household electrical question

Loooong shot --

--s falke

"James O'D> Anyone seen a type of switch for 240V circuit which is a clockwork (not

In Australia we have some timeswitches that sound like what you want. There may be an equivilant in the US.

It is used for stairwell illumination. They normally have one at each door and you press the big button in all the way. It has some sort of pnumatic mechinism that only lets it come out slowly, As long as it is in, THe circuit is made, and the last little bit out toggles the overcenter switch.

You adjust the time by adjusting the air bleed screw. After that the time is almost always the same for every operation.

I Stuck one in a plastic box with a with a lead in and a lead out and used them for the kids when they used to read a book at night time in bed.

I was able to get the time extended to about 30 minutes with a little fiddling.

Tom Grayson

press the button and read. If it goes out

try these Mechanical Run Back timers

Fads

I have two of them purchased in North America within the past 2 years. Manufacturer is "Intermatic". You might do a web search for the manufacturer and see if they are available in the UK?

(Convenient little devils, aren't they?)

HR.

Thanks everyone. Surprising there's only one manufacturer of the household version of such things. Maybe I should corner the supply market for the UK! Household electricians haven't even heard of them.

Jim

James O'D>

Yep, they are available. A company called ECS makes them and I think they operate in the UK as well.

URL is

This is the aussie version, i have seen these in use and they seem pretty good. great for places when lighting induced surges are a problem. In the catalogue at work they picture versions which look like they fit on standard british wall boxes. Contacts are rated 12.5 amps @ 240 volts.

hope this helps James

Most the ones I have used are pnewmatic not clockwork push button on outside setting screw on inside.

Eric

I have one connected to my whole house fan - it is clockwork - you can hear it ticking away in the wall