solinoid switch ?

I have 3 outside lights the switch for which is in the airing cupboard, far from convenient. it handles about 1KW

I would like to replace the switch which has about 6 wires to it with something that can be switched at a distance like a solenoid using much lighter cable.This would allow me to run a wire to the kitchen without major work.

Do such things exist ?, what are they called ? I've looked on ebay and everything is for cars.

Thanks

Parts

Reply to
christopher
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Try the term "contactor" instead, a lot will be DIN rail mounting, but you should find a wall mounting one, whether any will fit in a backbox with a blank plate is a different matter ...

Reply to
Andy Burns

Have you looked for *relays* rather than solenoids?

Reply to
Roger Mills

Another thought . . .

Are you switching all 3 on and off in one go - i.e. are they all wired together in parallel?

If so, could you wire them into a 13A plug, plugged into a socket? You could then use a remote controlled plug-in switch unit (as sold by the likes of Maplin) and switch them wirelessly from the kitchen - or anywhere else within wireless range.

Incidentally, 1kW is only just over 4 amps at 230 volts - so you don't need a massive cable for it anyway - 1 mm^2 is quite sufficient.

Reply to
Roger Mills

Commonly called a relay or contactor. They are the same sort of thing - but relays normally have low voltage coils which would mean using a transformer. Contactors usually 240v coils. But a simple one - just the equivalent of a 6 amp off/on switch, ie SPST, can be hard to find and too bulky to fit a switch box.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

There are plenty of 230 V AC coil relays around, e.g. the good old octal-base ones:

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a kilowatt of tungsten lighting (no comment) will have an inrush current of 50-60 A at switch-on, so a contactor, having much beefier contacts than a relay, is much to be preferred, e.g.
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one of the consumer unit contactors mounted in a suitable enclosure:
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Reply to
Andy Wade

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