240volt switch used with 12volts?

[Vass]

ooerrr, do I run the risk of electrocuting Joe Public?

[Andy Champ]

No.

OK, long answer: 12v continuous isn't anywhere near enough to even feel

- unless Joe is keen on chewing the wires - and any back EMF switching spikes won't have enough power to give you more than a tingle. Won't even hurt.

Andy

[Peter Parry]

No - but you do need to take care that the drive shaft is reasonably protected, a wheelchair motor (if that is what you are using) has a lot of torque and is more than powerful enough to ingest small children who get clothes entangled in it.

[The Natural Philosopher]

No. You might at the worst give someone a nasty belt though. A stalled electric motor is a bit like a car ignition coil primary. You can get a couple of hundred volts spike if you break the circuit.

[The Natural Philosopher]

I beg to differ, having played with a Meccano motor and a train transformer in my youth. The back emf is several hundred volts. A LOT more than a tingle.

I jumped across te bedroom and banged my knee.

Ok its not quite in the 'hold that plug while I test the spark on that

2-stroke' league, but its still a jolt to be reckoned with..

[Vass]

thanks for concern, but button is over the fence, the turntable is not accessible to anyone but me

[Clint Sharp]

In message , The Natural Philosopher writes

But surely the switch will be built in such a way that it's at least difficult to touch the live parts? As long as the OP takes care to enclose the wiring and switch terminals I don't think he's got much to worry about and wouldn't the back emf from an interrupted circuit on a spinning motor be higher (seems to make sense but I'm wondering)?

[stan]

Ahem! Do you mean to say "The current 'rating' of the switch will be lower if used to switch off/on DC amps. Especially so since the DC amps are via a motor with inductive windings".