I've spent the day helping a friend move into a newish (15 months old)
house. We've sorted out the mysteries of the central heating system etc.
but we are puzzled by two 'islation switches'. One is above the door of the
downstairs cloakroom and the other above the door of the upstairs bathroom.
I've not come across these before. Please can someone explain what they
might do?

TIA,
Nick.

Nick L wrote:
I've spent the day helping a friend move into a newish (15 months old)
house. We've sorted out the mysteries of the central heating system etc.
but we are puzzled by two 'islation switches'. One is above the door of the
downstairs cloakroom and the other above the door of the upstairs bathroom.
I've not come across these before. Please can someone explain what they
might do?

TIA,
Nick.



They will more than likely be for extract fans.

"Nick L" wrote in message
...
I've spent the day helping a friend move into a newish (15 months old)
house. We've sorted out the mysteries of the central heating system etc.
but we are puzzled by two 'islation switches'. One is above the door of
the downstairs cloakroom and the other above the door of the upstairs
bathroom. I've not come across these before. Please can someone explain
what they might do?

TIA,
Nick.

There may be carcass wiring in place for bathroom appliances like electric
razors and extractor fans. Can you get details from the builder/developer?

"Nick L" wrote in message
...
I've spent the day helping a friend move into a newish (15 months old)
house. We've sorted out the mysteries of the central heating system etc.
but we are puzzled by two 'islation switches'. One is above the door of
the downstairs cloakroom and the other above the door of the upstairs
bathroom. I've not come across these before. Please can someone explain
what they might do?

TIA,
Nick.


They completely isolate the extractor fan in the room.
They are unusual because they are triple -pole
Neutral - Permanent live (for delay timer) - Switched live
--
Graham.

%Profound_observation%

Nick L coughed up some electrons that declared:

I've spent the day helping a friend move into a newish (15 months old)
house. We've sorted out the mysteries of the central heating system etc.
but we are puzzled by two 'islation switches'. One is above the door of
the downstairs cloakroom and the other above the door of the upstairs
bathroom.
I've not come across these before. Please can someone explain what they
might do?

TIA,
Nick.

If it looks like:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Ind...hes/index.html

It's a 3 pole fan isolator (L, N and lighting switched Live - as many fans
need to know when the lights are on)

HTH

Tim

"Nick L" wrote in message
...
I've spent the day helping a friend move into a newish (15 months old)
house. We've sorted out the mysteries of the central heating system etc.
but we are puzzled by two 'islation switches'. One is above the door of
the downstairs cloakroom and the other above the door of the upstairs
bathroom. I've not come across these before. Please can someone explain
what they might do?

TIA,
Nick.

Thanks to all. Both rooms have extractor fans - which for some reason had
been left isolated.
Both are working now.

Nick.

Nick L wrote:

Both rooms have extractor fans - which for some reason had
been left isolated.

And you can bet will be switched off again inside the week - there's
nothing more irritating than a fan running pointlessly for hours on end.

Why can't someone work out a proper solution to these (a one shot pull
cord for example) instead of the now standard nonsense of wiring it to
come on with the light?!?!??!

--
Scott

Where are we going and why am I in this handbasket?

"Scott M" wrote in message
...
Nick L wrote:

Both rooms have extractor fans - which for some reason had been left
isolated.

And you can bet will be switched off again inside the week - there's
nothing more irritating than a fan running pointlessly for hours on end.

Why can't someone work out a proper solution to these (a one shot pull
cord for example) instead of the now standard nonsense of wiring it to
come on with the light?!?!??!

But they usually run for a few minutes after the light is switched off.
then stop.
Your solution is doomed because as everyone should know,
you can't smell your own ****!

--
Graham.

%Profound_observation%

"Scott M" wrote in message
...
Nick L wrote:

Both rooms have extractor fans - which for some reason had been left
isolated.

And you can bet will be switched off again inside the week - there's
nothing more irritating than a fan running pointlessly for hours on end.

Why can't someone work out a proper solution to these (a one shot pull
cord for example) instead of the now standard nonsense of wiring it to
come on with the light?!?!??!

--
Scott


Like the one I fitted at my parents downstairs toilet. Momentary push button
on the wall for a 10 minute run on the fan.

Adam

Scott M wrote:

Why can't someone work out a proper solution to these (a one shot pull
cord for example) instead of the now standard nonsense of wiring it to
come on with the light?!?!??!

I replaced our bathroom light switch with a 2 gang gridswitch with a normal
SP switch module for the light and a push switch module with the fan
permanent live wired through the normally closed contacts. If the room's
not smelly or steamy then we just prod the push switch after turning off
the light on the way out to cancel the timer, otherwise leave it to run on
the timer.

It suits us to cancel the fan when not wanted but it would be simple to wire
the push switch to supply the fan switched live instead using the normally
open contacts so that you prod the switch to activate the timer when
desired.

--
Mike Clarke

ARWadsworth wrote:

Like the one I fitted at my parents downstairs toilet. Momentary push button
on the wall for a 10 minute run on the fan.

What switch did you go for? Only ever seen ones with a little bell
symbol on!

--
Scott

Where are we going and why am I in this handbasket?

Graham. wrote:

But they usually run for a few minutes after the light is switched off.
then stop.

You make it sound like it's not hugely irritating.


Your solution is doomed because as everyone should know,
you can't smell your own...

