Hotel Bedroom lamps

[BazBee]

Hotel bedrooms these days often seem to have the bedside lamp wired with a switch at the door and another on the wall which fail to work as proper two ways. On the second night you come in and find the door switch doesn't work because it is off at the bed.
Is this incompetant wiring or builders not paying for 2way wiring and switches?
Anyway I have occasionally found one where the lamp has a switch on itself that works as a two way. Nice. It could be hard wired into a box on the wall but would expect it to be a socket but haven't moved the bed to see.
So is there a recognised socket for this? I've not found anything obviously for this in the usual suppliers. There are instrumentaton type plugs of course but I would have thought there would be some common standard.

 

[Adam_151]

Normally a 5A BS546 (you know those round pin sockets they used to use decades ago, yes those )

 

[plugwash]

Normally a 5A BS546 (you know those round pin sockets they used to use decades ago, yes those )

A 5A BS546 couldn't be used for two way switching with the switch on the lamp and on the wall unless you abused the earth pin as a live conductor, I seriously hope places aren't doing that.

Some of the click style plug in lighting systems have a connector designed to supply a permanent live and a switched live for use by maintained emergency lights, this could be used for two way switching with a switch on the lamp without creating a hazard.

 

[RF Lighting]

People would nick the lights if they were not hard wired.

I stay in alot of hotels and have not encountered this problem

 

[BazBee]

thanks. I have some round pins as you say in the lighting circuit for table lamps which is fine for a living room. If I ever try this I would have to use something like a bulgin SA2368 though it is perhaps not up to the modern obsession with shrouding.
I wonder if there is a miniature 3 phase connector that is not aimed at the 32A market.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

though it is perhaps not up to the modern obsession with shrouding.

Where does it stand with the modern obsession of compliance with the Wiring Regulations?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

A 5A BS546 couldn't be used for two way switching with the switch on the lamp and on the wall unless you abused the earth pin as a live conductor, I seriously hope places aren't doing that.

Well....

In a sort of Devil's Advocate stylee...

If the appliances are all Class II, and neither the fixed cabling to the sockets nor the flex from the plugs uses a G/Y core, and the installation is under the supervision of a skilled person, and the sockets are not provided for use by unskilled or uninstructed persons...

 

[Atilla]

Normally a 5A BS546 (you know those round pin sockets they used to use decades ago, yes those )

A 5A BS546 couldn't be used for two way switching with the switch on the lamp and on the wall unless you abused the earth pin as a live conductor, I seriously hope places aren't doing that.

.

you could with a joint box ..........................

 

[Donkmeister]

Hotel bedrooms these days often seem to have the bedside lamp wired with a switch at the door and another on the wall which fail to work as proper two ways.

As we are talking wall switches in both situations, the 5A/2A socket or a flex outlet are the two most likely options I would say. In which case, it would appear they have wired an intermediate switch into a two-switch system.

If the second switch were on the lamp itself or the flex supplying it... then the more esoteric answers would apply in the situation where two-way switching works properly.

I have never figured out the switching arrangements in hotel rooms, I am generally awake in them for about 30 minutes and spend the rest of the time in the bar or asleep so have never taken the time to try. I reckon a simple ceiling pendant would be plenty for most travellers.

 

[mikhailfaradayski]

could be off the mark here, but its just a thought:-

Ive stayed in a number of hotels that have a master switch at the bedroom door, after you open the door with a key card, you pop it in the slot and on come the lights. (I suppose its to stop light being left on all day long)

I think this switch is only for the lights as they like the sockets to stay on for the TV to be on whenever they want the hotel welcome screen to be shown.

Maybe the room you stayed in had a faulty card switch and just swapped it for a normal rocker. Could this be the answer?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I think this switch is only for the lights as they like the sockets to stay on for the TV to be on whenever they want the hotel welcome screen to be shown.

It's usually also for the guest sockets, which is a pain if you want to charge a laptop or phone while you're out (unless it's a simple mechanical switch you can work with a piece of cardboard).

As you say, not for the TV, nor the mini-bar/fridge.

And definitely also for the aircon if there is any.


But BazBee is right - you do get some bizarre 2-way lighting switches in some hotel rooms, and Donkmeister is right - life is usually too short to worry about working it out.

 

[NamelessRob]

A 5A BS546 couldn't be used for two way switching with the switch on the lamp and on the wall unless you abused the earth pin as a live conductor, I seriously hope places aren't doing that.

or if you use a dc supply, and some diode arrangement in the switches (theoretically, not suggesting any reason why anyone would want to).

 

[Steve]

Most of those keycard slots can be operated with a bit of cardboard. Used my driving license in one once, so I could leave the air con running.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Yup.

Have used playing cards, credit-card sized pieces of plastic (e.g. library card, AA membership - anything that won't be grief to get stolen).

But I've also encountered hotels where it has to be the real room key, which is a right ******

Stayed in a hotel in the US once that had none of that - the maid just used to turn the A/C off, so when you got back the drill was to whack it on full boost, max fan, min temperature, and go to the bar for half an hour or so before returning to get ready for the evening. Except one evening we ended up going straight out from the bar, so when I got back my A/C had been on mega-chill for about 8 hours. The room was like an icebox, and there was condensation running down the outside of the window...

 

[mikhailfaradayski]

I think this switch is only for the lights as they like the sockets to stay on for the TV to be on whenever they want the hotel welcome screen to be shown.

It's usually also for the guest sockets, which is a pain if you want to charge a laptop or phone while you're out (unless it's a simple mechanical switch you can work with a piece of cardboard).

As you say, not for the TV, nor the mini-bar/fridge.

And definitely also for the aircon if there is any.

Could be, im not sure. I thought the sockets remained energised so the cleaners could plug in to vac the floor?