"Floating" two-way switch.

[ban-all-sheds]

a floating elv switch has a lot less problems than a floating mains switch

Funny - for as long as I can remember I've been using switches like these,

as fitted to millions of table lamps world-wide, and never realised they had problems.

Live'n'learn, eh?

 

[securespark]

Trouble is ban, I need a two way switch like that and noone seems to make one. Are you saying I could use what's in your picture to trigger the relay?

Don' worry about going a bit off-topic. All ideas sane and zany worth considering, even the plateswitch/stick idea, but I think my missus will eventually tire of that one.....!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Don't think you can get 2-way ones.

You could make one by using a 2-way architrave switch, or any 230V rated SPDT or DPDT rocker switch that takes your fancy

and a small ABS box. It would appear to help if black took your fancy....

 

[securespark]

But neither of these is really suited to or designed for fitting on the end of a length of flex.

Want to keep Mr IEE happy...

Am leaning more to the relay idea a la francais. May have to go over to get the bits, but never mind... unless there is a french-online-diy shed?

Sorry, ban, cover your visual and aural sensory organs for a sec......

My missus (who has a better grasp of french than I do) is going back to that french forum to see if anybody can give me clues about how their relay is wired, what bits I need, etc...

As long as it complies, I'm happy......

 

[plugwash]

those switches in a small abs box with a compression gland should be fine....

 

[securespark]

Ok, I'll bear that in mind. I do like the idea of a relay with ptm switches to energise/de-energise the coil, though. Will chase that and see if I can find out more.

Cheers foks!

 

[securespark]

Hey everybody! You'll be thrilled to know I've solved my problem, albeit expensively......

I have a latching relay with a control coil @ 24VAC.

A tranny supplies 24V via any number of PTM switches, and when pushed the relay latches or unlatches, depending upon its current state, thus turning the light either on or off. The same happens from any ptm switch, so effectively you have a multiway switching system but running off SELV, so the kids won't fry themselves (for example, by putting the switch in their mouths.

Mind you, if they've been naughty........

I solved the floating switch dilemma by using alarm cable with a Friedland D647 push on the end.

Great! As the Jazz Man would have said through a haze of smoke...

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Nice one.

What do the regs say about having an enclosure with both ELV and LV present?.

 

[breezer]

they should be separated and marked as such

 

[securespark]

Sure. That I will do, of course, but there are a lot of enclosures/installations where ELV & LV meet and they're not well marked or segregated, for that matter.

Like BA control panels, and doorbell/tranny combo's to name two. In al fairness, it is often impossible to keep them apart.

We should use a lot more screened cable that is rated at 240, that's a good solution to the problem.

Talking of BA's, how many installs have you seen where LV supply is in same trunking as 6 core cables?

 

[breezer]

just a few, but that is because of the ignorance of the ba engineeer

 

[securespark]

I have seen two panels in South Manchester, both installed by well-to-do companies, one NIC (spark), one not (alarm installer).

The NIC one had no fused spur, the mains cable sharing the trunking with 6 core, and 6 core parallel to 240.

Rang the guy up and he was most abusive. Oh well.

The other installed by a well known installer who's been going years and writes letters to a security mag every issue (almost!) had a mains supply (unswitched spur) fed off another (switched spur). Hmmmmm....

Also, the customer damaged the siren cable, so he replaced the damaged bit with another piece, ie two jb's in conspicuous places. Pig's ear!
Why he didn't replace the whole thing, or at least cut back the cable to put the jb in a more thoughtful spot (didn't Winnie the Pooh have one of those?), I don't know.