# Old GE low voltage switching system upgrade help



## aknorton85 (Jul 16, 2014)

I am an apprentice electrican and just bought my first house. I have no experience with the GE low voltage switching system that is in place in my home. I would think that the best option would be to upgrade to some kind of smart-home-type lighting system that will allow me to control everything from my smartphone etc.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I should do? There are two relay boxes in a central location. Since the wiring is already in place I see a chance to save money and do something really cool at the same time or to atleast do something real nice without having to spend more money than it would cost to cut sheetrock and pull new wire. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

aknorton85 said:


> I am an apprentice electrican and just bought my first house. I have no experience with the GE low voltage switching system that is in place in my home. I would think that the best option would be to upgrade to some kind of smart-home-type lighting system that will allow me to control everything from my smartphone etc.
> 
> Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I should do? There are two relay boxes in a central location. Since the wiring is already in place I see a chance to save money and do something really cool at the same time or to atleast do something real nice without having to spend more money than it would cost to cut sheetrock and pull new wire. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


Was it two wire twisted #18 from the relays to the switches? Not going to probably work very well with the new systems, and usually it is degraded to the point that the insulation will crack and fall off if disturbed much. I don't know, maybe somebody will know a system you could analog convert it to. Sorry for wiring your house that way back in the day........... I did lots of it. I still have a few boxes of the GE relays up on a shelf with some other lv stuff. The switches are all long gone.


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## aknorton85 (Jul 16, 2014)




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## aknorton85 (Jul 16, 2014)

I will try to take a picture of the relay today. This is one of the switches.


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## Vintage Sounds (Oct 23, 2009)

http://www.touchplate.com sells replacement parts and panels for these systems.

If you are going for a smartphone controlled system you are not going to be "saving money", that's for sure.

Is there anything actually wrong with your system right now?


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## aknorton85 (Jul 16, 2014)

Vintage Sounds said:


> http://www.touchplate.com sells replacement parts and panels for these systems.
> 
> If you are going for a smartphone controlled system you are not going to be "saving money", that's for sure.
> 
> Is there anything actually wrong with your system right now?


There are several switches that don't work and it looks horrible. I really wanted to get all of the switches working and to put in regular decora style rocker switches.


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## daveEM (Nov 18, 2012)

aknorton85 said:


> There are several switches that don't work and it looks horrible. I really wanted to get all of the switches working and to put in regular decora style rocker switches.


Often there are switches like you show in your pic. 3 in a gang. Hard pressed to get 3 decoras in a single gang.

I always liked the look of the little switches. Many years ago installed them and a rotary by the master bed at end table height. With a twist of his wrist he could light up the 5,000 sq. footer.


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## wcord (Jan 23, 2011)

aknorton85 said:


> There are several switches that don't work and it looks horrible. I really wanted to get all of the switches working and to put in regular decora style rocker switches.


Those are momentary contact, so regular switches won't work


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## Mich drew (Mar 3, 2013)

I recently upgraded a funeral home that had that exact momentary contact switch. They are available or can be ordered from your local supply house. Order a few extra relays to have just in case. Really not a bad system if it was installed correctly.


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## aknorton85 (Jul 16, 2014)

wcord said:


> Those are momentary contact, so regular switches won't work


I am aware that regular switches won't work. If regular switches would work I wouldn't be asking for help because everything would already be wired.


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## nrp3 (Jan 24, 2009)

I'd say if its mostly in good shape and you can get the parts, leave it be for now. I also work on a funeral home with these and it works fine. Changed a couple of relays and a switch or two. Otherwise it continues to function just fine. Maybe see if they have switches that look more to your taste.


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## aknorton85 (Jul 16, 2014)

nrp3 said:


> I'd say if its mostly in good shape and you can get the parts, leave it be for now. I also work on a funeral home with these and it works fine. Changed a couple of relays and a switch or two. Otherwise it continues to function just fine. Maybe see if they have switches that look more to your taste.


I am chrcking into the new touchplate stuff, is it compatible? Here is a pic of the relay boxes.


