I agree with Doug. The failure mechanisms of a switch are things like arcing
across the terminals and ruining the contacts due to high current. Arcing is
not likely (the voltage to get even a small arc is in the thousands of volts
range on a good day under ideal arcing conditions). My experience is that unless
you have a modern micro-switch (which you have said you don't) then the switch
can probably easily handle the new voltage at 5 amps or so.
Jon Elerath
jelerath@us.ibm.com
"Doug Pewterbaugh" <dpewter@email.msn.com> on 08/12/99 05:55:23 AM
Please respond to "Doug Pewterbaugh" <dpewter@email.msn.com>
To: "Joe Clark" <jclark1@utk.edu>, oletrucks@autox.team.net
cc:
Subject: Re: [oletrucks] heater question
I'm going to stick my neck out here, so if anyone knows that my logic is
faulty-please correct. AFA I know AMPS are what wires are sensitive to (AFA
gauge size). This is one of the original reasons why 6V systems were
replaced with 12V systems (in theory halving the gauge sizes of entire
harnesses to achieve the same amount of power; i.e. 6V x 2AMPS = 12V x
1AMP). IOW, the switch should do even better at 12V; less heat generated.
I do believe, however, that there is a limit to the voltage a device will
handle in this relationship, but my experience has been that 12V is well
within this limit on switches, anyway. Are you currently running 12V?
Isn't your light switch handling 12V?
Regards,
Doug Pewterbaugh
dpewter@msn.com
Denton, TX
49 3104 216 5-Window
-----Original Message-----
From: Joe Clark <jclark1@utk.edu>
To: oletrucks@autox.team.net <oletrucks@autox.team.net>
Date: Thursday, August 12, 1999 7:40 AM
Subject: [oletrucks] heater question
>I have an air-flow heater in my AD truck and it has a 3-speed (I
>think) switch to control the fan. I've converted to 12 volt and am
>going to put in a voltage reducer to the heater. My question is,
>should I put the reducer in before the switch or after it? I'd like to
>put the reducer in after the switch so I can use a 12-volt bulb in the
>switch but I don't want to burn up the switch. I have the maroon,
>barrel-shaped switch that says "HEAT" on it.
>
>Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
>Joe
>50 3100
>Joe Clark
>Southern Appalachian Field Laboratory
>University of Tennessee
>Knoxville Tennessee
>oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 195
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
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