Switches - Is Up 'On' or 'Off'?

[delmarrey]

Today on the radio a guy started he knew that "righty is tighty & lefty is loosey" but wanted to know what was up & down.

[Lodesman]

Nick,

I don't really believe any one country can claim the discovery of electricity. I wonder why you didn't mention the Brits (Faraday, Watson et al)? But you can't possibly dispute the fact that the first practical application of electricity for power and lighting were American. BTW, Tesla did all his work in the US and even worked for Edison.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Lodesman

Nick,
I don't really believe any one country can claim the discovery of electricity...

How about ancient Greece?

The GREEK, Thales of Miletus, is the earliest record I can find of experimentation with (static) electrical properties. He made a series of observations on static electricity circa 600AD.

The word electricity comes from the Greek word "electron", which means "amber". Thales noticed static electricity from polishing amber with a piece of wool or fur. After rubbing the amber, which created a static electric charge, other light objects such as straw or feathers stuck to the amber.

Though others may likely have previously notices these effects, Thales is apparently the first to have recorded his findings/observations.

[s/v Jedi]

Lodesman,

I think the discovery of electricity goes much further back. It was the Egyptians and Arabs that described it first (read that on wikipedia I think).

Tesla and Edison: You must read that book about Tesla (don't remember the title but must be easy to find). Edison tried to destroy Tesla and probably succeeded. Tesla was so much ahead of his time that most people thought his demonstrations were magic and tricks. When Marconi was still trying to understand "wireless" (radio), Tesla demonstrated a radio controlled submarine model during the world fair in Chicago.
The hydro power plant at Niagara was build by Tesla and the first AC plant, while Edison was still running DC for city-power.

I do not agree with you that the "first practical application of electricity and power and lighting" was in the US. The first mass scale implementation of it was in the US. In Europe, electricity wasn't just science. For example, the first electric elevator was build in Germany by Ernst Werner von Siemens. There were big generating plants in Europe too incl. the use of Parson's first megawatt generator. But all that wasn't used for lighting up the streets and homes like in New York. It was mostly used for industry.

The Brits?? don't they live on that silly and stubborn island that hides in mist and rain? ;-)

cheers,
Nick.

[olepedersen]

On my boat the former owner had mixed them up deliberatly through the boat,to discourage theft. it took a long time to figure it all out, and longer to change it . up is on
Ole

[GordMay]

Although Werner von Siemens built the first electric elevator in 1880; this was merely an application (& marriage of) of pre-existing technologies, akin to Edison's "tinkering" inventions.

American Elisha Otis demonstrated a steam-powered freight elevator, equipped with a safety device* to prevent falling in case a supporting cable should break (the essential breakthrough), in 1853.

*"Improvement in Hoisting Apparatus."
Although Otis didn't actually invent the elevator, he invented the brake used in modern elevators. His brakes made skyscrapers a practical reality.

Hungarian Ányos Jedlik demonstrated the first experimental electric motors in in 1828, and British scientist William Sturgeon built the first “working” motor in 1832. In 1888, American emmigre Nikola Tesla invented the first practicable AC motor. Nobody from Thunder Bay has ever been demonstrably prominent in this field, though the City had Canada's first Electric Street railway..

[drew.ward]

I used to laugh when I worked for Siemens that, in the headquarters buildings in Erlangen, Germany every building had elevators, but all were either Thyssen-Krupp or Otis -- not a single Siemens setup.

[mesquaukee]

Simple to understand. It is all about personal safety issues.
Should anything go wrong there is someone else to blame.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by drew.ward

I used to laugh when I worked for Siemens that, in the headquarters buildings in Erlangen, Germany every building had elevators, but all were either Thyssen-Krupp or Otis -- not a single Siemens setup.

I don’t think that Siemens builds elevators.

➥ Hoists and Cranes

I recall working as an estimator for a major electrical contractor, who tendered the electrical installation on their own new headquarters building. We were third lowest bidder, and didn’t get the contract.
The President (a Rothschild) assured me that our firm intended to make a profit on every project we undertook, and that the low bidder on our new building was welcome to the project - his low price being OUR bargain.

[James S]

We have Siemens elevators in Lebanon.

[goboatingnow]

for circuit breakers both in europe and the US up is ON, case closed. for your cabin light switches do whatever you like!

[drew.ward]

When you guys say circuit breakers are you talking about the ones on panels in lieu of fuses?

If that's the case most that I have dealt with have been either left (off) right (on) or have been on toward the outside and off toward the inside (dual vertical rows with the shared inside being 'off').

Either way, I don't really think it matters one bit so long as you pick a format and stick with it throughout.

There is the other option of those little metallic surrounds you can buy for most toggle switches that actually say "on" and "off". Not much room for confusion there.

Of course you could look at it as boat security: don't want someone to be able to easily steal your boat -- make every single switch go off in a different direction that only you know!

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

for circuit breakers both in europe and the US up is ON, case closed. for your cabin light switches do whatever you like!

“Up” is only universally “On” for Circuit Breakers mounted such that their handles operate vertically.

Originally Posted by drew.ward

... have been on toward the outside and off toward the inside (dual vertical rows with the shared inside being 'off')...

Circuit breakers are manufactured “on” to load side, “off” to bus supply side.

Hence a parallel double row of horizontally oriented breakers (flanking the centre supply bus), will be "on" to the outside (load connection).

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by GordMay

“
Circuit breakers are manufactured “on” to load side, “off” to bus supply side.

Hence a parallel double row of horizontally oriented breakers (flanking the centre supply bus), will be "on" to the outside (load connection).

Had to check - my panel is on towards the centre (weird). They're ITE which I believe was bought out by, you guessed it, Siemens.

[chala]

And now.
The convention, often forgotten, is that the top of electrical devices is the input and the bottom is the output unless marked otherwise. This come from the days when most electrical supply where aerial supply.
It is also preferable to read the On and Off markings standing on two feet than on two hands unless the boat is up side down.