power. A mechanical indicator tells you whether or not the switch contacts are open. In certain situation this distinction can be rather important.

In RCDs with a toggle, the toggle acts as a mechanical indicator, but in push button units in the UK there is nearly always a mechanical indicator. I guess the units in NZ are designed to similar standards and also have such an indicator.

 

[JohnW2]

A LED/Neon indicator tells you whether or not there is power. A mechanical indicator tells you whether or not the switch contacts are open. In certain situation this distinction can be rather important.

Yes, maybe - but it depends upon what you mean by "whether or not there is power" ...

If you mean "power on the output of the device", then is that materially different from "whether or not the switch contacts are open"? On the other hand,if you mean "power on the input of the device", I'm not sure that would be very useful, certainly not "important" (in relation to safety).

In RCDs with a toggle, the toggle acts as a mechanical indicator, but in push button units in the UK there is nearly always a mechanical indicator.

True, but they generally don't also have an LED/neon to tell you whether or not the contacts are open, do they?

 

[RandomGrinch]

Two red LEDs...

I'm sticking to my original guess

 

[JohnW2]

Two red LEDs... I'm sticking to my original guess

Again, you may be right.

However, if those indicators (whether they both be LEDs or whatever) have any significance in terms of what might be called 'safety' issues, I would personally be a bit nervous about not understanding for sure what they meant

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Again, you may be right.

However, if those indicators (whether they both be LEDs or whatever) have any significance in terms of what might be called 'safety' issues, I would personally be a bit nervous about not understanding for sure what they meant

Might both LED's be in parallel, for safety, in case one should fail? The labelling to be read as - BLACK=OFF, RED=ON

 

[securespark]

Maybe black is the colour when the red is extinguished?

Here's another sRCD in a bathroom.

And a shower/pump arrangement:

Not sure what the screw is for, it doesn't stop the temperature dial from rotating.

In fact, that dial seems to do nothing. But if you rotate the power control, the water gets hotter. On number 3, it climbs to 44 degrees and hotter, but on number two, the max seems to be 35. The pump and isolator is inside the shower enclosure.

 

[JohnW2]

Might both LED's be in parallel, for safety, in case one should fail? The labelling to be read as - BLACK=OFF, RED=ON

Again, maybe ... but one really should not have to consdier all these guesses!

The only thing I can think of is that it's the sort of thing that is very familiar to New Zealanders - so that, unlike us, they 'understand without the need for guesses or "maybe"s ??

 

[JohnW2]

Maybe black is the colour when the red is extinguished?

Yes, maybe (and I think I have previously mentioned that possibility) - but I've just made my point about all there "maybe"s in my previous post

 

[securespark]

A DP switch with flex outlet.

 

[securespark]

Combo sRCD and shaver outlet

Another socket with built-in DP switch, this time labelled

Heater switch with flex outlet and timer integrated in a grid switch.

Bathroom light switch with separate rocker for the fan.

Oddly, the manufacturers feel the need to put "OFF" on the fan switch, but not the light switch.

 

[securespark]

On reflection, I suspect the DP switches have to have "OFF" marked on them, but SP switches don't.

Having said that, the hairdryer switch didn't have any markings....