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Author Topic: Upside down light switches?  (Read 12680 times)

Jonathan Johnson

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Re: Upside down light switches?
« Reply #10 on: April 23, 2017, 11:44:02 AM »

My sister's very old house (USA) has a few original switches where ON is down -- and the switches ARE installed right-side-up according to the labeling.
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Kevin Maxwell

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Re: Upside down light switches?
« Reply #11 on: April 23, 2017, 12:07:25 PM »

Slight topic swerve...

Another thing i found, first in Eastern Europe although i've seen it elsewhere as well, is that light switches for smaller enclosed rooms without windows are usually placed OUTSIDE the room.  Think one person bathroom in a restaurant, or even in a home.  i've also seen it with closets and other rooms as well.

The first time i saw this all i could think of was 'why oh why do we put the switch on the INSIDE of the room?'.  I mean think about it.  How many times have you gone into a small public bathroom, let the door close behind you, and then had to fumble around like a blind man trying to find the stupid light switch?

One of the things i really enjoy about traveling outside of the U.S. is finding out how other places do things, especially things i've always taken for granted as always being done one way.  Sometimes their way is silly and ours is clearly more efficient, but often their way is so obviously superior that you wonder how "the greatest country in the world" could not have seen to do it that way.

Every time I see the light switch on the outside of a small public bathroom I think great some clown is going to turn that switch off while I am in there. I always carry a flashlight with me.
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Jean-Pierre Coetzee

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Re: Upside down light switches?
« Reply #12 on: April 23, 2017, 12:29:04 PM »

Some renovated houses in South Africa end up with the light switches in cupboards etc...(you need to get a COC for any electrical wiring change from a qualified and registered electrician and we build with bricks here so its a PITA to move a switch) it's almost mandatory to ask where the switch is before you go somewhere in someone's house.
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brian maddox

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Re: Upside down light switches?
« Reply #13 on: April 23, 2017, 01:43:17 PM »

Every time I see the light switch on the outside of a small public bathroom I think great some clown is going to turn that switch off while I am in there. I always carry a flashlight with me.

Well there Is that..
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David Buckley

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Re: Upside down light switches?
« Reply #14 on: April 23, 2017, 07:33:19 PM »

so what about 3 and 4 way switches in those other countries ?

Americanism-alert - What an American calls a "three way light switch" the rest of the world calls a "two way light switch".  Similarly, the American four-way is an inflated three way.....
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Mike Sokol

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Re: Upside down light switches?
« Reply #15 on: April 24, 2017, 07:08:45 AM »

Americanism-alert - What an American calls a "three way light switch" the rest of the world calls a "two way light switch".  Similarly, the American four-way is an inflated three way.....

I'm in the USA and I think the rest of the world is wrong... :D

David Buckley

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Re: Upside down light switches?
« Reply #16 on: April 24, 2017, 08:58:33 AM »

I'm in the USA and I think the rest of the world is wrong... :D

Well, I guess you would.  :)

However, I am reminded of an event from 1963, the trial of Stephen Ward, a witness named Mandy Rice-Davies, when questioned about a statement made by Lord Astor, that he denied having slept with her,  she famously replied "Well, he would say that, wouldn’t he?"...
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Steve M Smith

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Re: Upside down light switches?
« Reply #17 on: April 24, 2017, 09:25:14 AM »

I'm in the USA and I think the rest of the world is wrong...
Guess what the rest of the world thinks...

Down = on (unless it's a two way switch).

European convention for equipment switches is up for on though.

but often their way is so obviously superior that you wonder how "the greatest country in the world" could not have seen to do it that way.
Because it isn't!!


Steve.
« Last Edit: April 24, 2017, 09:28:07 AM by Steve M Smith »
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David Allred

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Re: Upside down light switches?
« Reply #18 on: April 24, 2017, 10:59:20 AM »

Guess what the rest of the world thinks...

Down = on (unless it's a two way switch).

European convention for equipment switches is up for on though.
Because it isn't!!


Steve.

If the light is on the ceiling, then ON is up.  If it is a lamp from a switched outlet, then ON is down.  It is all about the flow direction to the fixture.  Just like the hot water knob (or single handle direction) is on the side nearest the hot water heater.  It varies in the house, room to room, using this rule.  For this reason you must ask, "Where is your hot water heater?" when you have a need for hot water.

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Kevin Maxwell

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Re: Upside down light switches?
« Reply #19 on: April 24, 2017, 10:59:59 AM »

Well, I guess you would.  :)

However, I am reminded of an event from 1963, the trial of Stephen Ward, a witness named Mandy Rice-Davies, when questioned about a statement made by Lord Astor, that he denied having slept with her,  she famously replied "Well, he would say that, wouldn’t he?"...

There was no sleeping involved?  :-X
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ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Upside down light switches?
« Reply #19 on: April 24, 2017, 10:59:59 AM »


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