Light switch position

[SUNRAY]

No, the doors all open into my rooms. That door opens out, so the switch would be perhaps on the same wall, but outside the door if that would work?

Ah, this thread is about switch position for a door opening out. Actually all about a building extention and where the switch should be.

the switch the same side as the door should of course be lock side but as I mentioned before my daughter had one on the hinge side and it didn't seem to be an issue.

 

[JohnW2]

Ah, this thread is about switch position for a door opening out. Actually all about a building extention and where the switch should be.

As I recently wrote, it's not so much a question of whether the door 'opens in' or 'opens out' (not the least because that will be different when going in the two directions in the case of a door between two rooms!) but, rather, what side of the wall the switch is on relative to the way in which the door opens - as you go on to say ...

the switch the same side as the door should of course be lock side

Kind Regards, John

 

[xgn]

Would like to revive this topic. Have the same headache for a few past months regarding placement of light switches/windows roller shutters (grey), smart control/alarm panel (black) and power outlets (red).
There are two places where it is hard to decide: main entrance and main pathway to kitchen(upper zone)/living room(lower zone). Would like to have a proper placement practically and visually. As for the main entrance door, there is no such so far, hence some corrections can be made such as door-window placement on the other side.

Tried everything aligned verticaly, also control panel on the next perpendicular wall, light/roller switches on the wall inside, etc.
Any recommendations would be appreciated.

 

[morqthana]

Front doors open inwards, so if you want to be able to reach a light switch on the way in don't have it on the hinge side.

 

[JohnW2]

Front doors open inwards, so ...

Usually, but mine doesn't - and it's a pain, because delivery guys are forever leaning heavy things against it and then running away, making it difficult (sometimes impossible!) to open the door from inside (and without toppling, and potentially damaging, whatever they've leaned against the door

 

[SUNRAY]

Usually, but mine doesn't - and it's a pain, because delivery guys are forever leaning heavy things against it and then running away, making it difficult (sometimes impossible!) to open the door from inside (and without toppling, and potentially damaging, whatever they've leaned against the door

The problem is known

 

[robinbanks]

but in the other room does it go hinge or lock side

Lock side, because it's consistent with the other side of the wall and it's nearer to you as you enter the room having opened the door

I have one such room in my own house where I put it hinge side and after a few months use I swapped it (left a wire in the wall to assist) as I couldn't decide which would be better at the time so I left a strapper up, across and down to the same position the other side

I recommend you do this for all your doors where you're wondering, if this is a new built wall; it's trivial and cheap to leave a wire with sufficient cores up, across the top of the wall above the door and back down, all cores wired to earth, then if you decide you want the switch the other side it takes about 20 minutes to chop The plasterboard, put a back box in, move the switch over and leave a blanking plate the other side

If the blanking will bother you, run the spare wire to the ceiling rose just like the switch wire is, keep the square of plasterboard you chop out of the one side for filling in the other side. As per before any unused wire should have all its cores wired to earth

Just living and using the house will tell you where you Think the switch should be. I kept walking into the room and pressing the wall on the lock side, but no switch there, so I swapped it

If the room were a corridor or the door is in a corner, ie the wall and the door are at 90 degrees, hinge side may make more sense as you'll see the switch when you open the door

It's also feasible to mount a light switch in a door frame, or even not have a switch at all. All the small rooms in my own house (WC, utility, walk in cupboards/wardrobes etc) have doors that open outwards into the larger room to maximise space without having a door in the way in the smaller room, and they all have PIR, also handy for hygiene if you want to wash your hands and not touch a switch or door the last non-washing user has smeared poop all over. Not that we're that kind of family of course, but I can't help wonder about some of the visitors

 

[ebee]

One thought just to muck things up. There does seem to be an obsession to put a light switch inside the relevant room whereas sometimes it might be an idea to hang switches together, example on a corridor a two gang switch by each door . One gang for the corridor and the other gang for the room itself, particular if it is the only door for that room (bedroom example). That way you switch the light to the room on just before you open the door or as you are opening it, at the lock side.

 

[SUNRAY]

One thought just to muck things up. There does seem to be an obsession to put a light switch inside the relevant room whereas sometimes it might be an idea to hang switches together, example on a corridor a two gang switch by each door . One gang for the corridor and the other gang for the room itself, particular if it is the only door for that room (bedroom example). That way you switch the light to the room on just before you open the door or as you are opening it, at the lock side.

