Help connecting a magnetic switch

[vinnygalbo]

I have a sentrol industrial 1082-N surface mount magnetic switch with wire leads https://www.clrwtr.com/Products/1082-N . I'm not sure which wire is the + and which wire is the -? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[TurnipTruck]

Usually, if the wires are unmarked, the polarity does not matter. Your switch looks like a dumb reed switch, which is a simple glass tube with a magnetically mobile contact without any kind of circuitry, so there are two more reasons why the polarity does not matter.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Looks like a magnetic door/window contact.

Those dont have polarity as theyre just used to switch one side of a relay. Its essentially a loop.

What are you using it for?

 

[matt_i]

Seeing as its 100VAC/DC rated then my belief is the polarity doesn't matter, as there is no actual polarity on AC...just the notion of it for simplicity.

 

[Worsedog]

In a past life I installed literally thousands of that exact switch. There is no polarity to it. And they are also incredibly reliable, I think I've only ever seen two fail in service.

 

[Mr. T]

Seeing as its 100VAC/DC rated then my belief is the polarity doesn't matter, as there is no actual polarity on AC...just the notion of it for simplicity.

It is not safe to assume that all two wire AC rated sensors (or switches) can have a hot to either lead. This one doesn’t care but anything with active circuitry usually will. However, it is almost always clearly marked which wire is power and which is signal if this is the case.