Touch plate

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keith gigabyte

Senior Member
jist wondered if anyone on here has installed touch plate brand low voltage controls in a residence. They would have been installed late '50s early '60s. I have been fixing switches abandoned low voltage cables in a house. Advised customer to just Rewire to line voltage but thinks it's too epensive. So for now just fix problems as they arise.
serms like a very complicated system just to operate lights from several locations.

But u know if they're paying I'm staying
 

DrSparks

The Everlasting Know-it-all!
Location
Madison, WI, USA
Occupation
Master Electrician and General Contractor
Where are the relays located? In the fixture? Or is there a central switching box that all the lighting branch wiring comes to? You could replace the relays with RIB relays and install a standard 24VAC transformer. Then you could install standard snap switches and use the existing power limited wire.
 

Dennis Alwon

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Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
I never installed them but I have worked on them. You can still get parts but the systems I have seen were a mess. The control boxes were filled with 50 or so wires and it was very difficult to figure out what went to what. I think I still have a trany for the system in the basement along with one of the LV switches
 

ActionDave

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Location
Durango, CO, 10 h 20 min from the winged horses.
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jist wondered if anyone on here has installed touch plate brand low voltage controls in a residence. They would have been installed late '50s early '60s. I have been fixing switches abandoned low voltage cables in a house. Advised customer to just Rewire to line voltage but thinks it's too epensive. So for now just fix problems as they arise.
serms like a very complicated system just to operate lights from several locations.

But u know if they're paying I'm staying
I haven't installed them but I have worked on them. They are not complicated, just a wire to a relay that controls the light. I think they are a good system.
 

Dennis Alwon

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Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
I haven't installed them but I have worked on them. They are not complicated, just a wire to a relay that controls the light. I think they are a good system.

Yeah but when there are 20 relays in one panel and wires are run everywhere it is a mess. The one I worked on there was no separation of the LV wire (T-stat wire) from the line voltage. It was a mess inside the panel.
 

iwire

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Location
Massachusetts
Yeah but when there are 20 relays in one panel and wires are run everywhere it is a mess. The one I worked on there was no separation of the LV wire (T-stat wire) from the line voltage. It was a mess inside the panel.

For sure I have seen pictures of some that are real rats nest.

Still not a reason in my opinion to abandon a great system. :)


One of the real benefits of this system is you can add as many switches in any location easily. You can also make master on off switches.

Say a master outside lighting switch in the bedroom etc.
 

goldstar

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
A lot depends on who installed the system and how much info they left behind. This is a photo (one of about 8 controls) of the last Touch-plate system I worked on. The front cover was labeled as to what it controlled but ended there. There was no info inside and no labeling as to where the power circuits originated. I would had to have spent weeks just tracing what wires were for what purpose. There was no master plan and no diagram as to what fixtures had the relay. Customer didn't want to pay me to do the exploratory work so, as far as I know, it's still sitting there in a state of chaos.

The truly sad part is that whomever buys this house is married to this system and unless they can find someone who is thoroughly familiar with its inner workings they'll be paying a lot of $$$ to fix it or keep it running

 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
I really disagree that it would take long to troubleshoot and repair it.

I run into much worse with supermarket control systems. No labeling, years of changes, remodels etc.

It looks overwhelming but if you deal with one issue at a time it comes out fine
 

goldstar

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
I really disagree that it would take long to troubleshoot and repair it.

I run into much worse with supermarket control systems. No labeling, years of changes, remodels etc.

It looks overwhelming but if you deal with one issue at a time it comes out fine
As long as you're getting T&M you are correct. You first have to find a customer willing to pay you for your time.
 

keith gigabyte

Senior Member
I have the trouble shooting skills to repair. That's not the problem. I have worked on much more complex process control systems in industry.
I was just saying its complex for the job it's doing. I understand the central control panel thing. But in a house seems overkill. A switch to drive a relay to dive a light....easier a switch to drive a light with 4 and 4 way switches where necessary
 

ActionDave

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Location
Durango, CO, 10 h 20 min from the winged horses.
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Licensed Electrician
I really disagree that it would take long to troubleshoot and repair it.

I run into much worse with supermarket control systems. No labeling, years of changes, remodels etc.

It looks overwhelming but if you deal with one issue at a time it comes out fine
I agree.

I have the trouble shooting skills to repair. That's not the problem. I have worked on much more complex process control systems in industry.
I was just saying its complex for the job it's doing. I understand the central control panel thing. But in a house seems overkill. A switch to drive a relay to dive a light....easier a switch to drive a light with 4 and 4 way switches where necessary
But with this system you can switch whatever light you want from whatever location, it has a lot more flexibility.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Where are the relays located? In the fixture? Or is there a central switching box that all the lighting branch wiring comes to? You could replace the relays with RIB relays and install a standard 24VAC transformer. Then you could install standard snap switches and use the existing power limited wire.
You lose some functionality if you do that. Loads controlled by a single switch not a problem, loads controlled by multiple switches - never will be the same unless you wire up some 3 and 4 way switches as replacements.

There are a couple different types of systems out there. The ones that use an "impulse" relay all you need is two wire cable to each switch, but can have unlimited number of switches control the same relay. The relay closes output contact when you apply control voltage, but holds position when control is lost. Next time control voltage is present it opens the output contact. Lather, rinse, repeat...
 
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