Finally got the hang of setting up a 5-wire selector switch without the diagram

For the first two years, I would ALWAYS have the printout from the manual taped to the door. It would take me like 45 minutes to trace and double-check every single wire. About six months ago, an old-timer on a job in Cincinnati showed me his trick: remember the sequence 'Common, Up, Down, Bypass, Common' for the main contacts. Now I can get it done in under 15 minutes just by feeling the switch positions. It sounds small, but it saves so much frustration on those older Otis units. What's one little trick that saved YOU a bunch of time on a common task?

3 comments

3 Comments

king.derek15d agoMost Upvoted

Ever try color coding the wires with a bit of tape? I started marking the common with blue and it cut my time in half. Honestly, it just makes the whole layout visual so you stop second guessing.

the_thomas15d ago

What's my trick? I still have the manual printout taped up, just with more coffee stains on it now.

holly_sanchez7514d ago

My old boss showed me to use a yellow highlighter on the printout for the main power lines. Tbh, it sounds too simple but it worked. I'd just run the marker over those specific wires on the diagram before I even picked up a tool. It stopped me from having to stop and squint at the tiny print every two minutes. Honestly, it made a huge difference for my focus.