Hmm let me see... one switches on the light, opens door and enters bedroom, gets ready for bed - possibly sleeps naked, then opens door to switch light off I'll invite you and the missus to stay for a few nights (.)(.)

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

That way you switch the light to the room on just before you open the door or as you are opening it, at the lock side.

Which suggests that once in the room, you would need to go out, to turn the light off again - could be very inconvenient, but there are exceptions....

I hate pull-switches with a vengeance. Our bathroom light switch is just outside the bathroom door, who in the bathroom would need to turn it off, except when you come back out? I installed the loft light switches, just below the ceiling, by the loft hatch, turn them on as you go up there, off as you come back down, and you can easily check at a glance, that they are off, even with the hatch closed.

 

[SUNRAY]

The thing I've learnt and now offer as advice is to observe which hand you automatically use to open a door, for most people it's the opposite hand to the lock for a door opening towards you

, that leaves the other hand freeto find the switch.

The builder insists Hinge side is correct and the way he demonstrated made a lot of sense.
Excuse my sketch but entering the room reaching forwards is easier, (the switch is almost in view) than backwards:

He demonstrated this at 3 other existing doors and all were at the hinge side.

 

[ebee]

Hmm let me see... one switches on the light, opens door and enters bedroom, gets ready for bed - possibly sleeps naked, then opens door to switch light off I'll invite you and the missus to stay for a few nights (.)(.)

Pull switch over bed or plate switch adjacent to bed

 

[ebee]

Which suggests that once in the room, you would need to go out, to turn the light off again - could be very inconvenient, but there are exceptions....

I hate pull-switches with a vengeance. Our bathroom light switch is just outside the bathroom door, who in the bathroom would need to turn it off, except when you come back out? I installed the loft light switches, just below the ceiling, by the loft hatch, turn them on as you go up there, off as you come back down, and you can easily check at a glance, that they are off, even with the hatch closed.

By the way 2 way etc switching as well as 2 gang etc switching were both invented for some good reasons, though full implementation of both or either can offer good results

In my home town ganging of switches was less common and the switch inside its own room was the majority.

In a neighbouring town vice versa.

Both had a few but not enough two way switching.

When dealing with elderly/infirm the occupational therapy teams etc always insisted to trades and their clients that sensible utilisation of both would invariably make life a lttle easier time after time after time, they greatly encouraged it.
I suppose I was , independently, already on that wavelength and perhaps slightly ahead of them they noticed.
Just one “rider” I would add, do not be tempted to make it over complicated, ganging an waying ( is there such a word as waying?) can be overdone to complication though.
Keep it simple (to the user) and pretty clear for any user/potential user as to what is intended for where and we approach perfection - well nearly, well not too far off,

So KISS and easy are two words to bear in mind with lighting and switches just as much in the same way plugs and sockets not too high or two low for the averag-ish type person (unless used from a wheelchair or for dwarfs or giants etc).


As you get older or infirm or both you start to realise more of this little helps, how many of us never gave a thought to dropped Kerbs until we tried pushing someone in a wheelchair across the road?

 

[JohnW2]

One thought just to muck things up. There does seem to be an obsession to put a light switch inside the relevant room whereas sometimes it might be an idea to hang switches together, example on a corridor a two gang switch by each door . One gang for the corridor and the other gang for the room itself, particular if it is the only door for that room (bedroom example). That way you switch the light to the room on just before you open the door or as you are opening it, at the lock side.

That's all very well, but in the case o something like a bedroom, one would presumably have to have 2-way switching for the bedroom light - since one does not want to have to go out of the room to switch off the light before one gets into bed (and then stumble back in the dark trying to find the bed )'
I suppose one could overcome that problem by having a second source of light (e.g. bedside light) in the room, but one would then still have the hassle of having to go 'backwards and forwards into/out of the room' when one wan';t to get into bed!

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

By the way 2 way etc switching as well as 2 gang etc switching were both invented for some good reasons, though full implementation of both or either can offer good results

We don't see the need, we don't generally make use of the ceiling light, rather we mostly use bedside lighting. The ceiling light is handy for room cleaning, sorting bedding, clothing in wardrobes, and drawers. Going to bed process is - landing light on, into bedroom to turn bedside on, back out to toilet, then finally landing light switched off.

Guessing whether 2-ways are on or off, annoys me, so I always arrange them, so that with both up, the light is off.