ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade Non-US Electrical Systems & Trades More U.K. pics

Here's another one of a slightly different style:



All of these were generally mounted on a wooden pattress (back block).

And finally, here's a more modern "plate" switch. This type of toggle is typical 1960s/1970s, and as you can see from this one, could have up to three switches on the one single-gang plate:



And while you're counting those terminals, yes, these happen to be 2-way (U.S. 3-way) switches. They also have a simpler switch action and are marked "AC only."



[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 12-01-2002).]

Interesting to see the switch guts in one part with the face plate!
All Austrian devices have the guts mounted in the box and just a face plate screwed on.

We can get separate switches and cover plates here, but they work out much more expensive so are rarely used in domestic work.

I prefer the separate plate idea. Another good point is that people can change the white/ivory plastic plates for fancy chrome/brass types during a remodel without having to actually mess around with changing wires over.

Only problem is you don't get spare face plates. They usually consist of 2 parts, one is the frame (can be 1, 2, 3 or 4 gang), are freely available, and the actual switch/receptacle face plate that comes with the device and isn't available seperately. Plus, frames and inserts from different manufacturers usually don't fit.
Only single gang stuff sometimes has a single piece face plate, along with some very very rare and cheap double gang models.

Paul,
With regard, to your camera,
please keep the Pics coming in, they are always interesting, just wish I had one myself, in the last couple of weeks.

Spare face plates are available separately here for most ranges of switches, although we too have the problem of different makes being incompatible. But the cost advantage of the all-in-one devices, such as the triple switch pictured above, means that these are by far the most common in residential work.

The interchangeable plates is one thing where American devices really score highly.

Paul,
Regarding them old tumbler type switches,
We still have them over here, in two forms.
The first one being in houses that have never been rewired since they were built, in the mid-late 40's and the switches are rated at 5Amps, the fun starts when people hook a bank of fluorescent lights up to them.
Secondly, these types of switches are now becoming "trendy", again, over here, people who are restoring houses are lapping up these switches and even PDL have brought out
a range of brass type tumblers rated at 10A.
Give the people, what they want, I say.

The fancy brass-capped tumbler switches have also become quite in vogue in England as well in certain sorts of homes. There are some nice replica-type tumbler switches being made, but they're expensive, anything up to around £10 (about U.S. $15) each! And these days, as good woodworking craftsmen are harder to find, they're also selling the wooden mounting pattresses to compliment the switches, and I've seen some of those at nearly £5 a piece!

I had somebody a year or so ago who had ideas of having an old Victorian town house fitted out with these replicas throughout -- Until I worked out the cost, that is!

These days, of course, all the exposed metalwork of such a switch is required to be properly grounded (a requirement since 1966 in fact!).

You're quite right about the cost of these fittings, Paul, you certainly pay a premium
price for them.
I guess it's a case of the same old thing, only the rich can have flash looking fittings in their houses.
I personally despise these fittings, they are annoying to work with, have little room for wires and fingers manuoevering them.
Give me modern flush-fitting accessories,any day.

The electrician I told about in the smoking thread told me of a customer who had his house built American style. Including a whole-house stepdown transformer to 120V, US cables, NEMA receptacles, US style switches...
must have cost a fortune to import all that stuff, still wonder where he gets his lightbulbs from.