Who among us has not been irritated from time to time by the incomprehensible orientation of the switches in our apartments and offices. In some cases, the light turns off when you press the bottom of the key, in other cases - on the top. The chaos in this matter in the country is complete, which perfectly emphasizes the complete lack of attention to detail. Many attribute this to the peculiarities of the Russian mentality. It is quite possible that the mentality has nothing to do with it, and the rules for the orientation of the switches were simply not formulated explicitly.

It is believed that the correct "ON" position the switch key or the pedestal lever comes from the era of knife switches. The knife switch is always on due to the design features lever up.

This rule does not apply to switches in the "corridor" or ladder scheme, which, with each press, change the state of the system to the opposite.

Here in China, the switches turn on when you press the bottom of the key. Probably, the Chinese somehow missed the era of knife switches.

There is another theory for the orientation of switches. According to this theory, the orientation depends on the height of the switches on the wall. If the switch is set at arm level, it is more convenient to turn it on by pressing the upper part of the key, if at head level - on the lower. kind of scientific approach. You're going crazy with these theories.

In fact, the “ON” position of the key is determined by the manufacturer and there are different things. The main thing is that uniformity is observed throughout the building. Otherwise, the person becomes disoriented. There are switches that have special indicator labels, light bulbs, LEDs, or the inscriptions "ON" or "ON". In any case, the inscriptions should not be installed upside down, and the indicator marks or bulbs should correctly display the “ON” state. And, of course, we must take into account that we live in Russia, and not in China. We have it right to press the top of the key to turn on.

Recently, it has become fashionable to install switches with a key that switches in a horizontal position, but how to turn them on - left or right - is unknown. Such is the dosed introduction of a light element of uncertainty into dull everyday determinism. But in any case, it is necessary to orient the switches with a horizontal key in the same way throughout the building.

In addition to keyboard switches, there are also toggle switches. In particular, household machines and RCDs have toggle switches (beaks).

Outlet Orientation Rule much simpler and usually no problem. Sockets are usually installed so that the plug holes are horizontal. There are sockets with holes located at some angle to the side of the socket housing. Such sockets are installed horizontally on one side of the case. Sockets with vertical holes are recommended to be installed only in the immediate vicinity of the floor (at a distance of approximately 100 mm).

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Repair-scale switches are such a trifle! But their correct placement can make everyday life much more comfortable and convenient. How exactly - find out below.

General rules

It is best to place the switches at a distance of 10-15 cm from doorway. Getting into any living space, a person intuitively tries to find the switch on the wall next to the entrance.

The optimal height of the switch is 80-90 cm from the floor level. Of course, as many people remember, Soviet repairs, which involved installing a switch at head level, did not make life much more difficult for someone - even children perceived this as a peak that needed to be conquered. But still height, in which the switch can be felt by hand without lifting it, much more comfortable and ergonomic. That is why in families where the growth of adults is below average, it is more correct to install switches not even according to the new generally accepted standards, but even lower to the floor.

More about comfort: this is not very obvious, but it is really more convenient if the light is turned on by pressing the upper part of the key, and turned off by pressing the lower one (provided that the switch is not a pass-through or a toggle switch). To understand why this is so, pay attention to how you hold your hand when you enter the room and you need to turn on the light, and how you hold it when you leave and you need to turn it off. Convinced?

In whatever position of the key the light turns on in the end, make sure that this is the case in all rooms. That is, if you need to press the top of the key to turn on the light, it should turn on in the same way in the nursery, bathroom and living room.

Photo: Aleksey Gnilenkov

The switch must be located from the same side as the door handle. So that you can open the door with one hand and turn off the light with the other.

If the room has several lighting sources (which corresponds), let each of them have one switch with one key, and not one switch with several keys. This rule is due to simple convenience - sometimes hitting a key without hitting others can be quite problematic.

It is not necessary to “attach” one lighting device to one switch. You can group different light sources and display them on single switch. For example, one may be responsible for soft light (floor lamps, sconces, backlights), the other for bright light. Each of these light scenarios is suitable for different life situations. For example, in the early winter morning, a stream of bright light will only annoy, but by noon on a winter day, when the lack natural light especially noticeable, such light will come in handy.

Bathroom

Switches for the bathroom, as well as other rooms without natural light (pantry, dressing room, etc.), should be located outside them, for example, in the corridor.

If you still decide to install a bathroom switch in the room itself, make sure that the distance from it to the door or bath is at least 70 cm.

Bedroom

If your bedroom has a sconce hanging over your bed (although designers recommend opting for bedside lights rather than wall lights that only illuminate the top of your head during your evening reading), it's best to position its switch 10 cm above your bedside table.

Photo: Wicker Paradise

If the bed is double and there are also two sconces, you can place the switches above the bed in the middle (so that everyone has access to their own light) and add a main light pass-through switch to the panel. Clicking on it is much more convenient than getting out of bed and trudging to the exit to turn off the main light. The only thing to consider with this arrangement is that the two extreme switches are responsible for the sconces, and the one in the middle is for the “big” light. This is necessary in order not to get confused which of the switches regulates the operation of the main lamp, and which additional ones.

If the bed is double and there are also two lamps above it, do not make only one switch on them. Someone who wants to sleep, not read, will be much more comfortable if the light is not on over his "half".

Alexander Yarovoy