2 Pole switches

[Monkeysoon]

Hello again
Can someone please explain what a 2 pole switch (with 3 mm contact?) is ? The reason I'm asking is that I've just had 2 ceiling fan lights installed by a qualified electrician. The fans work OK but it in the instructions it says specifically that these fans should only be used with a 2 pole switch. I mentioned this to the sparky when he started installing them but he said something along the lines of :-
a) You don't have that option.
b) It's not really necessary.
I need to get this cleared up! Why if it says in the manual "WARNING - can only be used with a 2 pole switch" did this sparky feel it was OK not to? What is a 2 pole switch anyway?

Cheers
Alex

 

[JohnD]

1) Are they bathroom fans?

2) Are they in a bathroom?

 

[Monkeysoon]

Hi
No they are in the living room - you know traditional colonial style ceiling fans. They work fine - the only advantage I can see in having double pole switches is presumably so that the fans can be operated by the wall switch, but they have pull cords on them anyway, so you just leave the wall switch (2 gang 1 way) in the on position and operate them from the pull cords.

Alex

 

[JohnD]

If the fans are on a lighting circuit, and not in a bathroom, I think your electrician was right on both counts.

I suppose a DP switch would give the advantage of isolation for maintenance, you will just have to turn off the circuit at the consumer unit, as you would when repairing a lamp fitting.

A DP switch fully isolates the supply to the fitting, and ordinary light switch doesn't.