Electrical wall switches aredevices that open orclose anelectrical circuit. There aremany different types ofelectrical switches inthe home. Themost common electrical switch isthe one-waylight switch, butit doesn’t mean it’s thebest one. Inthis article, youwill find alist ofthe most popular electrical switches among homeowners. Wewill also help youdecide which ones youshould install inyour home. Also, itis best toseek professional electrical services when youplan tochange anyswitch inyour house.
Types ofElectrical Switches inthe Home bySpecification
Here arefive ofthe most common light switches andwhat each onedoes. Electrical switches aregrouped according totheir specification andusage.
What isa Single Pole Switch Used For?
What isa single pole switch? Asingle-pole switch orone-wayelectrical switch isthe standard household switch. Theprimary usage isto control thelights andfans inhomes. Thesingle pole switch controls lighting from onelocation, unlike thetwo-waylight switching, which controls lights from different locations.
Thesingle pole electric switches have twobrass-colored screw terminals attached tothe switch's body. Theone-wayelectrical switch isused tocontrol theflow ofelectrical current. Theswitch isconnected toa generally black-colored wire that carries thecurrent. Oneof thehot wires takes current from thepower source, andthe other hotwire carries outgoing current todevices inyour home.
What’s aDouble Pole Switch andWhen toUse It?
What isa double pole switch? Dual pole switches areconnected totwo separate electric circuits. They contain twolinked switches andcan complete thecircuit simultaneously orstaggered. Thewires ofdouble pole switches aremore prominent than single-pole switches. They have four hotterminals, while thesingle-pole switch hastwo hotwires. This switch isused for30 amps, unlike thesingle pole ones that employ 15or 20amps.
What isa double switch used for? They areused topower appliances with heavy loads like dryers, cookers, andshowers. Thetwo-wayelectric switches areused tocontrol 240V circuits.
Youmight wonder when touse adouble pole switch when wiring your home. This type ofelectrical switch isrecommended when youwant toplace alight atthe topand bottom ofa staircase.
Triple Pole Switch
Three-waywall switches control oneor more lights from multiple locations. Thetriple pole switch isgenerally thestandard light switch forplaces like ahallway. Thetriple pole switch toggle does nothave anON/OFFmarking.
Thethree-wayswitch hasthree screw terminals anda green grounding screw attached tothe body. Thedarkest screw onthe three-wayscrew isusually marked "COM," which stands forcommon, andit iseither connected tothe hotwire that carries current from thepower source orthe hotwire that brings light tothe light fixtures. Thetriple pole switch hasa green grounding screw.
Four-WayPole Switch
What isa 4way light switch? Itis anelectric switch with four terminals, each with twopairs oftravelers, oneusually black andanother pair brass colored. Italso comes with aground terminal. This switch iscommonly combined with athree-wayswitch toform acircuit.
Thefour-wayelectric switch isused inlarge rooms with multiple exit points orlong hallways.
Five-WayPole Switch
A5-waylight switch combines double three-waylight switches andtriple four-waylight switches. Like thefour-wayswitches, thefive-wayswitch isused inrooms where youwant tooperate thelight from many entry locations.
Different Types ofElectrical Switches forLight byUsage
DNDSwitch
Thedo notdisturb (DND) electrical switch isunlike thestandard light switch inthe market. Itis adifferent kind ofswitch with asoft-touch operating switch. Itis generally used inplaces where privacy andsilence areneeded, like hotels andhospitals.
Light Dimmer
Adimmer switch isused tolower thebrightness ofthe light. These types ofwall switches areoften used topersonalize theambient lighting ina room. Contrary towhat some people say, thedimmer switch does notdecrease theamount ofvoltage tothe light.
Bell Push Switch
Asthe name suggests, abell push switch isconnected toa doorbell. When theswitch ispushed, itrings thebell attached toit. Youcan find these electric switches inhomes andoffices.
Hire aLicensed Professional Electrician inColorado
Operating anelectrical switch canbe dangerous, andyou should nothandle live wires. Itis always recommended tocontact anexperienced electrician torun thewiring ofall thetypes ofwall switches inyour home.
McCarrick Electric wasestablished inthe 60sand hasbeen providing excellent electrical wiring services tothe residents ofColorado ever since. Youcan always trust ourcertified electricians because they have combined 25years ofindustry experience. Wealso have theexpertise tohandle allthe different types oflight switches inyour home.
Ouroffice isat 10843 E. 96TH PL. Commerce City, CO80022. Wealso offer ourpremier services inand around:
- Aurora
- Denver
- Henderson
- Brighton
- Thornton
- Westminster
- Highlands Ranch
- Littleton
- Parker
Nomatter your electrical needs, wehave professional electricians whoare certified tohandle them. Wedon’t offer quick fixes, only long-lasting solutions! Call McCarrick Electric today forall thetypes ofelectrical switches youneed.
