ADDING
SWITCHES TO SAVE ON ELECTRICITY
(and make things a bit easier for
yourself)
INTRODUCTION
Did you know that even though your appliances are not
actually switched on, small amounts of electricity is used at a time, like the
light that still burns on your screen when you switch off your PC or
television, your hub that doesn't ever turn off, the fact that your
external hard drives are always plugged in but never switched off, due to it
being such a hassle with all the cables.
You can save electricity by adding a switch that is easy to reach,
but don't go and do it to valuable equipment or to your new television. I did
it with all my hard drives, desk lamps, USB hub and my speakers that I
only use when hosting a party outside ( solved the hassle of moving my
entire sound system closer).
Maybe you are not that Eco-concious but would like to be more
comfortable or like to ensure that your equipment has a longer life
span, since it wont shut down any-more or can't unless you unplug or switch it
of at the plug. But for the Eco-concious people remember to switch off and
unplug since you save small amounts of electricity doing that. A small
amount of saving goes a long way for the world. You might not really see a
difference in your bill, but sometimes you got to think about the bigger
picture.
GETTING STARTED
*SAFETY FIRST: IF YOU ARE GOING TO DO THIS YOURSELF AND
NOT GET AN ELECTRICIAN, REMEMBER TO UNPLUG AND TO WORK SAFELY.*
We will be explaining how a few switches work and the do's
and don'ts about adding swithes.
- Okay the small cheap switch that is mostly used
for bed lamps:
·
3 Way
Switches:
Basic Tools Required:
·
Edison
Screwdriver (Flat or Star depending on the screws)
·
Side
Cutter
·
Wire-stripper
Assembly
Bed lamp Switch
1) Assemble your required tools for the
job (Wire, Wire Cutter, Switch)
2) Measure the cable to the appropriate
length needed for the job. (If starting from scratch)
3) Open the switch casing using the
screwdriver.
4) Loosen the clamping unit inside the
switch.
5) Using the side cutter, cut only one of
the wires( Live, NEVER EARTH WIRE), breaking the electrical stream. (Make sure
the power is unplugged☺)
6) Strip the wire by 3mm to 5mm on each
side that has been cut.
7) Insert the wires into the unit in the
provided space.
8) Make sure the wires do not touch each
other, or the switch will be bypassed.
9) Fasten the screws of the clamps,
securing the wires in place.
10) Close up the switch and secure with
provided screws.
Now you have the power of light at your
finger tips...
Multiple Circuit Switch(3 Way
Switch)
1) Like the bed lamp switch, the concept
stays almost the same, just a bit more complex.
2) Open the switch
3) Cut the live wire of both appliances.
4) Like the basic switch, connect the one
wire to one side of the switch, enabling the switch to complete the one
circuit.
5) On the other side do the
same with the other wire, completing that circuit for electrical flow.
6) The switch can now be closed up after
securing everything neatly.
The basics of how the 3 Way Switch works,
are that only one circuit can be selected at a time. Meaning one circuit can be
completed e.g making the lights outside shine, or if the other circuit is
completed e.g your room's light will shine. When the switch is
positioned in the middle of the 3 settings, no power will flow, thus no lights
will shine.
The fun part of using swithes is that you
can build a unit, where all the swithes can be housed. This will mean that all
your swithes will be grouped together in one convenient place.
Please tell me what you think about switches and how you would improve on it. Feel free to ask any questions you have.My email adress: ruanput1234@gmail.com
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