5 gang 1 way switches?

[Dave]

Hi,

Does anyone know where I can obtain the above? It has to fit in a standard double box and must be a decent one!

TIA

[Stefek Zaba]

I think you're stuffed with those precise constraints; 5 is a Peculiar Number! Gridswitches are the usual resort for many-gang setups, but the largest plate you can get for a double box is a 4-way fitting.

Three-gang single-plate switches are readily available, though: so if you can swap the existing double box for a *dual* box (available in all mounting variants - surface, flush metal, and flush plastic (with the funny little wings for gripping plasterboard), you can fit two of these side by side, or a double next to a triple. Duals are a little wider than doubles, but only by, what, 8-10mm?

Otherwise, it's out with the resin-bonded-paper or similar insulating and structurally sound material, the careful drill (cone drill is good here, or a nicely sharp Forstner bit), and mount 5 small-enough all-insulated toggle or rocker switches. For ease of mounting, I find RS partnumber 329-7140 rather handy (point your browser at rswww.com and incant that number into the "search" box at the lefthand side) - single-hole snap-in mounting, 6A contact rating, choice of switch mechanisms (SPST/SPDT) and other variants. F'r example, I put one of these into the thin sheet metal base of an IKEA flourescent wall lamp on one side of the lad's room's mirror, to control that lamp and its twin on t'other side. Drilling a nice round hole of 20mm diam and filing out a little 2mm extra slot for the "anti-rotation" lug is a lot simpler than cutting out the rectangular holes which most rocker switches need, while the rocker mechanism is neater (less "sticky-outy") than yer average toggle switch. They also take faston crimp connectors, which make more sense for mains (even 1.0mm solid cores) than soldering; or you could solder/crimp v. short lengths of flex run off to a terminal block where you connect in the solid core cables.

HTH - Stefek

[Mike Harrison]

Do you _really_ need all 32 possible permutations of lights..?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Don't think you'll be lucky. However, 6 gang types are readily available from the likes of MK.

[Stefek Zaba]

He's right, you know: MK K4879 (on-line from TLC at

is indeed a 6-way double-box-fitting plateswitch. Well I never. A damn sight easier than custom-fitting 5 rockerswitches to a Suitable Plate, as I droned on about earlier this evening! A fund of useful knowledge, is our little corner of Usenet...

Stefek

[John Rumm]

How about:-

the spare switch and the other way!)

or

that try a grid switch (although you will probably only get 4 gangs in a double box).

[Dave Plowman (News)]

The MK one is pretty steep, though, at near 25 quid. Contactum do one for half that. Also in polished brass. You'd also get them to order in perhaps a bigger range of finishes from the specialists like Walsall.

[Peter]

For unusual and flexible faceplate configurations try and get hold of a Clipsal catalogue (there web site

isn't really browsable).

There E-Series has a flexible modular / grid system, and you can get a

1-gang face plate that can accomidate 5 modules (in this case light switches)

Blank switch plate:

E35 5G SWITCHPLATE ONLY (TAKES 30 SERIES MECHANISMS)

populated with 10amp 2 way switches E35/2SA 10A 5G 2WAY PLATESWITCH wise Clipsal is quite good (there a big Australian concern with links to Crabtree in the uk *I think*), But the design may not be what you are looking for!

HTH

Peter

[Peter]

You can download PDF versions of there catalogues on line at

Peter.

[Mike Tomlinson]

In article , Stefek Zaba writes

Twenty-two quid though!

[Mike Clarke]

I don't know if these are still available but many years ago I fitted some Crabtree dual switch modules into a 4 module grid. The switch rocker in each module is split down the middle to produce 2 independent switches. It provided a neat and compact solution for 8 circuits, but the wiring was a bit cramped in the back box though.

[Richard Porter]

I think you're stuffed there. I've seen 5-gang switches but they had small round rockers so I wouldn't call them decent. I got round the problem by replacing the double box with two singles and fitting 2-gang and a 3-gang MK switches. As they were for two ceiling lights and three wall lights that was quite convenient.

Richard

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Where you need to mount two one gang fittings touching, a combination or dual box is the answer. It's designed for just this job. And slightly cheaper than the equivalent two one gang boxes, as well as much easier to mount. You might need to go to a wholesaler for them, though.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I've got a box of these somewhere - for the older 'Classic' Crabtree grid range. Open to offers. ;-) Also a fair quantity of other parts - mainly plates in brass or chrome. Be interested in buying similar too.

[Dave]

In message , Dave expounds

Thanks for the pointers guys - I think I'll use 2 single boxes with a 2G in one and a 3G in the other

[Stefek Zaba]

Honestly, you'll bless us more if you track down a *dual* box - your on-line suppliers and every electrical trade counter (Yellow Pages if you don't already frequent one such) will flog you one for less than a couple of notes. (Well, coins, these days ;-) Lining up two singles sounds like it's simple enough, but it's ever so fiddly in practice with brick or similar backing, and quite impossible in dry-lining/plasterboard without fitting a backing piece of some sort. With a dual box, the two single-plate accessories line up perfectly with respect to each other - and you only have to worry about getting the whole box level ;-)

Stefek