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## aknorton85 (Jul 16, 2014)

daveEM said:


> Often there are switches like you show in your pic. 3 in a gang. Hard pressed to get 3 decoras in a single gang.
> 
> I always liked the look of the little switches. Many years ago installed them and a rotary by the master bed at end table height. With a twist of his wrist he could light up the 5,000 sq. footer.


I don't mind putting in new boxes, in fact I have already bought them.


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## aknorton85 (Jul 16, 2014)

Also I have a rotary in the master and by the front door.


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

Leviton sells momentary white single pole switches decora style. The reason I know this is because that airated concrete block house I wired and posted pictures of a few years back the crazy german scientist that owned it insisted on using the relay and momentary contact switching method. Somebody referred me to him that knew I had done a bunch of those systems back in the seventies. So I did his 5,000 sq ft lightweight concrete block with l.v. switching house electrical for him.


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

macmikeman said:


> Leviton sells momentary white single pole switches decora style. The reason I know this is because that airated concrete block house I wired and posted pictures of a few years back the crazy german scientist that owned it insisted on using the relay and momentary contact switching method. Somebody referred me to him that knew I had done a bunch of those systems back in the seventies. So I did his 5,000 sq ft lightweight concrete block with l.v. switching house electrical for him.


:sleep1:


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

MTW said:


> :sleep1:


Bigshot electrician comment..


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## Vintage Sounds (Oct 23, 2009)

aknorton85 said:


> I am chrcking into the new touchplate stuff, is it compatible? Here is a pic of the relay boxes.


 The touchplate stuff is compatible as far as I know and a few guys on here have used them. Search for posts by a guy on here, joedreamliner707. He replaced a few old panels with new ones and cleaned up a rats nets of wires. I think some of those touchplate panels might even be able to give you some of the more sophisticated remote control ability you wanted. Their switches look a lot more modern than the stuff you are going to replace. Another thing you could do is use momentary decora switches. These are normally used for kitchen garbage disposals and stuff like that but it still does the same thing and gives you the "normal" look you might be going for. 

The wiring in your panels sadly looks like I expected it to - hacked up.


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

For what possible reason would a person need to control, say... the dining room light from the master bedroom? Is this a security thing?


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## aknorton85 (Jul 16, 2014)

IslandGuy said:


> For what possible reason would a person need to control, say... the dining room light from the master bedroom? Is this a security thing?


This is a thats how it was wired when I bought the house thing and I want it to work and not look stupid and being able to turn off lights from upstairs in the master or set lighting scenes is definitely convenient. But if you want to come over, pull new wire, fix my sheet rock and pay for it than let me know.


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## daveEM (Nov 18, 2012)

IslandGuy said:


> For what possible reason would a person need to control, say... the dining room light from the master bedroom? Is this a security thing?


It was for the guy I did it for. Lived in the country and was worried so he wanted to lite her up a 2 am if need be. Not sure if he ever used it.


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

I'm just trying to wrap my head around the system's "features" and practical uses. I've seen it installed in a 5-building school complex in NYC, but the reason was the lighting was all 277v and they didn't want high voltage switches on the walls. Back in the 80's I worked in a house that had it, the customer wanted it taken out and "standardized" but the boss wouldn't touch the job with a 10' pole.


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

IslandGuy said:


> For what possible reason would a person need to control, say... the dining room light from the master bedroom? Is this a security thing?


Funny you should ask that, my wife pushed me to run a three way for the outside front lights to the master bedroom closet so she could turn em on and off without having to leave the bedroom. I did it conventional with a nice long 14-3, but I don't think she has ever even used that switch in 14 yrs now......


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## JBrzoz00 (Nov 17, 2013)

I have seen this done with the Radio RA from Lutron. Where you have the existing relays with the 120 and lv wire, replace the relay panel with the wireless radio ra switches. At the entrance to each room you will have to fish in basically a 1gang box that will be hot all the time, install keypad there. You program they keypad to control your new wireless switches where the relay panel used to be. Message me and I can send more info.


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