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

[Cheechako]

mount the ones you want no one else to turn on the opposite way... :>)

[redcobra]

The switches on my panel (Blue Sea) go left right. Left=On

[Greg S]

...and all the switches on my Tartan are - Right=On. So much for standardization.

[Wotname]

Dare I ask about latching push switches - IN is ON or OFF ?

[James S]

I'm think'in in is on.

[Wotname]

Well, that is how I think it should be, but............

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by James S

I'm think'in in is on.

I'm thinkin' Jim is right - in most cases in is "on".

Originally Posted by Greg S

...and all the switches on my Tartan are - Right=On. So much for standardization.

Circuit breakers are typically “on” to load side, “off” to bus supply side.
Hence a parallel double row of breakers (flanking the supply bus), will be "on" to outside - right row "on" to left, left row "on" to right.

Otherwise, unpolarised devices, such as SPST switches (no specific supply-load), should be oriented consistently.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by GordMay

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

Thanks Gord, I just learnt something new.

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by phatch

Down is on
Yup, you have all resolved it. My visits throughout Africa, UK, etc. have all light switches down for on, whereas in the USA, the opposite applies. Wait until you try and sort out which plugs fits for what country's electrical outlet. That's fun.

Electrical braker boxes are all down for off in the US of A. I'm courious, how about you.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by delmarrey

Electrical braker boxes are all down for off in the US of A. I'm courious, how about you.

Which sounds a lot like Up is On (North America).
What are you curious about?

[Wotname]

Aussie Breakers usually UP is ON, on the other hand, Aussie Switches DOWN is ON. We must buy switches from the UK and breakers from the USA

[chala]

On a boat I would install CB’s subject to shock tripping horizontally. This will prevent nuisance shock tripping in heavy weather.

[Cheechako]

Right is on, left is off.... what's this up and down crap??? :>) The reason that up is off "down under" is because everything is upside down down there. So really, they are the same in the US and OZ....

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by phatch

Yup, you have all resolved it. My visits throughout Africa, UK, etc. have all light switches down for on, whereas in the USA, the opposite applies. Wait until you try and sort out which plugs fits for what country's electrical outlet. That's fun.

Since electricity was discovered and the light-bulb invented in North America, ours it the "right way" and the rest of you are backward

Generally with valves, open is toward the direction of flow. Similarly, as Gord stated open or on is toward the load. Lights are generally on the ceiling, so up for on

[s/v Jedi]

That switch on Gord's photo: when you close the contacts it creates a short between hot and neutral. Both wires should have a color coding pointing to a hot wire, not one hot and one neutral.

We say "phase" instead of "hot". The color of this wire is brown. When you switch it, the wire often goes down in diameter (from 2.5 mm2 to 1.5 mm2) and changes color to black. Neutral is always 2.5 mm2 and is blue. Ground is green+yellow.
So, a switch should have a blue and a black wire in all of the EU now I think and the US... I guess black is hot so two black wires?

ah... electricity was discovered in Holland of course and Edison was of Dutch ancestry too ;-)

Dutch: first real capacitor (leading to battery) Leyden jar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
German: George Ohm: Georg Ohm - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
French: Ampere: André-Marie Ampère - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Italy: Volt: Alessandro Volta - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So let's make that European. But the big name in AC was Tesla. Hey, he's from Croatia... what's US in all that? Ah Franklin with his dissipators (again ;-)

For switch panels I think the new low profile toggle (operated by pushing) types are superior as they won't be activated by accident.

cheers,
Nick.