Household AC switches

[starleen2]

What are we launching??

[wannabefree]

Wow. I thought I was nuts.

Believe it or not, there is a small difference between an AC light switch and one made for high current DC. It is in the metal used for the contacts. That said, it is a pretty insignificant difference and shouldn't lead to any problems, though you may see a little sparking. The trouble with light switches is cutting all those rectangular holes. Lots of filing unless you have a punch. I would opt for something that fits a round hole. Time is money.

[Larwyn]

LOL, making the slots for the switches is easy piece of cake... no filing at all ... If you have a MILLING MACHINE available... LOL

Used the milling machine from work to do all the required...

I had a serious talk with my Boss, Professional Electrical Engineer, owner and President of the Electrical Engineering Design company, and was discussing about that heated argument AC OR DC for light switches, he said you should not have any problem for use with DC if you do not overload them. With either AC or DC there is gap sparking. You can look at the ratings of a good relay and it has rating for both AC and DC, same contact .. lol I believe its just that someone wanted to get too technical just to put some cream on their tacos... jajajaj If the switch fails just change it, most manufactured products today are mostly reliable, and besides the AC switch only has an AC rating because thats mostly an application for AC switching, but if someome wanted to find ratings for DC they probably could come up with one, if that was their use instead....

With AC that arc will extinguish at the zero crossing (60 time a second in the US). DC has no zero crossing.

[dovaka]

You can look at the ratings of a good relay and it has rating for both AC and DC, same contact.

that's because if its rated for dc it is good enough for ac but that doesn't translate the other way around. i have seen lots of light switches fail from dc use before but as long as you don't switch them under a heavy load you should be fine

[Dale M.]

Wasn't it establishes that the DC rating was about the same as AC rating only if dc voltage was 30 volts or less, unless switch has specific DC ratings marked on unit.... So if a switch was rated for 15 amp AC (120 volt) it may be acceptable with a 15 amp load or less DC, IF DC voltage is below 30 volts.....

http://www.carlingtech.com/products/swi ... p-rating#3

See comment "DC Rule of Thumb"...

Dale

[satch]

My thinking is way take a chance?
I would much rather feel safe using the right switch.
Besides, dc switches are smaller, and IMO, look better

[dovaka]

My thinking is way take a chance?
I would much rather feel safe using the right switch.
Besides, dc switches are smaller, and IMO, look better

yea considering how buried te switches are on how much i spent on everything else i didnt mind spending the extra money on the right switches. i also forogt to ask, what on earth are you powering in there with that many switches?

[eamarquardt]

My #2 son just made a breaker panel for his baja bug with 10 circuit breakers. I wasn't feeling up to it (and showing him how to use the mill in my garage) so I just told him to lay out the holes, center punch, pilot drill, and then use a step drill for the center toggle hole and the right size drill for the mounting screws. He layed em out, drilled thirty holes, and the results were perfect!

You can (as I have) lay out a design similar to the one posted, drill holes to initially put a saw or file through, and cut and file rectangular holes to any size. If you pay attention you can get very acceptable results.

If you look closely, you can see that the holes in the post are not really rectangular but rounded at each end. Using the mill is a compromise (but everything in life is a compromise).

Where there is a will, there is a way!!! Nice panel but I'd have used circuit breakers (I have a lifetime supply picked up at a surplus store)rather than fuses but a good engineer uses the materials available to them.

Cheers,

Gus

[Lou Park]

My thinking is way take a chance?
I would much rather feel safe using the right switch.
Besides, dc switches are smaller, and IMO, look better

yea considering how buried te switches are on how much i spent on everything else i didnt mind spending the extra money on the right switches. i also forogt to ask, what on earth are you powering in there with that many switches?

After all, what are you saving? $40? Cheap insurance if you ask me.
And if your rig caught on fire from this and your switch's were the cause, would your insurance cover anything?
Lou

[Arne]

After seeing some of these panels, I feel so inadequate. I have one house switch which turns on one ceiling light. The switch is in the ceiling where I can reach it easily from the door way for entry, and from my sleeping position when in bed.

The main, and only other switch is on the power strip fed by shore power and made for 115v...

All other switches came embedded in the product, like the fantastic fan, the inverter and the reading lights.

[Bodyman]

Arne I don't feel inadequate. I just wonder WHY??