Need some electrical help

[Rich G]

I have taken on a project to bring a 70+ year old piece of food service equipment back to life (I won't tell you what, just yet, but I promise to show you when I'm finished.....)

I'll be able to break it down to re-grease and re-oil the various parts that need it, and getting the case ready to paint will be tedious, but straight forward.

Here's where I DO need some help.....I'm an electrical idiot, and the original switch on this thing is not getting processed properly through my pea-brain. The power switch is a 20A, 250v rotary switch that sits on a porcelain/ceramic base attached to the appliance. The existing wiring does not appear to be original, and I'm pretty sure a previous owner hacked something together along the way.

Here's the switch:

Cover removed:

So, assuming I'm going to use a standard power cord, how do I wire a switch that has four terminals, two of which are "ON" and two of which are "OFF"?? Do I use jumpers between "like" terminals? Do I splice the incoming wires so I can do a hot to each "ON" and a neutral to each "OFF"?

If anyone cares, this is a switch manufactured from 1929 through 1955 by Hart Manufacturing (became H&H) of Hartford Connecticut. In my search for any kind of wiring help online, I've been treated to a sometimes interesting ride through electrical manufacturing history pre and post WWII!

So, anyone out there that can help me out?

Thanks!

Rich

 

[Clint]

Oftentimes I'll just interrupt the hot, so you might just run the common & neutral straight through, & connect the hot to the switch.

I don't suppose you have a VOM lying around...

I wonder how to help you test it...... post a pic from the back, and maybe a portion of this mysterious contraption feel free to pm a message to me or anyone else you think might be able to help.

 

[Rich G]

Oftentimes I'll just interrupt the hot, so you might just run the common & neutral straight through, & connect the hot to the switch.

I don't suppose you have a VOM lying around...

I wonder how to help you test it...... post a pic from the back, and maybe a portion of this mysterious contraption feel free to pm a message to me or anyone else you think might be able to help.

Hey, Clint, thanks! I do have a multimeter in the tool chest. I'm starting to think that this rotary switch is not all that different from today's rotary switches, in that it probably has some sort of rotating arm that makes contact with the hot terminals. If you can see well enough in the photo, it looks like there is only a single wire to one "ON" and one "OFF" terminal. I need to play around with this thing some more, and I will definitely take some "backside" pics as soon as I can get it detached from the "appliance" (trying to be careful not to damage the porcelain/ceramic base with any prying.....)

I'll get back to ya.

In the meantime, if there are any ~100 year olds out there who remember playing with any of these in their youth, let me know!

R

 

[Clint]

set your meter to resistance or continuity (horse shoe or the sound waves just below in this pic)

touch the 2 leads of your meter together & listen for a tone or look for it to zero each time they're touched. Then you can see how the switch operates by probing the contacts on the switch, looking for the contacts to open & close as you rotate the switch between on & off.

http://en-us.fluke.com/training/tra...for-continuity-with-a-digital-multimeter.html

edit:>>>>> no need to remove the switch farther since you have the meter to test with, that's a neat looking switch btw

 

[Clint]

can you tell if it's 120 or 240VAC, and have you tested it without the switch?

 

[Rich G]

can you tell if it's 120 or 240VAC, and have you tested it without the switch?

Morning, Clint. The appliance runs on 120v. The switch is rated at 20A/250v, but I'm guessing that's so the manufacturer could use the same switch for the whole line of models, some of which run on 240v.

Have to work today, so probably won't get back into this until the weekend, unless I find some time in the evenings.

R