any advice on fireman switches

[The apprentice]

hi there iam just looking for a little advice on fireman switches on how they are wired and how they disconnect power cant find anything so just a little post here thanks for your time

 

[PEG]

Don't press it! If it's the same as the one on my spaceman,it just makes him speak Spanish

 

[Nigel]

Never done one but I would assume it is some sort of contactor arrangement. I think they are only required for external neon signage aren't they?

 

[Spoon]

Never done one but I would assume it is some sort of contactor arrangement. I think they are only required for external neon signage aren't they?

I'm presuming if it just switches off a certain circuit it would be wired to a shunt trip device. I could be wrong though.

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

Never actually fitted one but i do have a firemans key thats a cross between a socket extension bar and a allen key. Its useful for electric gates on carparks. A good way of getting in when you dont have a fob

 

[The apprentice]

it is s firmans switch in a block of flats i thought they just dropped the magnet from the door so they can get in but does much more the contactors would make sence but does it kill the power to the whole block

 

[PEG]

They used to be popular...as mentioned,an isolator for external,powered items,such as signage,barbers poles,etc.

They had an eyed lever,which was operated by a firemans standard pry (looks like a beefeaters pike)

A lot of yankee equipment,including a pool boiler i recently fiddled with,had a link included,in the wiring,to which the fireman's switch would be connected.

Thank you for your question,young apprentice,now all you need to complete today's lesson,is a sense of humour

 

[The apprentice]

good to get advise and i do appreciate it thanks alot guys just learning day by day just out my first year

 

[Deleted member 26818]

I think the highest rating is 40A.
So it can switch off supplies up to 40A, or a higher load if a contactor is used.

 

[Pete999]

hi there iam just looking for a little advice on fireman switches on how they are wired and how they disconnect power cant find anything so just a little post here thanks for your time

Via a shunt trip or contactor arrangement

 

[The apprentice]

yeah say we are using contactors has everything to be de-energised via the contactor or is it only certain things to be de-energised the ones iam doing are diffrent than normal... as they need a constant feed to the flat door for it to open so its normally an open circuit that is closed when the switch is opperated but the client wants it so the door cant be left opend.

 

[Spoon]

as they need a constant feed to the flat door for it to open

I would have thought that flat doors had to fail safe.
What happens if there is a power cut and the doors can't open? Or do they have battery back-up?