Water Heater Switch Position

Bobbo wrote:
We bought an older home in 2009. Every room had a light switch and a ceiling fan with its own switch. Some rooms had the light switch closer to the entrance door, other rooms had the ceiling fan switch closer to the entrance door. Within 24 hours, every room had the light switch closer to the door. Generally, I am very laid back, but I am very anal about SOME things.

I wired all of mine as light switch is left and fan is right regardless of which side you enter. It's consistent and uniform. I always know the fan is the right switch regardless of the door or which room I'm in.

We bought an older home in 2009. Every room had a light switch and a ceiling fan with its own switch. Some rooms had the light switch closer to the entrance door, other rooms had the ceiling fan switch closer to the entrance door. Within 24 hours, every room had the light switch closer to the door. Generally, I am very laid back, but I am very anal about SOME things.

Lynnmor wrote:

Farmboy666 wrote:
I think theres just a 50/50 chance on the way the guy putting it in doess it. I turned mine around.

Of course he would be illiterate. Sample

Mine is just a rocker switch with no writing so he could be illiterate.

afidel wrote:

2edgesword wrote:
I'm a senior citizen, electrical engineer and didn't know there was a particular switch orientation (up/down) for on/off. I must have skipped that class :).

NEC
225.52

(E) Uniform Position. Where disconnecting means handles are operated vertically, the "up" position of the handle shall be the "on" position.

So yes, you did miss a class. Double throw or other multi-position switches are exempted but any simple two position switch should be up for on.

NEC is for electricians... engineers have their own set of rules ;)

2edgesword wrote:
I'm a senior citizen, electrical engineer and didn't know there was a particular switch orientation (up/down) for on/off. I must have skipped that class :).

NEC
225.52

(E) Uniform Position. Where disconnecting means handles are operated vertically, the "up" position of the handle shall be the "on" position.

So yes, you did miss a class. Double throw or other multi-position switches are exempted but any simple two position switch should be up for on.

2edgesword wrote:
I'm a senior citizen, electrical engineer and didn't know there was a particular switch orientation (up/down) for on/off. I must have skipped that class :).

I suspect most of us expect up to be on, down to be off, if for no other reason than that's generally how switches in our houses work. In the case of a slide or awning switch it would only makes sense to push the switch in the direction in which you want the device to move. None of this is rocket science nor does it take a degree in EE to understand. ;)

I'm a senior citizen, electrical engineer and didn't know there was a particular switch orientation (up/down) for on/off. I must have skipped that class :).

Old-Biscuit wrote:
RVs are no where near the same level but somethings are 'different' so folks will think.

You're giving the RV manufacturing industry FAR too much credit :R ... believe it, there's NO thought whatsoever that goes into how these various switches operate. BOTH of my water heater switches happen to go up to turn on, down to turn off, but the awning, slide, and tongue jack switches make no sense at all because operating them is not intuitive at all. :M

SoundGuy wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Reason is so you have to THINK about what you are doing vs just doing it out of rote

Some things about my camper I should think about before doing them but which direction to push a switch isn't one of them ... there's no reason that action shouldn't be obvious, automatic, and by rote. ;)

And YET over and over we read about electric elements being turned on w/o water.....which should be obvious, automatic and by rote that one needs water in order to heat it



Folks asked WHY and I posted the reason.

In Power Plants ALL controls are backwards to 'make one think' before doing something cause it is a place you do not want folks just going by rote.

RVs are no where near the same level but somethings are 'different' so folks will think

But as the saying goes...."Can't fix stupid" even when you attempt to provide some type of 'help'....cause one to think

Course if it is too difficult for one to adapt or drives one crazy it is simple enough to swap the switches around.

It's just a switch after all.

Farmboy666 wrote:
I think theres just a 50/50 chance on the way the guy putting it in doess it. I turned mine around.

Of course he would be illiterate. Sample