Despard switch

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nizak

Senior Member
Does anyone know if you can get a 4 way configuration in a Despard switch?

I tried to pull up Legrand/ Pass and Seymour website but can't find their Despard product line.

Any help appreciated
 

RumRunner

Senior Member
Location
SCV Ca, USA
Occupation
Retired EE
Does anyone know if you can get a 4 way configuration in a Despard switch?

I tried to pull up Legrand/ Pass and Seymour website but can't find their Despard product line.

Any help appreciated

Not for a four way configuration. The best you can find is for three way (three devices) that will mount in a single gang box.
Your solution is: mount a two-gang box with two 2-gang Despard switches.
Although rare, HD and other sites still sell them.
Matching switch plates are also available.

If Pass & Seymour doesn't carry them, try Cooper and fleabay.
 

nizak

Senior Member
Stud cavity width only allows for existing single gang box to be fished into. It already has a conventional 4 way switch in it.

Customer does not want another box added to the wall.

I guess it all depends on how bad they need/ want the convenience of the additional 3 way switching capability.
 

RumRunner

Senior Member
Location
SCV Ca, USA
Occupation
Retired EE
Stud cavity width only allows for existing single gang box to be fished into. It already has a conventional 4 way switch in it.

Customer does not want another box added to the wall.

I guess it all depends on how bad they need/ want the convenience of the additional 3 way switching capability.

Standard building practices have 16 inch spacing between studs. Are you saying a two or three gang boxes would not fit between studs?
 

RumRunner

Senior Member
Location
SCV Ca, USA
Occupation
Retired EE
Not all studs are placed sixteen inches apart, especially near doors where it's common to put a switch.

I agree. . . there are instances where double studs make it impossible to install a two or three gang box next to the door jamb. The king stud next to the regular stud sometimes doesn't allow even for a single gang so the nearest one would be where the box would be mounted. It would be inconvenient to have the switch located two- stud spaces away.

You don't want to have someone groping in the dark to find the switch.
FWIW, my wife is a practicing (and registered) Architect. She has a bachelor degree in Architecture and I usually help her in electrical layouts for custom homes.
 

growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
Stud cavity width only allows for existing single gang box to be fished into. It already has a conventional 4 way switch in it.

Customer does not want another box added to the wall.

I guess it all depends on how bad they need/ want the convenience of the additional 3 way switching capability.


I don't really like to do it this way but when all else fails ( I'm not going to use wiremold boxes).
I draw out the box and remove the sheetrock and then remove as much of the stud as necessary for a 2-gang box to fit ( A may have some plumber's genes).
 

winnie

Senior Member
Location
Springfield, MA, USA
Occupation
Electric motor research
I am confused. What do you need by a '4 way' configuration?

Do you mean 4 switches packed into a single gang box, or do you mean a single '4 way' (DPDT) that fits into a Despard bracket?

If you mean a single 4 way switch, then do you really need it? '4 way' switches are used in the middle of a run with '3 way' switches at the ends of the line to permit switching from multiple locations. If you already have a '3 way' switch at your tightly constrained despard location, then make that the end of the run, and put the '4 way' switches where you have more space.

If you mean 4 switches packed into a single gang box, I don't think you will be able to do this with line voltage switches. If anything think about how crowded the wires would be!

-Jon
 

nizak

Senior Member
I need to have (1) 4way switch and (1) 3 way switch occupy the same single gang box. Was hoping to be able to get (1) Despard 3 way and (1) Despard 4way . Mount them in the Despard yoke and call it good.

Am finding Despard does not make a 4 way insert that snaps into their yokes
 

winnie

Senior Member
Location
Springfield, MA, USA
Occupation
Electric motor research
I need to have (1) 4way switch and (1) 3 way switch occupy the same single gang box. Was hoping to be able to get (1) Despard 3 way and (1) Despard 4way . Mount them in the Despard yoke and call it good.

I wonder what the legality of using a switch such as this would be:
https://www.grainger.com/product/4X851

Though I doubt that the homeowner would go for it :)

IMHO the best approach (as I suggested above) would be to go with 2 3 way switches, and change the wiring so that your 4 way switch goes someplace else with more space. More fishing of wire, but then the device will fit and look good.

-Jon
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
That's real butt ugly and a lot of homeowner's are not going to go for it.
More potentially ugly options:)

DPDT AC/DC snap switches - the "bat handle" style switches, and a stainless blank cover, drill holes to mount switches into the plate.

Stainless blank cover once again and drill 22mm selector switches into it - though you do have to watch contact ratings of those, or drive a relay with the switches instead of directly controlling the load.
 
Make a 4 way despard switch from two 3 way switches

Make a 4 way despard switch from two 3 way switches

The evidence seems conclusive that nobody's making 4 way despard switches. If the 4 way switch you need to replace is in a box with one or two switches, you can replace the 4 way switch with two 3 way switches, and connect them with a piece of wire through a hole drilled in each switch handle, like a a 220V circuit breaker. The wiring looks like this:

x------,---------
---------x |
x---,--|---------
x---' |
---------x |
x------'

The schematic above is not what I typed. The blog software removes consecutive spaces. Click on "reply with quote" and then click on "switch editor to source mode". I looked on Google images. Dozens of wiring diagrams for hooking up 4 way switches. Not a single schematic of what's inside the switch. Sorry I don't have a scanner to attach a drawing.

Does anyone know if you can get a 4 way configuration in a Despard switch?

I tried to pull up Legrand/ Pass and Seymour website but can't find their Despard product line.

Any help appreciated
 

hbiss

EC, Westchester, New York NEC: 2014
Location
Hawthorne, New York NEC: 2014
Occupation
EC
I need to have (1) 4way switch and (1) 3 way switch occupy the same single gang box. Was hoping to be able to get (1) Despard 3 way and (1) Despard 4way . Mount them in the Despard yoke and call it good.

Am finding Despard does not make a 4 way insert that snaps into their yokes

Geeze, years ago you could get away with something like that because there was no allowance for clamps, yoke and grounding conductor. What's your box fill going to be?? 7 #14s, 2 for the yoke so 9 right there. Any clamps or grounding conductor? You say there isn't any room so how big can that box be? A single gang 3 1/2" deep will only handle 9 #14s so you are going to be over by 1 even with that box (which I doubt you have) unless you use connectors for the cables and AC, not Romex.

I have been in that situation several times and did what Growler did. Remove the sheetrock and hog out enough lumber to get a deep 1900 box and 2 gang ring in there.

Despards are really for replacement only, much like two-slot receptacles. I wouldn't even want to use them for replacement much less new.

-Hal
 
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