as I mentioned in another post, recently had my house rewired.

Most of the light switches have been set so to turn them on you have to
push the top half and to turn them off you have to push the bottom
half. These are 1 switch per light, (don't know the technical term), so
it's not the case that another switch turned the light on, and a second
switch is used to turn the light off.

I've always been used to pressing the bottom half of a switch to turn
on, pressing the top half to turn off.

is there a standard? I can always learn to use the new
switches"upside-down" but I have various other grievances with the
electricians and am wondering if this is yet another example of their
ineptitude/amateurishness....


thanks for all responses.

wrote:

These are 1 switch per light, (don't know the technical term),

One-way.

I've always been used to pressing the bottom half of a switch to turn
on, pressing the top half to turn off.

That is the usual way in the UK.

is there a standard? I can always learn to use the new
switches"upside-down" but I have various other grievances with the
electricians and am wondering if this is yet another example of their
ineptitude/amateurishness....

Sounds like it, but it's trivially easy to turn them round.

--
Andy

In article . com,
wrote:
Most of the light switches have been set so to turn them on you have to
push the top half and to turn them off you have to push the bottom
half. These are 1 switch per light, (don't know the technical term),

One way.

so
it's not the case that another switch turned the light on, and a second
switch is used to turn the light off.

I've always been used to pressing the bottom half of a switch to turn
on, pressing the top half to turn off.

That's the conventional UK way.

is there a standard? I can always learn to use the new
switches"upside-down" but I have various other grievances with the
electricians and am wondering if this is yet another example of their
ineptitude/amateurishness....

I doubt it's ineptitude if they're all the same. However, they've fitted
them in the 'US' way. If you fit a UK made one way switch with 'top' at
the top or the writing the correct way up it will operate as you are used
to.

--
*When it rains, why don't sheep shrink? *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In message . com,
writes
as I mentioned in another post, recently had my house rewired.

Most of the light switches have been set so to turn them on you have to
push the top half and to turn them off you have to push the bottom
half.

What nationality were the electricians? As Dave says this is an American
idea, I believe it came about with larger more "manly" switches, toggle
etc. where it was easy to just knock the switch down in an emergency. I
wonder if this is also a standard used elsewhere, Poland perhaps?
--
Bill

wrote:

as I mentioned in another post, recently had my house rewired.

Most of the light switches have been set so to turn them on you have to
push the top half and to turn them off you have to push the bottom
half. These are 1 switch per light, (don't know the technical term), so
it's not the case that another switch turned the light on, and a second
switch is used to turn the light off.

I've always been used to pressing the bottom half of a switch to turn
on, pressing the top half to turn off.

is there a standard? I can always learn to use the new
switches"upside-down" but I have various other grievances with the
electricians and am wondering if this is yet another example of their
ineptitude/amateurishness....


thanks for all responses.

confusion over whether things are on or off when changing bulbs is a
risk factor as well as an inconvenience. This points to incompetence.
Turning the switches round is simple enough.


NT

In article . com,
wrote:
confusion over whether things are on or off when changing bulbs is a
risk factor as well as an inconvenience.

Could be a problem with two-way circuits, then?

--
*Reality is a crutch for people who can't handle drugs.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

I doubt it's ineptitude if they're all the same. However, they've fitted
them in the 'US' way. If you fit a UK made one way switch with 'top' at
the top or the writing the correct way up it will operate as you are used
to.

Might be stating the bleedin' obvious here, but for the OP's benefit:
you'll find writing on the reverse side of the switch, ie if you unscrew
the faceplate. ;-)

David

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Could be a problem with two-way circuits, then?

Shouldn't be. Arrange the strapper connections such that if all
switches (including any intermediates) are "up" then the light is off.

--
Andy

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Could be a problem with two-way circuits, then?

Shouldn't be. Arrange the strapper connections such that if all
switches (including any intermediates) are "up" then the light is off.

--
Andy

I don't see how you could arrange that, in a two way if both switches are up
or both down then it lights, if they are one up one down then it doesn't.

Pete

On Tue, 21 Nov 2006 13:51:53 -0000, "Pete Cross" 1@2 wrote:



Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Could be a problem with two-way circuits, then?

Shouldn't be. Arrange the strapper connections such that if all
switches (including any intermediates) are "up" then the light is off.

--
Andy

I don't see how you could arrange that, in a two way if both switches are up
or both down then it lights, if they are one up one down then it doesn't.

In that case simply swap the strappers, or turn one switch upside down
:-)

--
Frank Erskine

In article ,
Andy Wade wrote:
Could be a problem with two-way circuits, then?

Shouldn't be. Arrange the strapper connections such that if all
switches (including any intermediates) are "up" then the light is off.

