Three position wall switches?

Dec 29, 2012 11 Replies

Hi,



I am after a bank of at least three (preferably 4) switches on a standard single sized light switch plate, where each switch has three positions, the middle position can be off or be another contact closure.



This is running on 12v, controlling zones on an alarm, which then controls various lighting.



One position will be off (centre position), one will be auto (the usual off position) and one will be permanent on (the usual on position).



I have looked around, but can't seem to see anything suitable - any ideas?



Thanks :-)


You could always fit some centre-off toggles to a blanking plate. Not pretty though.

Yea, not really in keeping with the rest of the house, so that's not going to happen unfortunately! Needs to be rocker type, in an ideal world brushed s/s with black switches!

I suppose I could get a s/s blanking plate and cut these in...

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Too wide, but these might do it -

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Too wide, but these might do it -

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Make your own? There are lots of three position toggle type mini switches about. Of course most tend to be solder contacts.

Brian

I think mk make a 3 position grid switch, if 20A is enough. 8-)

Someone posted a link to some rockers at RS Components up-thread a bit. If you follow that link and go back up the selection tree from there (shocking site!), narrow down the range to on-off-on switches then you'll get about 40 switches. The are some really small ones rated 20 odd V ac/dc and 0.4A that the data shows are gold plated and will do the job but you'd need to cut them into a faceplate and be very neat about it. The other switches from the same manufacturer, including paddle toggles, might do too but the data shows that only part of the range is gold plated so beware.

Consider also slide switches available from the RS site Alternatives can be found at CPC, Rapid, Maplin.

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slide switches just look out for the method of fixing, some are designed to fit a circuit board but others have tapped fixing holes for mounting to panels.

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