Home light-switches with relay boxes in old houses
Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2012 1:28 am
Last week, when visiting potential houses to move to, I was at a house that had an unusual system for its lights. It used relay boxes to switch the room lights, using low voltage 'doorbel style' switches. Offcource this might be a nice system to use for automation, as you only need to change things at the relay boxes, where all wiring comes together, no changes to the other wiring.
But more curious. Why did the use this system, back then when building those (low cost I think) houses. They could save on high voltage wires and switches, but also need to add those relay boxes. The 'doorbel' style switches where not durable, as many where replaced, by new ones, many different styles
, so different models over time. I was told that this kind of electrical installation was usual during that time. I never saw it before, anywhere...
I did not see the relay boxes inside, but from its function it must be ímpulse' relays.Those boxes looked like small cast-iron installation cabinets, one on each floor, with many layers of paint on them You would expect them in factories (ok bigger ones), not in homes.Those houses where build arround the sixees, so I assume home automation, back then, was not a hot toppic. I do not think that the electrical wiring was added, after those houses where in use, but you never know.
Does anybody know those systems excisted for normal houses, and what could be a reason to build it that way? Would it be cost, or would it be some 'modern' thing for that time? Or was it used for some kind of renovation, where no tubes for wiring needed to be deployed into the walls? The switching wires where just tiny cables cramped to the door-frame.
But more curious. Why did the use this system, back then when building those (low cost I think) houses. They could save on high voltage wires and switches, but also need to add those relay boxes. The 'doorbel' style switches where not durable, as many where replaced, by new ones, many different styles
, so different models over time. I was told that this kind of electrical installation was usual during that time. I never saw it before, anywhere...I did not see the relay boxes inside, but from its function it must be ímpulse' relays.Those boxes looked like small cast-iron installation cabinets, one on each floor, with many layers of paint on them
You would expect them in factories (ok bigger ones), not in homes.Those houses where build arround the sixees, so I assume home automation, back then, was not a hot toppic. I do not think that the electrical wiring was added, after those houses where in use, but you never know. Does anybody know those systems excisted for normal houses, and what could be a reason to build it that way? Would it be cost, or would it be some 'modern' thing for that time? Or was it used for some kind of renovation, where no tubes for wiring needed to be deployed into the walls? The switching wires where just tiny cables cramped to the door-frame.