Back to the future!

This old new house has a rather unusual electrical system.  Nearly all of the electrical switches are low-voltage, 24 volt, with 3 control wires.  The low-voltage switch legs run back to a relay panel, where mechanical relays open and close the circuit, turning the light on or off.

"Huh?" you say.
"Yes," I say, "I know."

What would they do that?  It's the House of the Future!  Low-voltage switching allows you to put as many switches as you want on a circuit, wherever you want them.  This, in 1961, was amazing.  It's still pretty amazing now, if you are the kind of person that is likely to want more than one switch to control a single light. If you are not that kind of person, it's kinda cray cray.

The switches are mostly made by Remcon, and have a sexy, hourglass shape that screams mid-Century modern.

See?  You like them more now, right?  You kinda want to touch them, don't you?  Mmm-hmm. I know.  Too bad they went out of production years ago, and are impossible to find now.

But wait - there's more!

What's that honey?  A burned out light bulb?  No problem.  Gotcha covered.  New light bulb, et voila'.  
Hmm.  Still doesn't work.  What the....  Double check the light bulb - yep, it's good.  
Double Hmm.

This, my friends, in the House of the Future is what's known as a "blown relay."  (Fortunately, the relays are still available.)  Off we go in search of the relay panel.  It could be anywhere, remember.  Switch proximity is not a factor.  Mechanical relays make a noise when they trip, so finding one is like a game of electrical Marco Polo.  

Next up - The Relay Panel