And push on, push off switches?

--
*Also too, never, ever use repetitive redundancies *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Frank Erskine" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 21 Nov 2006 13:51:53 -0000, "Pete Cross" 1@2 wrote:



Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Could be a problem with two-way circuits, then?

Shouldn't be. Arrange the strapper connections such that if all
switches (including any intermediates) are "up" then the light is off.

--
Andy

I don't see how you could arrange that, in a two way if both switches are
up
or both down then it lights, if they are one up one down then it doesn't.

In that case simply swap the strappers, or turn one switch upside down
:-)

--
Frank Erskine

Yup, I'll buy that.......
Pete

Pete Cross wrote:
"Frank Erskine" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 21 Nov 2006 13:51:53 -0000, "Pete Cross" 1@2 wrote:


Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Could be a problem with two-way circuits, then?

Shouldn't be. Arrange the strapper connections such that if
all switches (including any intermediates) are "up" then the
light is off.

I don't see how you could arrange that, in a two way if both
switches are up or both down then it lights, if they are one up
one down then it doesn't.

In that case simply swap the strappers, or turn one switch upside
down :-)

Yup, I'll buy that.......

Well I'm completely lost now... ;-)

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

And push on, push off switches?

Don't be awkward... (pull switches too, for that matter).

--
Andy

Pete Cross wrote:

I don't see how you could arrange that, in a two way if both switches are up
or both down then it lights, if they are one up one down then it doesn't.

Not if I've wired them up...

--
Andy

On Tue, 21 Nov 2006 16:15:19 +0000 someone who may be Andy Wade
wrote this:-

I don't see how you could arrange that, in a two way if both switches are up
or both down then it lights, if they are one up one down then it doesn't.

Not if I've wired them up...

Those with pride check such things and rectify them if they are
wrong. Then they ensure the screw heads line up.


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54

On Tue, 21 Nov 2006 13:56:17 +0000, Frank Erskine
wrote:

In that case simply swap the strappers, or turn one switch upside down

Ok after about five minutes on the stairs, I was eventually able to convince
wife (who has a phobia about bulbs lighting as she replaces them) that with our
switches in alternate positions the light is always off.
I will turn one upside down in daylight - wonder why that is not a standard?

Geo

On 21 Nov 2006 00:55:10 -0800, wrote:

confusion over whether things are on or off when changing bulbs is a
risk factor as well as an inconvenience.

Don't worry, the IEE in their infinite wisdom have ensured that if
when perched on the top of the stepladder you accidentally poke your
fingers into the lamp socket there will be no RCD to protect you.


--

In article ,
Matt wrote:
Don't worry, the IEE in their infinite wisdom have ensured that if
when perched on the top of the stepladder you accidentally poke your
fingers into the lamp socket there will be no RCD to protect you.

Not he- I ignored their ideas when fitting a split load unit. And all
the lighting circuits are on the RCD side. Some couple of years later I've
had two MCB trips when a bulb has failed, but the RCD didn't. Nor has it
tripped for any other reason.
My non protected circuits are for the cooker, freezer, central
heating/immersion and alarm.

--
*All those who believe in psychokinesis, raise my hand *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Not he- I ignored their ideas when fitting a split load unit. And all
the lighting circuits are on the RCD side.

That is not a sensible design and would probably fail inspection.

The number of people killed or seriously injured from direct electrical
shock from lighting circuits is somewhere around the zero mark. The number
of people killed or seriously injured from unexpected lighting circuit
failure is considerably higher. In the event of a fire, it is very likely
that the RCD will activate, plunging you into darkness and reducing the
chances of escape.

Christian.

In article ,
Christian McArdle wrote:
Not he- I ignored their ideas when fitting a split load unit. And
all the lighting circuits are on the RCD side.

That is not a sensible design and would probably fail inspection.

So whole house RCD systems would too?

The number of people killed or seriously injured from direct electrical
shock from lighting circuits is somewhere around the zero mark. The
number of people killed or seriously injured from unexpected lighting
circuit failure is considerably higher. In the event of a fire, it is
very likely that the RCD will activate, plunging you into darkness and
reducing the chances of escape.

I know all the arguments, but due to the central London location and
surrounding lighting from other sources total darkness is unlikely -
except in an overall power cut.

--
*Virtual reality is its own reward*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

That is not a sensible design and would probably fail inspection.

So whole house RCD systems would too?

These days, yes.

I know all the arguments, but due to the central London location and
surrounding lighting from other sources total darkness is unlikely -
except in an overall power cut.

If you really want RCD protection on your light circuits (or require it due
to TT earthing), the sensible way is to use RCBOs.

Christian.