Some time back I mentioned that in Britain light switches are fitted so that down=on, up=off. The same holds true for wall mounted shut-off switches for ranges, heaters, etc.

When it comes to distribution panels, though, it seems as though we couldn't make up our minds over the years.

Pre-war, we generally had small 1- or 2-way fuseboxes with a side mounted handle. These were up=on, down=off,and often interlocked to the front cover.

After WWII the multi-way "consumer unit" was introduced, and the main switch moved to the front panel and took on the appearance of a normal (big!) toggle switch. These changed to down=on, up=off. I can only assume the change was on the argument that it made sense for it to work the same way as a light switch.

Since about the early 1980s circuit breakers have gradually become much more widespread in domestic panels in place of fuses, and these breakers are always up=on, down=off.

In the last 5 years or so, manufacturers have changed the main switches back to up=on, down=off, presumably on the grounds that as circuit-breakers are now common it makes sense to have everything on the panel working the same way up.

It's probably just as well that on all types the main switches have "ON" and "OFF" markings!

Well as far as the colonies go, up is on and dwon is off, if it is printed on the switch,and is a violation if the switch is reversed. You guys really seem to float around though.

Yep.... I like the little ON and OFF legends on American light switches. Growing up in Britain, I got used to "our" way up of course, but as soon as I spent time in the States I realized that I prefer the American arrangement. It just seems more natural to me.

The backs of our light switches are often marked "TOP" so that they can be fitted the "right" way up, but there are no ON and OFF labels on the front. There's actually nothing in our IEE Regs. to say that up has to be off; it's just convention.

Some of the other types of wall switches (for ranges etc.) DO have ON and OFF markings. It's common for sockets (receptacle) to have an integral switch, and some of these are labeled.

Paul, can you post a picture of your circuit breakers? I just have this mental image of your circuit breaker looking like an appliance block switch we have over here.

Yup, to me , up is on. However, there has been some debate over whether the ground pin is up or down on a receptecle (I install them up.) I mention this, because some of our recep. brands are marked 'Top', placing the ground pin down !!! I'm so confused

Dallas:

Sorry, I don't have a digital camera or a scanner, but Bill has a couple of catalogs I sent him recently. If we ask nicely, I'm sure he'll scan the appropriate images for you. How about it Bill?

I'm not quite sure what you mean by an "appliance block switch." Do you mean a wall mounted isolation switch for a major appliance?

Mickky:

I asked about the recept. orientation a while back and nearly started an
international incident!

Most of the outlets I saw in America had the ground at the bottom, which confirms what the others told me that this is the most common.

I have a box of Hubbell 5-15 singles here, and there's no TOP indication on them, but the ground will be at the top if fitted so that the "Hubbell" name on the front is the right way up. Same for a few of the 6-20 (250V) Hubbell recepts. I have here. I think they're a few years old.

Our sockets are a different type, but fitted with the ground at the top.

I haven't figured out how to post photos here yet (having too much fun reading and writing) but, what I'm calling an appliance block switch is along the lines of a tippette or curvette switch. If you took a tippette switch, and maybe an old Pushmatic CB, and put them together, thata would approximate what I'm thinking of.

Of course Bill could clear this up quickly with a picture or two

Article 380-7 requires vertical switches to be
UP = ON
DOWN = OFF
One reason is that gravity will tend to keep an open switch open.

[This message has been edited by Redsy (edited 09-16-2001).]

Paul,
The up or down receptacle is another of Pandora's boxes. Questions with no answers.
(Virgil, do you still have the Down/Up picture?)

Er.... Tippette? Curvette? Pushmatic? These are used for power distribution on Mars right?

Seriously though, I've never heard of these names before, so I'm still in the dark.

Paul, your a tad closer

Sorry Guys, I wasn't watchin' ..
I hope this is a good example. And Paul.
maybe you could tell us the differencebetween these types?



Bill

Joe had the original...but here's a copy:



Hope the image tag works this time...

hehehe....OOPS, sorry Paul. You speak enough "American" electrical, that I almost forgot you're not over here.

You wouldn't have a Grainger's catalog handy would you? Or, www.grainger.com, maybe. The Pushmatic circuit breaker is an almost obsolete circuit breaker here, and its case is cubed shaped.

I definitely need to learn how to post pictures here!

Re: the pictures;

Thanks Bill, for posting them.
The "type B single poles" look familiar enough. Along the lines of a DIN rail mounted CB in industrial machine control panels over here. The other two reminds me of x-10 modules. (They are powerline controllers that use a frequency signal for a switching signal, so that you can turn on or off a device from a remote location, as long as the device is on the same power system.)

In the picture, are those mounting screws in the corners, or adjustable trim pots in the lower pics?

Thanks for the pics. Bill.

The breakers shown are typical of those used in modular "consumer units" since the 1980s. These are the MK brand, one of our most well-known manufacturers.

The top pic is a standard single-pole MCB (Miniature Circuit Breaker). "Type B" refers to the time/tripping characteristic and is the category most often used for residential. Type A MCBs are more sensitive, and types C and D are often used in commercial applications where there are motor start-up surges etc.

Next down is the RCD (Residual Current Device) - Our equivalent of the GFCI. The most common sensitivities these days are 30mA or 100mA. The lower 16 or 32A types may be used to protect a single circuit. The higher 80 or 100A versions are used where a "whole-house" GFI is needed because of the grounding arrangements.

Bottom pic. is a simple double-pole switch which can be fitted into the modular case as a main switch for cases where a main GFI is not required.

Bill: Can you post the picture on the top left of the same page? This shows a typical residential panel fully assembled.

These newer modular types use the DIN rail. Another aspect of the increasing "Europeanization" of British fittings.

The screws are for connection to the circuit conductors and busbars.

Dallas:
See, I'm bilingual. I speak British & American! People here keep telling me off for talking about gasoline and the trunk of my car. ("Petrol" & "boot" here.)

Hehehe... you need to come on back over more often, then!

As you all may have gathered by now, I'm very pro-America.

I'd love to come back permanently. I'd be on the next plane out if it wasn't for all the INS red-tape.