3 way sockets for electrical plugs

[hershal]

Hi,

We're doing a new build home, and I had the idea that all electrical sockets for plugs should have 3 way switches:
1 - always on
2 - on or off controlled by master
3 - always off

This should allow for when leaving the house, flicking off the master switch, and thereby should save energy.

Do such sockets exist?
How much energy might it save?

I'm not keen on having a separate switch next to the socket as a work around, as this would look messy in my opinion.

 

[Pete999]

Hi,

We're doing a new build home, and I had the idea that all electrical sockets for plugs should have 3 way switches:
1 - always on
2 - on or off controlled by master
3 - always off

This should allow for when leaving the house, flicking off the master switch, and thereby should save energy.

Do such sockets exist?
How much energy might it save?

I'm not keen on having a separate switch next to the socket as a work around, as this would look messy in my opinion.

What sort of sockets, and what do you want them to control?

 

[The Ghost]

No 2 sounds like 1 and 3 so really they are just on off switches. There will be no energy saving unless I am missing something?
just extra cost. You could just switch off the power to the whole house at the consumer unit though?

 

[sparksburnout]

I think they stock these sockets in B&Q, on the same aisle as the crystal balls

 

[kingeri]

Perhaps a 20A DP switch at the start of each (radial) socket circuit?

 

[Richard Burns]

Sockets with 3 way switches are not made as far as I am aware, however if you wanted this level of functionality then smart sockets that can be controlled by internet or wireless services are available from various suppliers, then you could group all the sockets that you wanted to turn off, e.g. not the fridge, as a set and have a controller arranged to switch off this set of sockets when required.
The energy savings are very variable depending on what you have in the house, especially items that go into standby, in my house I would reducing the energy consumption by about 200W from all indicator lights, clocks,etc.

 

[Octopus]

This is not something I would recommend ..... What does your spark say?

As for savings, probably tiny in the scheme of things

 

[KEV 1 N]

You could wire the sockets through a contactor (which is basically a switch that handles a big current and is controlled by a small current) so one switch (light switch, fused spur etc) would operate the contactor and control all the sockets st once.

 

[Pete999]

The OP may be on about controlling table, standard lamps plugged into 5 Amp socket outlets, which would be quite simply wired as a normal lighting circuit using 2 way intermediate switching. Installed it that way many times. But the OP hasn't got back to us with what his intentions are, so it's all pie in the sky at the moment.

 

[MJPD29]

Would a contactor controlling the circuit switching from another location do the job? Or an I not understanding this correctly

 

[hershal]

Here's the position:
We are doing a new build, and builder is supplying the electrician.
I just had a thought that many items may be sapping electricity where the plug is on, but item not being used

The thought was that these items ideally would be switched off for the sake of saving electricity, but practically we don't bother at the moment

What we will do is have 2 separate circuits.
1 set of eg silver sockets as normal
1 set of eg gold sockets controlled by master switch, so can be switched off when leaving the house.

Thanks for you help

 

[telectrix]

pointless excercise IMO. an alternative would be to switch appliances off ( e.g. TV etc. off and not on stand-by ). problems arising would be that anything with a built in clock ( like ovens, microwaves etc. ) would need their clocks resetting.

 

[sparksburnout]

Here's the position:
We are doing a new build, and builder is supplying the electrician.
I just had a thought that many items may be sapping electricity where the plug is on, but item not being used

The thought was that these items ideally would be switched off for the sake of saving electricity, but practically we don't bother at the moment

What we will do is have 2 separate circuits.
1 set of eg silver sockets as normal
1 set of eg gold sockets controlled by master switch, so can be switched off when leaving the house.

Thanks for you help

I was only joking about the crystal ball, it's probably quite a good idea actually, from a safety angle. Years ago people used to routinely unplug things like TV's and so on, there have been quite a few cause fires. Could be quite handy to be able to do it from a single switch. One thing I would say, is to check your builders sparky is registered, I am sure he is, but there are far too many instances where the builders sparks is, well, the builder......Round here all the builders just give their customer the single option of "their" electrician, and people never question it (including the one that uses me!)

 

[sparksburnout]

pointless excercise IMO. an alternative would be to switch appliances off ( e.g. TV etc. off and not on stand-by ). problems arising would be that anything with a built in clock ( like ovens, microwaves etc. ) would need their clocks resetting.

My ovens been reading 00:00 since the day it went in 4 years ago. no jokes about time standing still in Derbyshire Westy.

 

[telectrix]

My ovens been reading 00:00 since the day it went in 4 years ago. no jokes about time standing still in Derbyshire Westy.

that's your fault for not getting it calibrated.