Power switch - which is right, up = on or down=on ?

[tekfan]

Analogy:

UP = awake, alert, happy, excited, uppers = speed, thus = on
Down = asleep, down, sad, tired, downers = tranquilizers, thus = off

In usage:

lets start it up
OK, we're done, shut it down

For instruments, good to have an annunicator when orientation can change to confirm down or up as in a fighter plane, submarine, or in space.

So if down was on someone would have to say:
Shut that thing up! It's making too much noise!


BTW I prefer down - off

[sacherjj]

In avionics and aircraft control  UP is ON, PUSH is ON, forward is INCREASE, etc.

Except for altitude.  Forward is decrease on altitude. 

[tekfan]

In avionics and aircraft control  UP is ON, PUSH is ON, forward is INCREASE, etc.

Except for altitude.  Forward is decrease on altitude. 

Yes. But even that is very logical. It's like when you push on the yoke to pitch down.

[RayJones]

I vote for down as that is way it is always done in Australia and habit wins over my vote - logic gets no say.

The logical method however would be a centre off toggle switch.
No, come to think of that won't work, someone will then bitch about centre should not be off. 

In the end, use whatever method you prefer unless explicitly specified. 

[johnmx]

I follow two rules conceived by me and both outcome to the same result, Up = ON.

The first one applies to the light switches installed in our homes. When we are at home we spent more time in any room with the light ON than with it OFF. Since the switches are more aesthetically pleasing when they are ‘up’, they should be on that position when we are in the room.

The second rule applies to electric/electronic equipment. Normally the switches are bellow eye-level and in some situations it’s difficult to know if we left the equipment turned ON without lowering our head. This should be avoided.
The attached pictures illustrate this situation. If I’m too close to the equipment, I can’t see if it’s ON or OFF (‘switch_off.jpg’). If it is ON then it should be easy to see, so I can go home without worries (switch_on.jpg).

[mikeselectricstuff]

I follow two rules conceived by me and both outcome to the same result, Up = ON.

The first one applies to the light switches installed in our homes. When we are at home we spent more time in any room with the light ON than with it OFF. Since the switches are more aesthetically pleasing when they are ‘up’, they should be on that position when we are in the room.

That's surely down to the aesthetics of the switch - there are probably some that look nicer when down

The second rule applies to electric/electronic equipment. Normally the switches are bellow eye-level and in some situations it’s difficult to know if we left the equipment turned ON without lowering our head. This should be avoided.
The attached pictures illustrate this situation. If I’m too close to the equipment, I can’t see if it’s ON or OFF (‘switch_off.jpg’). If it is ON then it should be easy to see, so I can go home without worries (switch_on.jpg).

But it would be FAR more obvious, and more visible at a distance  if the top surface of the switch was brightly coloured and down was on.

[johnmx]

But it would be FAR more obvious, and more visible at a distance  if the top surface of the switch was brightly coloured and down was on.

Of course I cannot apply those rules if the switch already has a natural orientation, like that one with colored surface or with text written.

[vk6zgo]

maybe there's semantic confusion here (at least by me). look at the switch below. here, the standard for ON is by pushing the bottom part of the switch, hence protruding the top part. so what actually up and down? pressing "down" = ON, or protruding "up" = ON?

I agree, these particular kinds of switch are a bit confusing at first sight.Even after I get used to them,I still don't like them!

Other than those,it's pretty much a cultural thing about which you prefer.
Non-Technical people happily go from one country to another without any trauma about switches.
After all, if a light switch is off ,you can't make it more off by operating the switch the wrong way,or vice versa.

Technical people have got used to the fact that some switches work one way,& the others the other way.
Most equipment has some indication of on & off.

I hate it when manufacturers remove the indicator lamps from their equipment & rely on the switch position to show "on".
Like Weller soldering irons,the old ones had a light,the new ones just use a red blob on the switch.
You don't know if the thing is on until you try to solder & find it's switched off on the wall!!

VK6ZGO

[RayJones]

Some people must get themselves into all sort of panic when they encounter the hall switching arrangement.
Either way can be on - depending on the other switch(es).

Seems a bit obsessive compulsive when you consider that.

[Kiriakos-GR]

the hall switching arrangement.

Is this the  Australian description ,
of what we say in Greece as "Aller retour" ( with root, words from France ) ?  

[RayJones]

the hall switching arrangement.

Is this the  Australian description ,
of what we say in Greece as "Ale return" ( with root, words from France ) ?  

To be honest NFI.

There are a couple of ways it can be wired, but essentially active comes into the common of a SPDT switch.
The two poles are then wired over some distance to the two poles of another SPDT switch, the common of that switch then connects to your load, typically a light bulb, the other side of which connects to neutral.

Switches are placed at either end of a hallway, or even large rooms, allowing the light to be turned on/off from either position.

The only explanation for Ale Return I have is after a few beers you need to relieve your bladder 

[Kiriakos-GR]

allowing the light to be turned on/off from either position.