Except that of the 892 trips per day into our windowless shower room,
very few require the fan to run (bypassed the £$%^&* timer in here!)

--
Scott

Where are we going and why am I in this handbasket?

"Scott M" wrote in message
...
ARWadsworth wrote:

Like the one I fitted at my parents downstairs toilet. Momentary push
button on the wall for a 10 minute run on the fan.

What switch did you go for? Only ever seen ones with a little bell symbol
on!

--
Scott

Hi Scott

I fitted this

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MKK4848P.html

The word "press" rubbed off ages ago. TLC also do a full sized light switch
if you prefer that.

Adam

"Owain" wrote in message
...
ARWadsworth wrote:
I fitted this
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MKK4848P.html
The word "press" rubbed off ages ago.

You'd think they'd make a switch with "****" engraved on it, or "SMELLY".
They do a lot of other wording.

Owain

Indeed.

It would stop visitors using the toilet asking what the switch was for.

"Do Not Press" would be a better idea and then they would press it and find
out without asking.

Adam

ARWadsworth wrote:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MKK4848P.html

The word "press" rubbed off ages ago. TLC also do a full sized light switch
if you prefer that.

Oooh, ta. I shall bear that one in mind when I get round to re-doing the
bathroom. Previous owner had the sense to have the fan put on a pull
cord but you can end up not being sure if its been unpulled. I could
bypass the timer but I like the idea of keeping it!

The windowsless shower room has the same unit and I had to rip out (well
bypass) the timer on that as the damn this got so irritating running for
ages afterwards we took to just not using the loo in there for ages!


--
Scott

Where are we going and why am I in this handbasket?

"Scott M" wrote in message
...
ARWadsworth wrote:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MKK4848P.html

The word "press" rubbed off ages ago. TLC also do a full sized light
switch if you prefer that.

Oooh, ta. I shall bear that one in mind when I get round to re-doing the
bathroom. Previous owner had the sense to have the fan put on a pull cord
but you can end up not being sure if its been unpulled. I could bypass the
timer but I like the idea of keeping it!

The windowsless shower room has the same unit and I had to rip out (well
bypass) the timer on that as the damn this got so irritating running for
ages afterwards we took to just not using the loo in there for ages!


--
Scott


http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MK3190.html

and change the cord

Adam

ARWadsworth wrote:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MK3190.html

and change the cord

Now that's interesting. I'd thought of an emergency pull but the only
ones I've ever seen have had red bodies too.

--
Scott

Where are we going and why am I in this handbasket?

"Scott M" wrote in message
...
ARWadsworth wrote:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MK3190.html

and change the cord

Now that's interesting. I'd thought of an emergency pull but the only ones
I've ever seen have had red bodies too.

--
Scott


Your only other option is to use a double pole pull cord with a neon light
to tell you if it is in the on or off position. It means getting a neutral
to the switch. It is not a bad method as when you go for a shower you can
turn it on and have it running whilst you have the shower and if you cannot
remember if it is in the on or off position after getting dried you have a
visual indicatior.
eg
http://www.allaboutelectrics.co.uk/doc/12/vid/1555/CRABTREE_16A_CEILING_PULL_SWITCH.html

Adam

ARWadsworth wrote:

Your only other option is to use a double pole pull cord with a neon light
to tell you if it is in the on or off position.

Now why didn't I think of that?!??!?!? Bungalow so an easy run for a
neutral. Prefer the one shot idea though - I like to steam the bathroom
up and only zap it after I've got out.


--
Scott

Where are we going and why am I in this handbasket?

Scott M coughed up some electrons that declared:

ARWadsworth wrote:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MK3190.html

and change the cord

Now that's interesting. I'd thought of an emergency pull but the only
ones I've ever seen have had red bodies too.


Genius (PP). I need some momentary pull cords - the GET push button dimmers
have a slave input - simple momentary mak e- this will be ideal for
bedrooms

In article ,
Owain writes:
ARWadsworth wrote:
I fitted this
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MKK4848P.html
The word "press" rubbed off ages ago.

You'd think they'd make a switch with "****" engraved on it, or
"SMELLY". They do a lot of other wording.

No, you'd need an internationally recognised pictogram.
Wouldn't need to change much in this weight warning pictogram:
http://www.cucumber.demon.co.uk/heavy.jpg

By the way, you can get grid switches with tiny windows to
insert your own text on a small rectangular piece of card.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

"Owain" wrote in message
et...
Andrew Gabriel wrote:
You'd think they'd make a switch with "****" engraved on it, or
"SMELLY". They do a lot of other wording.
No, you'd need an internationally recognised pictogram.
Wouldn't need to change much in this weight warning pictogram:
http://www.cucumber.demon.co.uk/heavy.jpg

Explosive farts and four-way orgy?

Owain

Four is a wife swap and not an orgy.

Adam

Owain coughed up some electrons that declared:

Andrew Gabriel wrote:
You'd think they'd make a switch with "****" engraved on it, or
"SMELLY". They do a lot of other wording.
No, you'd need an internationally recognised pictogram.
Wouldn't need to change much in this weight warning pictogram:
http://www.cucumber.demon.co.uk/heavy.jpg

Explosive farts and four-way orgy?

Owain

4 way bondage - look at the contraption to the left. Looks fun - er, if
you're into that sort of stuff *cough*