Looking for very old switch

[captainvi...@gmail.com]

On the offhand chance that someone might be able to help me I'm going to post this. At our Summer camp in Upstate NY we have an old Singer "Electromode" electric heater. It was made in Auburn NY and purchased and installed by my father in law about 50 years ago. Singer Electric is long gone. This is a small unit about 14 X 18 inches, runs on a 240 volt 20 amp circuit and is mounted in the wall. The model number is WA-40 and the Cat. # is 4990-W. The heater uses a three button push button switch which was made by GE, and the ratchet mechanism in the switch is flaky. A picture of a similar switch which appears to be mechanically identical with a slightly different model number is here:

http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2FGE-ASP3125-346-24003001-3-BUTTON-SWITCH-277VAC-168403-%2F360749872506&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGB-fqm8Y4FCXiVqnoREWC9WQqOsA



I tried to lubricate the mechanism and although it helped a bit it has just been operating too long dry and is worn out. It just gets stuck sometimes. If it were possible I would try to disassemble the switch, but even if I could fix it, the way it was stamped together it would be impossible to reassemble.

When I got the switch to operate the heater worked fine. Replacing the heater would mean major surgery to the wall so I would really like to replace the switch if I can find one. The original part number as stamped on the switch is ASP3125-35. The EBAY part is a ASP3125-346. The terminals are also marked differently. This switch is integrated with a thermostat which doesn't turn on the fan until the heat comes up. I really don't want to try to reinvent this thing if I don't have to.

GE parts tells me that although it was GE, the ASP3125-35 may have been specially made just for Singer. But they don't really seem to know either. Whether the EBAY one will work is unknown. At the very least L1 and L2 are in different places, so I don't have a lot of hope in their compatibility.

I've tried a few "Antique appliance parts" sites online but so far I've come up empty. I'm holding my breath now, Does anyone have one of these in a drawer somewhere or a source for one of these switches? Thanks, Lenny

[John-Del]

Looks like someone else was looking for this several years ago. The thread holds the name of a company that had the exact one back then. Good luck.

[captainvi...@gmail.com]

Do you have the thread John? Lenny

[John-Del]

John idiot on two counts: didn't copy thread to group, and it's a different switch. I googled your original part number, and this thread came up. How it got this thread from your part number I have no idea. It's out of a Singer, but a different model. However, try the contact anyway. Sounds like an old mom and pop shop that may have lots of obscure stuff:

http://forum.appliancepartspros.com/heating-ventilation-air-conditioning-hvac/1763-25a-277v-ac-heater-switch-needed.html

[captainvi...@gmail.com]

On Friday, September 12, 2014 11:45:05 AM UTC-4, captainvi...@gmail.com wrote:

Seems like "obscure" is my kind of place. I'll check that out next week. Thanks John. Lenny

[mrob...@att.net]

captainvi...@gmail.com wrote:
> At our Summer camp in Upstate NY we have an old Singer "Electromode"
> electric heater.

This 2005 message from alt.home.repair
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/alt.home.repair/ZJYldy0lzJU/464Wm4SPNwoJ
says the progression was Singer -> Arco Aire -> Inter City Products
(ICP) -> Carrier.

The Electromode brand seems to be owned by Dimplex since 1991:
http://www.dimplex.com/en/about/about_dimplex

So... maybe Carrier or Dimplex could help.

> The model number is WA-40 and the Cat. # is 4990-W. [...] This switch

> is integrated with a thermostat which doesn't turn on the fan until
> the heat comes up.

There is a picture of a Singer WA-15 here
http://www.justanswer.com/hvac/7kru0-singerwall-heater-model-wa-15-needs-therm-o.html
and it looks like it has a couple of bimetal thermostats mounted to fins
of the heating element. If yours is like that, then the switch is
probably simple - if the buttons are "off-fan-heat", then it's probably
one output for the fan motor and another for the heater.

> The original part number as stamped on the switch is ASP3125-35.

I bet ASP3125 is the switch "model", and the -35 is a specific set of
button colors, switching action, etc. There are other versions of that
switch floating around; ASP3125-77 has a NSN of 5930-01-021-1119. The
closest I found to your number are ASP-3125-34 (off, cool, heat) and
ASP-3125-39 (off-on or off-on-vent) in the parts list for a "Nelsonaire"
/AAF air conditioner:
http://lit.daikinapplied.com/eprsup/mcquaycom/parts/55232900.PDF

Matt Roberds

[captainvi...@gmail.com]

On Friday, September 12, 2014 11:45:05 AM UTC-4, captainvi...@gmail.com wrote:

It's very possible that the difference as you say could just be cosmetic but I would hate to assume that. Lenny