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Other Vintage Household Electrical or Electromechanical Items For discussions about other vintage (over 25 years old) electrical and electromechanical household items. See the sticky thread for details. |
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19th Jan 2019, 7:31 pm | #1 |
Hexode
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Oswestry, Shropshire, UK.
Posts: 408
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Wiring Gewiss Outdoor Switch
I need to wire a Gewiss IP55 outdoor light switch. It is a one gang, one way switch, and will be used as such. I'm used to the labels COM, L1 and L2 but, instead, this is marked just 1, 2 and 3. Obviously, it's the Live that should be switched, but does anyone know, please, what should go where?
(No reminders please of how out of date I am referring to Live!) Many thanks. regards, Richard |
19th Jan 2019, 7:46 pm | #2 |
Heptode
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Blackburn, Lancashire, UK.
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Re: Wiring Gewiss Outdoor Switch
Can you provide a picture of the terminals, please, Richard? It might just help us to see what's what!
We like pictures!
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19th Jan 2019, 8:02 pm | #3 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Bognor Regis, West Sussex, UK.
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Re: Wiring Gewiss Outdoor Switch
Buzz it out but I think 1 is common.
Peter |
19th Jan 2019, 8:10 pm | #4 |
Heptode
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Re: Wiring Gewiss Outdoor Switch
That was my first thought, too.
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Best Regards, Peter. |
19th Jan 2019, 8:30 pm | #5 |
Heptode
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Re: Wiring Gewiss Outdoor Switch
Just been thinking, Richard, there's a forum called diynot, where I am sure they will provide the answer to your question.
Just post it in the electrical section. There are some really knowledgeable people on there. But, obviously, all the really clever people are on here!
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Best Regards, Peter. Last edited by Lancs Lad; 19th Jan 2019 at 8:43 pm. |
19th Jan 2019, 9:07 pm | #6 |
Heptode
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Blackburn, Lancashire, UK.
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Re: Wiring Gewiss Outdoor Switch
Sorry if I'm being a bit thick, but what does 'buzz it out' mean, please?
Is it electrician sparky-speak for some sort of testing? Obviously I'm not an electrician!
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Best Regards, Peter. |
19th Jan 2019, 9:15 pm | #7 |
Hexode
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Oswestry, Shropshire, UK.
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Re: Wiring Gewiss Outdoor Switch
Many thanks. Will post a photo in the morning. I find electrician forums to be rather unhelpful at times. As Peter says, the really clever people are on here.
Regards, Richard Last edited by YoungManGW; 19th Jan 2019 at 9:23 pm. |
19th Jan 2019, 9:22 pm | #8 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: North Somerset, UK.
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Re: Wiring Gewiss Outdoor Switch
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19th Jan 2019, 10:09 pm | #9 |
Heptode
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Blackburn, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 729
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Re: Wiring Gewiss Outdoor Switch
Thanks for that, broadgage. I'm a bit wiser now!
We never stop learning, do we? And thankyou, Richard, I know exactly what you mean about electrician's forums! There's a chap on diynot who is exceedingly prickly.....! Makes for some very entertaining reading sometimes, though.
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Best Regards, Peter. Last edited by Lancs Lad; 19th Jan 2019 at 10:22 pm. |
19th Jan 2019, 11:01 pm | #10 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Leominster, Herefordshire, UK.
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Re: Wiring Gewiss Outdoor Switch
Not sure "live" is simply out of date. AFAIK it's long been used interchangeably with "line".
Technically, neutral is also a "live" wire and is treated as such for things like suppression capacitors. Calling it "positive" would definitely be dated (as well as wrong) not to mention three wire dc where line could be negative as well!
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19th Jan 2019, 11:23 pm | #11 |
Dekatron
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Greater Manchester, UK.
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Re: Wiring Gewiss Outdoor Switch
Our American friends just say "hot" and "neutral"
You know when you are out-of date when someone pops up to remind you that the "earth wire" should properly be called the "CPC" (Circuit Protection Conductor), but I wouldn't do that
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19th Jan 2019, 11:59 pm | #12 |
Heptode
Join Date: Oct 2018
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Re: Wiring Gewiss Outdoor Switch
I really do not like the term 'line' at all. Whenever I see it I always wonder if it's a typo error and it was actually supposed to say 'live' in the first place.
