It doesn’t matter which of your two hot wires are where, the switch will only has 1 on and 1 off position. Turning it upside down will make it work the way you want it to. the way you presently described your switches , both up (on) and your light off is common.
Why are all my light switches upside down?
Electricians may position the outlet in an upside-down position so that you can quickly identify the switch-controlled receptacle . Since it stands out visually to most people right away – it provides convenience to the occupants to easily remember which outlet is switch controlled.
Why are American light switches upside down?
The same terminology is used for oil and gas lights – you turn up or turn down the flame to make the lights brighter or dimmer . So it makes perfect sense to me that you flip a switch up to make the lights brighter (turn them on), and down to make them dimmer (turn them off).
Are light switches opposite in Australia?
A switch of basically the same design is also used on Australian power outlet wall-plates. ... However, while standard Australian wall mounting plates have the same dimensions as those used in North America, they have different dimensions from those used in the UK or Europe.
Are UK and US light switches the same?
4 Answers. Generally speaking no* . Europe and the US have different voltages (230v vs 120v). This puts different requirements on the equipment, and they will be built and rated to suit these.
What happens if I wire a switch wrong?
But here’s the catch: If you connect the circuit wires to the wrong terminals on an outlet, the outlet will still work but the polarity will be backward . When this happens, a lamp, for example, will have its bulb socket sleeve energized rather than the little tab inside the socket.
What happens if you wire a three way switch wrong?
Finding the common wire: When wiring a 3-way light switch, you’ll need to find the common wire and connect it to the common screw . If you don’t correctly connect this wire, then your lights won’t work from more than one switch.
Can you wire a switch upside down?
In most cases, you can simply reverse the wire to change how the switch behaves . I purposely did this with a 2 gang dimmer box (Lutron dimmers), so that the dimmer slides would be on the outsides of the plate. From my experience, the ground screw has always been on the bottom, but it doesn’t matter.
Is flipping a light switch on and off bad?
Answers and Replies
The arc in the switch will reduce the life of the switch and the change in filament size as the current starts and stops will reduce the life of the bulb.
How do you fix an upside down switch?
- Toggle the other switch.
- Take switch out of box, flip over and re-install.
- Take switch out of box, swap traveller wires, put switch back in same way you took it out.
How can you tell if a switch is on or off?
Up or down or sideways differs by region.
As an eyelid opens, the eye can see, meaning the switch is on . When the eyelid closes, we can’t see, meaning the switch is off.
How do you tell if a toggle switch is on or off?
(1 or | means on.) IEC 60417-5008, the power-off symbol (circle) on a button or toggle, indicates that using the control will disconnect power to the device . (0 or ◯ means off.) IEC 60417-5009, the standby symbol (line partially within a broken circle), indicates a sleep mode or low power state.
Is the I or O on or off?
The line symbol means “power on” and the circle symbol means “power off”. The presence of both (I/O) on a push button means the switch toggles the power.
Can I use US 120V in UK?
If you have a single voltage device that accepts only 120V, then it will not operate in the UK without a converter or transformer . A converter is for use with “electrical” devices and a transformer is for use with “electronic” devices.
Do UK electrical appliances work in USA?
Electrical appliances made for U.K. use may not work in the U.S. The voltage and hertz frequency are different in each country. Confirming the correct voltage and hertz can help determine which electrical appliances can be used in the U.S. and will not be damaged in the process.
Do US light switches work in UK?
The switches won’t be to British standards , and note you will need a US style back box to fit them to. It is possible that they will not have a satisfactory means of earthing, either.
