# DC light switches



## Al. Countryboy (Oct 2, 2004)

I was reading on a site that had tips on DC wiring and lights and it said to use DC rated snap switches. It said that old snap swithces are DC rated even though they don't always say so. Is this a regular light flip type 110ac switch? Not sure if they are called snap switches? Any good sites where I can find DC wall switches that look simular to a house switch and fit in a regular box or something simular? Most of what I have found have been the automotive toggle type switches. Any sites dealing with DC house wiring will be appreciated. We plan to use 12v flourescent 13 and 24 watt bulbs. Thanks.


----------



## 12vman (Feb 17, 2004)

What I've done is put a relay at each light fixture. I ran the power direct to the fixture to save in wire length and losses and switched with the relay. I ran standard 4-wire phone line from the relay to standard wall switches. The current draw through the relay is very small so the wall switches should last a very long time..

To Add..
I ran the ground for the relay through the phone line to the switch. This way if the wire was shorted in any way, the only thing that would happen is the light fixture would come on. No fear of fire..
Don


----------



## Al. Countryboy (Oct 2, 2004)

Thanks 12vman. As soon as our 12v bulbs get back I will start doing a temp. set up and try here that will be like what we will be using when we make the move next year. I believe that I understand what your are telling me that you did and will get with someone in the next few days to show me what you did with yours. After paying for those 12v florescent bulbs I am now wondering if I should have gotten a small inverter and used regular AC flourscent? I was planning to put in a few AC wall plugs to use for lights in case our batteries go low. Now wonder that I may have made a mistake getting the 12v bulbs? What do any of your think?


----------



## wildhorse (Oct 22, 2006)

www.backwoodssolar.com/catalog/electrical.htm
http://www.globalideasbank.org/site/bank/idea.php?ideaId=5664


----------



## 12vman (Feb 17, 2004)

If you use the 12 volts direct, there are no losses BUT inverters are geting more efficient all of the time..

In my situation, I energize the coil via the phone wire through the switch. I get the ground at the light fixture, sent it to the switch and complete the circuit. I tie one side of the coil to the supply (12 volt) going to the light fixture. The relay is a normally open type..


----------



## Al. Countryboy (Oct 2, 2004)

I always enjoy your posts 12vman with many being helpful to me. Wildhorse the websites you gave was just what I needed. I had read through the backwoodssolar site before a good while ago, but missed some very important information while on there. Since where we are going has 230V and may take awhile for us to get I am taking a small generator and plan to use 12V lighting. The 12V plugs, swithces and 12V florscent bulbs are very expensive. I had already gotten my bulbs and was about to order some expensive 12V swithces at $10 bucks a piece until I read at backwoodssolar where you can use 230V switches and plugs when wiring up a 12V system. Bingo!!! Then if or when we possibly get or have to possibly hook up to 230V we could simply switch out bulbs and not have to run more wiring, plugs and switches. I could also buy some of those reducer plugs for some of our 110 appliances (small microwave and our 12VDC-110AC frig./freezer that we were taking that would run off the generator. Since I know very little about electricity and could be wrong, correct me if I am going in the wrong direction. Thanks again for your help.


----------



## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

I went from totally off grid back in 2000 to mainly on grid. I was able to keep all of my light switches. They're heavy duty dc rated... and they make an audible 'snap' when you flip em on and off. I've seriously thought about changing em out to regular switches, because of the noise factor.


----------

