- #1
drcrash
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Is this a correct way to wire a DPDT toggle switch so that you can run current through two identical resistance heaters either in parallel or in series (or not at all, so that you have off/half/full power)?
The idea is that when the switch is in the down position, current flows through the left heater, down the left half of the switch, across the jumper, up the right side, and through the other heater. (And the other way for the other half of the AC cycle.)
When the switch is in the up position, current flows through the left heater, up the left half of the switch, to neutral AND (in parallel) down the right side of the switch and through the right heater to neutral.
With the switch in the middle, nothing flows and that's the OFF position.
I'm concerned about safety as well as correctness here, because it will be handling 120VAC power.
For example, is there a rule about polarity for a toggle switch, such that the center connections should be neutral to avoid making the switch live, or anything like that?
(It's not a homework question, BTW; it's more of a "do I understand toggle switch wiring?" and "will this kill somebody?" kind of question.)
I realize that there's no need for the current to flow through both sides of the switch in the down position. (I suppose it might be just slightly better to use two diagonal jumpers from the center connections to the opposite-side bottom connections. That way current could flow through both sides in parallel, so that if one happened to fail, the other would still keep it working.)
Thanks for any advice.
Code:
+---------------------------+
| |
| +-----|----------------------+
| | | |
| + -|- - -|- + |
| | | | | |
| * * |
| | | |
+----/\/\/\/\/\/------* *-------/\/\/\/\/\/----+
| | | |
| *-----* |
| | | |
| + - - - - - + |
| |
| |
| |
Hot Neutral
The idea is that when the switch is in the down position, current flows through the left heater, down the left half of the switch, across the jumper, up the right side, and through the other heater. (And the other way for the other half of the AC cycle.)
When the switch is in the up position, current flows through the left heater, up the left half of the switch, to neutral AND (in parallel) down the right side of the switch and through the right heater to neutral.
With the switch in the middle, nothing flows and that's the OFF position.
I'm concerned about safety as well as correctness here, because it will be handling 120VAC power.
For example, is there a rule about polarity for a toggle switch, such that the center connections should be neutral to avoid making the switch live, or anything like that?
(It's not a homework question, BTW; it's more of a "do I understand toggle switch wiring?" and "will this kill somebody?" kind of question.)
I realize that there's no need for the current to flow through both sides of the switch in the down position. (I suppose it might be just slightly better to use two diagonal jumpers from the center connections to the opposite-side bottom connections. That way current could flow through both sides in parallel, so that if one happened to fail, the other would still keep it working.)
Thanks for any advice.
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