Browse Forums General Discussion 1 Sep 30, 2013 2:21 pm Hi all, I was thinking of purchasing some glass panel European light switches which look pretty flash. Apparently they work fine in Australia and people have installed them here. They are CE certified. The only concern I have is that they are 5 Amp. I'm not electrically minded at all so I don't know if this matters but I have noticed that most Australian made switches are 10 Amp. Max. Voltage: AC 110~250V/50Hz~60Hz Max. Current: 5A Size: 80mm*80mm*40mm Total Rated Load: 2000W Operating Environmnt: -30~70 Centigrade; less than 95% RH Self Consuming Power: Less than 0.1mW Any ideas? Thanks for any help. Re: 5 Amp Light Switches 2Sep 30, 2013 8:26 pm Shouldn't be a drama. At 5A and 240v you could run up to 1200w worth of lights through every switch. Even assuming old style incandescents at 60w each, that's 20 lights per switch. In saying that though, they say their total rated load is 2000w - at 240v, thats actually 8.3A, so something in their specs doesn't quite add up. Also, they really should meet Aus standards to be installed, and not all electricians may be happy to install them... 4 Re: 5 Amp Light Switches 3Sep 30, 2013 10:12 pm Pain to install-normal faceplate size is 114x73mm with 84mm mounting centres. For memory on a 80x80 plates the mounting centres are either 65 or 68mm. This will require a bit of extra work for the installing electrician to fit these off in regards to fixing points. I had to fit off some single BS1363 outlets on workbenches some time ago and ended up having to fit adaptor plates to fit the existing outlet holes. From what I was taught in trade school many moons ago was the change from a minimum of five to ten amps was to allow for inrush current from incandescent lights. In the good old days, you were luck to have two lights per room so it wasn't that big a problem but Clipsal and HPM have been putting their switch mechanisms as ten amp minimum dating back to the 1960's. I've had a quick thumb through AS3000 and haven't found anything about minimum switch ratings in regards to the five or ten amp rating but it may be back in previous editions where this is mentioned and over time with the rarity of the five amp mechanism it has disappeared. Personally I'd give them a miss-also what are you going to do for spares when one breaks? Final point-if its marked as CE compliant that doesn't mean that its approved for use in the Australia. The CE mark is used within the European Economic Community for safety of an appliance or fixture. Best bet is to contact the Electrical Inspectors in your state before you purchase the items or you may have no comeback if a problem arises down the line. Shelly switches require a paid subscription for full access to all features which is ridiulous given the lifespan of a home and if you were to sell it or buy a home with… 2 5194 Hi - thanks for your reply. Yes I think 'Ill go for whitish with very speckly bits rather than pure white something like this. PS was actually 2008 I built the… 2 12436 That was always going to be a challenge and a test of patience. Full marks to your mate. Did you discuss the wet area near the trampoline? 16 18270 |