| Electronics > Beginners |
| Switch rating - how to read the printed stuff |
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| bitman:
Hello, I have a handful of these switches https://photos.app.goo.gl/HjhdVYrgLoEsdMX03 - a simple rocker that I want to use for a few 120V lights I have on my work-desk. The rating says 2/250~ which I interpret to mean 2amps 250volts max. First of, is that the right reading? Second, if that's true it looks a bit "flimsy" inside to support that load - but I guess 500 Watt isn't high enough to be of concern? My lights are definitely not 500W even though I'm on 120V. So my reading is that I'm fine, but I wonder if this is just Chinese made up stuff on the back? |
| Doctorandus_P:
The switch does seem to be rated for 2A~ and these indeed often look (and are) flimsy. Main concern is probably not the switch itself, but the housing. How good is the stress relief for the cable? How easily does the housing fall apart? |
| dmills:
@120V, ~2A is only 240W, not 500W! That said, if 240W will do for your use case, and if your wire works with that style of rather pony strain relief, then the swich will probably work fine. Regards, Dan. |
| bitman:
--- Quote from: dmills on May 26, 2018, 09:08:07 pm ---@120V, ~2A is only 240W, not 500W! --- End quote --- As I wrote and as the picture says, the print says 2/250v - not sure where you get the 120v from? |
| glarsson:
--- Quote from: bitman on May 26, 2018, 09:18:19 pm ---As I wrote and as the picture says, the print says 2/250v - not sure where you get the 120v from? --- End quote --- Probably from you. You wrote "I'm on 120V". The switch does not care about the W of the load. It only cares about the voltage it can safely break and the current it can safely conduct. The power of the load can be 24W at 12V, 240W at 120V or 500W at 250V. If you gave 120V then the max is 240W. |
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