On Tuesday, August 1, 2006 at 11:38:14 AM UTC-4, Steve Wechsler wrote:

Wow, you guys are great!

Unfotunately, it's probably going to be a couple of weeks before I can
do a complete trace of all wiring. Here's what I know so far:

1) Wall switches are installed in frames embedded in plaster rather
than full electric boxes, and are horizontal (The frames are
horizontal, but the switches are vertical. This configuration is no
longer sold by GE). Most plates only have one switch installed, but
some have two or three.
2) Latching relays are installed inside ceiling boxes. Low voltage
wires do not enter the boxes directly, but instead enter the relays
through an entry in the side drilled through the box. There is no
central controller. Unswitched 120V wiring runs to each ceiling box.
3) There is three conductor low voltage wiring going from each switch
to the ceiling box that it controls. Some relays have more than one
switch controlling them.
4) All boxes have a two conductor wire for power from a central
transformer. The power wire is daisy chained.
5) Some relays have an additional wire running from them to a 9-way
remote rotary controller.

I guess what I was hoping was that there would be something like an
RS422 network that I could run on the existing wires. I may need to
back to those controllers that Marc mentioned (but unfortunately those
don't even provide for any automation).

Steve

I happened onto this thread while thinking about replacing my low-voltage latching relay system with solid-state relays. I am less interested in home automation than having more reliable relays. My house was built in 1956 and there are two boxes in the
attic full of the relays and wiring out. Our house also has a couple of the rotary switch, multiple location systems. One thing I am amazed at is that one of these switches has a lighted panel I think there's a small neon bulb in there. I know neon lamps
last for a long time, but I think this is the original lamp and it still works.

You can get replacement relays for the system. They are General Electric RR-series. The system I have uses RR-7 relays (single pole).

Here are some examples (note the varying prices for them) - I have no financial interest in any of these suppliers:

https://www.kyleswitchplates.com/ge-rr7-low-voltage-remote-control-relay-switch/

https://www.kele.com/lighting-controls/rr-7,-rr-9.aspx

http://www.galesburgelectric.com/ge-rr7-20a-spst-low-voltage-relay-total-lighting-control/

Just Google RR-7 relay and you will get quite a few hits.

One thing I have thought of is that each low-voltage switch is basically a momentary contact, single pole-double throw switch. Any low-resistance connection across the common and one of the wires will close the circuit to the relay and open or close it.
I have wanted timers (yes, I know home automation can centralize this) on some of the outside lights, but these are on the relays. If I wired in an SPDT timer, it should work fine. My thought was to put a jack on the wallplate that parallels the three
conductors - I could plug in a timer module into that when needed.

Anyway, if you want to keep the original system, replacement relays (and mounting panels) are available. Some of the new mounting panels (GE "Smart Sweep") allow for home automation interfaces and still use the RR-series relays. These panels are fairly
expensive, though. There are also replacements for the wall switches - some with lighting and some keyed. The suppliers who sell GE lighting products should have all these.

We now have a mix of direct wired and low-voltage relay switched outlets and lighting. Very fortunately, the house was wired with copper grounded cabling, so all the outlets, even the original ones (though the ground went to the box with a two-prong
outlet). I replaced those with three-prong, grounded outlets and checked them all for proper hot-neutral wiring and grounding.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Steve Horii

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