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Saturday, May 17, 2008
....& where can I put the light switches?
Having written an earlier post about sockets I now feel moved to set out the regulations regarding the placing of light switches (interrupteurs, ou appareillages de commande). Apart from common sense stuff like needing switches near doorways & at the top & bottom of stairs there are specific measurement ranges.
Firstly, the bottom edge of all switches should be between 90cm (900mm) & 1.30 metres (1300mm) above finished floor level. Personally I find that 1.1 metres is a good height (& is appreciated by anyone using a wheelchair).
Secondly, all switches should be placed within easy reach of the opening side of a door that you use to enter a room. In a corridor they can be up to 1 metre away or, if illuminated switches are used (interrupteur à voyant lumineux), then they can be up to 2 metres away.
As a footnote, it is now recommended that all switches are wired with a neutral wire in place. This allows for the future use of "dispositifs à détection de présence" - motion sensors/PIRs.