The only explanation for Ale Return I have is after a few beers you need to relieve your bladder  

Well my strong point ( as it goes ) Is English , my weak point the German language ,
about France is an unknown territory that snobs the English language.

Even so yes , it is the same arrangement , and I edited my message above with the correct spelling,
and so no more beers , they are costly this days..    

[PetrosA]

In the US up is on for single pole toggle, rocker, slide and button wall switches and toggle switches have on/off printed on them. I think most equipment also uses the up position for on here, unlike in Europe where many are on-down, like my espresso machine pump switch. It used to really bother me in Europe that there were no standards for wall switches (at least in Poland) - one room would be on-up, another on-down. WTF?!? More modern switches seem to have one or the other visually designed into them nowadays, so it's probably more likely that installers will be more uniform when mounting them.

[Jon Chandler]

My switches are labelled OFF and NO.  Oh wait.  Nevermind.

[Russel]

Missile switches and Switchboard Switches- ON/FIRE=UP
Everything else ON=DOWN

What about Left/Right switches?[...]

As I have always understood it:

Up / Down switch - Up is on

Right / Left switch - Right is on

I do have one lamp that is on when switched to the left and it drives me nuts!

[FreeThinker]

the hall switching arrangement.

Is this the  Australian description ,
of what we say in Greece as "Ale return" ( with root, words from France ) ?  

To be honest NFI.

There are a couple of ways it can be wired, but essentially active comes into the common of a SPDT switch.
The two poles are then wired over some distance to the two poles of another SPDT switch, the common of that switch then connects to your load, typically a light bulb, the other side of which connects to neutral.

Switches are placed at either end of a hallway, or even large rooms, allowing the light to be turned on/off from either position.

The only explanation for Ale Return I have is after a few beers you need to relieve your bladder 

It can get even more confusing if it is a long corridor and you have intermediate switches you can then control a light from 3 or more positions so up or down becomes meaningless.

[RayJones]

the hall switching arrangement.

Is this the  Australian description ,
of what we say in Greece as "Ale return" ( with root, words from France ) ?  

To be honest NFI.

There are a couple of ways it can be wired, but essentially active comes into the common of a SPDT switch.
The two poles are then wired over some distance to the two poles of another SPDT switch, the common of that switch then connects to your load, typically a light bulb, the other side of which connects to neutral.

Switches are placed at either end of a hallway, or even large rooms, allowing the light to be turned on/off from either position.

The only explanation for Ale Return I have is after a few beers you need to relieve your bladder 

It can get even more confusing if it is a long corridor and you have intermediate switches you can then control a light from 3 or more positions so up or down becomes meaningless.

The 3 way switching (and more) had me baffled for many years, then it was explained to me and it became so damn obvious.

[Leo Bodnar]

In avionics and aircraft control  UP is ON, PUSH is ON, forward is INCREASE, etc.

Except for altitude.  Forward is decrease on altitude.  

You don't pitch down to go down.  You pitch down to increase airspeed (forward = increase.)

Altitude is controlled with a throttle or propellers pitch controls (forward = increase.)

[Slobodan]

It is simple. There is a standard in Serbia which says that UP is ON, becouse in case of en electric shock you can (durin falling down, for example) switch it DOWN (OFF).

[tekfan]

In avionics and aircraft control  UP is ON, PUSH is ON, forward is INCREASE, etc.

Except for altitude.  Forward is decrease on altitude. 

You don't pitch down to go down.  You pitch down to increase airspeed (forward = increase.)

Altitude is controlled with a throttle or propellers pitch controls (forward = increase.)

I was referring to the pitch of the entire plane (angle of attack). If you push the yoke or control column away from you the plane pitches down and starts to dive.
The vetrical speed thumbwheel on the autopilot of a Boeing 737 is arranged so if it is pushed up (away from you) the plane starts to descend.



The throttles don't control the altitude but only the speed. Propeller pitch is a different thing but used in conjunction with the throttles.

[Leo Bodnar]

I was referring to the pitch of the entire plane (angle of attack). If you push the yoke or control column away from you the plane pitches down and starts to dive.
The throttles don't control the altitude but only the speed. Propeller pitch is a different thing but used in conjunction with the throttles.

Thanks for pointing this out.  I am sure you know what you are talking about but if you have ever flown a real airplane on a final approach then you'd know that you control IAS with yoke (pitch) and rate of descent with throttle/prop pitch.

[Neilm]

As a professional engineer who has been involved in literally HOURs of discussion on this subject I find the answer very easy.

What did your customer specify? (If not specified, put it on the diagonal in the most inaccessible place commensurate with any regulations you have to meet and charge them extra when they want it moved)

Neil

[Kiriakos-GR]

and charge them extra when they want it moved

Neil

I love your style       

[Ferroto]

Missile switches and Switchboard Switches- ON/FIRE=UP
Everything else ON=DOWN

I would imagine someone would be red faced if they screwed that one up.