After all, it's just common sense plain English to call it 'live'. Well it is in my book anyway! It perfectly describes exactly what it is, doesn't it? There's no confusion at all. And as for calling it 'hot', and calling good old Earth 'ground'! Well, words fail me! Sorry! Bit of a traditionalist here.
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Best Regards, Peter. |
20th Jan 2019, 1:02 pm | #13 |
Hexode
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Oswestry, Shropshire, UK.
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Re: Wiring Gewiss Outdoor Switch
Photo, as promised. Advice gratefully received.
Regards, Richard |
20th Jan 2019, 1:43 pm | #14 |
Rest in Peace
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: London, UK.
Posts: 2,508
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Re: Wiring Gewiss Outdoor Switch
The modern terminology is actually quite sensible. 'Line' has always been used in various ways to indicate a current-carrying wire that is not at earth potential, but 'live' was used interchangeably. Now, the term 'line' is used exclusively, with line and neutral being collectively called the 'live' conductors i.e. the ones that form a source of energy and that must be protected against being touched.
Contrasted with the 'live' conductors are 'protective' conductors which are there only for safety reasons. The one leading to the earth (spike or incoming earth facility of whatever kind) is still called the earthing conductor. Where a protective conductor belongs to a particular circuit in an installation it becomes the 'circuit protective conductor.' There are situations with different earthing arrangements present for different circuits and functions, hence sometimes a rather pedantic approach to naming the different functions (e.g. earthing vs. bonding) is necessary. WRT electrical forums, people with suspect-looking credentials often pop up to ask questions which, if answered, could lead to a lot of problems and liabilities, so contributors, myself included, sometimes 'test' newcomers rather aggressively before assisting. There is a lot of site-style banter too! WRT light switches, yes, bell it out! |
20th Jan 2019, 3:43 pm | #15 |
Hexode
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Oswestry, Shropshire, UK.
Posts: 408
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Re: Wiring Gewiss Outdoor Switch
#(No reminders please of how out of date I am referring to Live!)
Any thoughts on the wiring please? Regards, Richard |
20th Jan 2019, 3:48 pm | #16 |
Rest in Peace
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: London, UK.
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Re: Wiring Gewiss Outdoor Switch
Just use your meter to find any two terminals that will complete a circuit, and connect incoming line feed to one of them and outgoing switched line to the other.
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20th Jan 2019, 8:09 pm | #17 |
Dekatron
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Greater Manchester, UK.
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Re: Wiring Gewiss Outdoor Switch
I swapped a dimmer for my daughter a couple of weeks ago. the replacement looked identical.
I very nearly missed the fact that the old one had the terminals in the order L1-COM-L2 and the new one L1-L2-COM. Assume nothing!
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22nd Jan 2019, 7:51 pm | #18 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK.
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Re: Wiring Gewiss Outdoor Switch
if you're struggling I've got some of those gewiss switches at work, I can soon buzz one through.
Look on the bright side, you're unlikely to do any harm if you get them the wrong way round. Live Neutral and earth here by the way, don't even know anyone who calls it line except on the internet where they think someone else will correct them. Line to me means line-level ie audio
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Kevin |
23rd Jan 2019, 7:34 am | #19 |
Hexode
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Oswestry, Shropshire, UK.
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Re: Wiring Gewiss Outdoor Switch
Thanks Kevin. All done. For my purpose, 1 was live in, 2 was switched live out.
Regards, Richard |
26th Jan 2019, 11:13 am | #20 |
Octode
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Co. Durham, UK.
Posts: 1,117
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Re: Wiring Gewiss Outdoor Switch
If you are running in a supply, then they are 'Leads' and 'Returns'.
Easy to remember, too: Leads to the Left, Returns to the Right. (Facing AWAY from the dynamo). |