NEC Question

[MikePA]

It was all so easy in the days before grounded outlets! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Inspector507]

Have to relate this honest to goodness true story regarding the ground hole on outlets. I was called out for a service call one day. The woman of the house wanted all the grounded receptacles flipped over, get this, at the advice of her psychiatrist. She had been in therapy, and felt that they were little faces smiling at her. I had a hard time keeping a straight face through all that.
Well, I flipped them all over, made out the invoice and collected my fee. As I was looking around the room, I just casually mentioned that they were no longer smiling at her, but looked like they all had holes in their head.
........She screamed........ OH GOD NO!!!

I left real quick.......... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[MossRoad]

Poor woman /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[DocHeb]

My GFI's buttons have "Test" and "Reset" written in both directions so you can read them whether the ground is up or down.

 

[Junkman]

I was afraid to look..... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[OkeeDon]

New question -- but not worth a new thread -- I'm doing some remodeling and just added a combination vent fan/ceiling light to a bathroom. I converted the single light switch (for the wall mounted lights over the sink) to a triple switch in order to control the old lights, the new fan, and the new ceiling light in the fan. The new switch has 3 horizontal rocker switches in the same spot as one vertical switch. We all know that with a standard switch, up is on and down is off. But, which way would you expect a horizontal switch? As you come into the bathroom and reach to the left, should you expect to push the switch away from you or pull the switch towards you, to turn on the lights/fan?

 

[Junkman]

Light on top ....... always..... at least that is the way it is on my NuTone units...

 

[AndyM]

I put the off position towards the doorway, so you have to push it away from you to turn it on.

 

[dbelisle]

It is a matter of personal choice.

There is nothing in the NEC on the direction of sideway switches.

switches in the vertical position have to be off in the down position.

 

[OkeeDon]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( ( I put the off position towards the doorway, so you have to push it away from you to turn it on.)</font>

I think you're right. I did it the other way, and I'm uncomfortable with it. That's why I asked. This type of switch has a common feed and three outputs for the hot wire, and I originally installed it so the common hot feed was at the top, not thinking about the switch positions. It's also the way the printing on the switch faced. Then, I got to thinking, it makes a difference whether the switch is to the right or the left of the doorway, so in one of the cases the switch has to be installed "upside down". It will only take me a couple of minutes to change it. Thanks.

Junkman, I originally set it up somewhat they way you said -- I put the ceiling light, which is part of the vent unit, on top. Then, I did it in order of their physical location. The fan was next, and then the lights over the sink, because they were lower than the ceiling unit. Made sense to me at the time, but after using it for a few days, I think I'll put the ceiling light on top, then the wall lights, then the fan. I have to move them around, anyway, to turn the switch over.

(Sigh) No wonder it takes me so long to get these projects done, when I spend so much time thinking about such a trivial matter. But, no one else will see all the work I did to install this unit; they'll only interact with the switches, and will judge me accordingly.

 

[Inspector507]

I would prefer to push the switch the direction I'm walking. Push to turn on coming in, push to turn off going out.
I also would put whichever light I use the most on top.

 

[moeh1]

Here in NY the inspectors want the ground up. I t may not be explicit code, but all my (hundred plus) new commerical 20 A fixtures are all stamped "Top" on the ground up end. I should know, I put them all in... Good news is I'll always be able to find an outlet without looking too hard. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[Bird]

This has been an interesting thread. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif I, too, always put the ground on the bottom on electric plugs, and it's been so long since I had a horizontal light switch that I don't remember which way was on and which was off. But the thing that always annoyed me was a lack of consistency with switches. We're in a mobile home now and there's a double light switch just inside both the front door and the back door; one for the outside porch light and one for the indoor light. Now I always figured the one nearest the door should be the outside light, and that's the way the switches are at the front door, but at the back door, it's the other way around. And of course there's a double switch in each bathroom; one for the lights and one for the exhaust fan. Again I always figured the switch nearest the door should be the light switch, and that's the way it is in the front bathroom, but the other bathroom is the other way around. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif And we've only been here since the first of August so I haven't gotten around to changing them. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Junkman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( It is a matter of personal choice.

There is nothing in the NEC on the direction of sideway switches.

switches in the vertical position have to be off in the down position. )</font>

What do you do with a 3 way switch????? When it is off, some times it is in the up position and some times it is in the down position and some times it is in the up position, depending on which switch you are standing in front of..... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif....... and this drives me crazy /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[_RaT_]

Easy solution, purchase a Vantage system. I install them. Go to vantagecontrols.com for more info. For a mere $6000 to 10,000 more for a home, you can have the maximum utmost in home lighting. It can run the HVAC, audio/video, alarm, lawn sprinklers, all dimmable loads including dimmable flourescent, relay loads, works with any DIN rack systems and the dimmable SCR's go all the way down to 1%. It's a slick system and the up/down of alternate 3 way/4 way switches is eliminated. Each single gang box can be up to 8 switches. The programming is virtually unlimited. Plus, anytime you decide you want a switch to do something different or add/delete a switch, its a simple modification in the program called QLink. End that 3way 4way frustration now, check out Vantage. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[AndyM]

<font color="blue"> What do you do with a 3 way switch????? When it is off, some times it is in the up position and some times it is in the down position and some times it is in the up position, depending on which switch you are standing in front of..... ....... and this drives me crazy </font>

Geez, and you think I'm a Fruit Loop?
Actually, I can't relax if one of the switches is up and one is down and the light is off. I've accepted that one of the switches is always going to be in the up position is the light is on, but both switches must be down if the light is off.

If they're not, I have to turn on the light, run downstairs and turn the light back off, and then run back upstairs in the dark.

Come to think of it, I guess I am kind of Loopy.

My father-in-law screws a light switch into the box which ever way he happens to be holding it when he picks it up. Several of the switches in his house have "on" in the down position. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
I guess different things bother different people.

I feel like taking a screwdriver out and fixing it when we go visit them! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
Is that a good thing to do while visiting your inlaws?

 

[Inspector507]

So some of his switches say NO and FFO
instead of OFF and ON? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[_RaT_]

Those are European models.

 

[billbobtlh]

All the outlets on the gfi circuit breaker were installed by the guy that rewired our vacation home I have seen that elsewhere.

 

[rockyridgefarm]

I read this thread with some amusement the other day.

Who would EVER short out a recept like that,? I thought.

Got my first light show today...

/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif