120V limit switches

[Philip Lewis]

So, for over 20 years, there has been a 120V limit switch in the
basement of my grandparents house that turns on a light when the door
to that small room is opened.

This switch is a plunger with a spring. the plunger is about 1-2cm in
diameter and has a throw length of about 5cm. the light is on when the
plunger is not pressed in.

I've looked for similar switches and they all seem to be horribly
overpriced. Most of the 120V switches i see are between $50 and $75.
I've seen a few on ebay for $25ish. toggle switches can be had <$1.
It would seem to me that something like this shouldn't cost more than
$10. I can only assume that i'm looking in the wrong places or
searching the terms.

The switch doesn't have to have all the same characteristics. In fact,
smaller/less throw would be better. (something i could mount into the
doorframe perhaps.)

Is this such a low demand item that it isn't worth manufacturing large
scale?

Can anyone help?

--
May no harm befall you,
flip
Ich habe keine Ahnung was das bedeutet, oder vielleicht doch?
Remove origin of the word spam from address to reply (leave "+")

[BruceR]

Here's one for under 10 bucks that I found by entering "closet light"
into Yahoo's search feature: http://www.smarthome.com/5188a.html


From:Philip Lewis
flip+spiced_ham@andrew.cmu.edu

> So, for over 20 years, there has been a 120V limit switch in the
> basement of my grandparents house that turns on a light when the door
> to that small room is opened.
>
> This switch is a plunger with a spring. the plunger is about 1-2cm in
> diameter and has a throw length of about 5cm. the light is on when the
> plunger is not pressed in.
>
> I've looked for similar switches and they all seem to be horribly
> overpriced. Most of the 120V switches i see are between $50 and $75.
> I've seen a few on ebay for $25ish. toggle switches can be had <$1.
> It would seem to me that something like this shouldn't cost more than
> $10. I can only assume that i'm looking in the wrong places or
> searching the terms.
>
> The switch doesn't have to have all the same characteristics. In fact,
> smaller/less throw would be better. (something i could mount into the
> doorframe perhaps.)
>
> Is this such a low demand item that it isn't worth manufacturing large
> scale?
>
> Can anyone help?
>
> --
> May no harm befall you,
> flip
> Ich habe keine Ahnung was das bedeutet, oder vielleicht doch?
> Remove origin of the word spam from address to reply (leave "+")

[Philip Lewis]

"BruceR" <br@NOhawaiiSPAM.com> writes:
>Here's one for under 10 bucks that I found by entering "closet light"
>into Yahoo's search feature: http://www.smarthome.com/5188a.html

BruceR++, You are *the* man. ;)

The search term I've been missing is "door switch".
Sometimes I get too specific for google and get stuck in my terms.
Why I didn't think of 'fridge door switches, i don't know.

Thanks!
--
May no harm befall you,
flip
Ich habe keine Ahnung was das bedeutet, oder vielleicht doch?
Remove origin of the word spam from address to reply (leave "+")