In Defense of the Switched Outlet
Vložit
- čas přidán 27. 11. 2022
- Seriously. It's a good idea!
Links 'n' stuff:
Technology Connextras (my second channel where stuff goes sometimes)
/ @technologyconnextras
Technology Connections on Twitter (...for now):
/ techconnectify
The TC Subreddit
/ technologyconnections
This channel is supported through viewer contributions on Patreon. Thanks to the generous support of people like you, Technology Connections has remained independent and possible. If you'd like to join the amazing people who've pledged their support, check out the link below. Thank you for your consideration!
/ technologyconnections - Věda a technologie
Alright, pinned comment time:
Firstly, putting outlets on a dimmer switch is definitely not kosher. That’s why I said some folks might find that terrifying (it’s a good way to kill things that aren’t lamps), but I should have explicitly said this isn’t up to code.
But here’s a list of options you have when one of these is in your life:
•Obtain *lamp* and use it, occupying that plug and preventing confusion
•Use an extension cord to relocate the lamp(s) away from the switched outlet when desired (within reason)
•Don’t want a lamp? Try using it with items with vampire loads so that you can easily disable them when not needed.
•How about a fan? Or something else? It doesn’t _have_ to be a lamp.
•Don’t want it at all? Buy a “light switch guard” to cover the switch to keep it from being used. No need to mess with wiring, and just like that you’ve effectively disabled it.
The moral of this video (though I perhaps overdid the delivery) is _you have options_ and you should use them! There’s no reason it needs to remain an annoyance in your life.
Well, how ELSE do you remotely turn down the volume on your stereo? *eyeroll
On your Bathroom lightswitch topic, there's another one that I think is even more crucial, a night light.
Who wants to be blasted with full power make-up/getting ready lighting when they are going for a midnight flush?
And unless your bathroom has a window or something, that shit'll be goddamn pitch if you try with the lights off.
You can rearrange a room but I can rearrange her guts, we're not the same
I have one of these switches that is, no kidding, three feet from the switch, wait for it... in every bedroom in my house. So stupid. I lined the walls with bookshelves to hide the cords to my floor lamps and it is like paradise. No kidding.
I think the main issue is that there's no regulation on differentiating switchable receptacles vs. non-switchable receptacles. It would be nice if there was code that said that switchable outlets must be a certain color (or at least a different color) and non-switchable outlets can be any other color as long as it isn't the same color as the switchable outlet. Or have switchable outlets have a darker color/tone than non-switchable outlets.
The heat is running, the snark levels are high, I'm prepared for some *hot takes*.
More snark more fun
And even hotter sockets!
Where do I recognize you (or at least your handle) from?
Is it just other youtube comments or is it from discord or tumblr or something?
Not really hot takes; very grounded takes, maybe even a bit neutral 🔌
@Danny Boel I was replying to shacklesburst
I thought light switches were only used to power-cycle smart bulbs?
Out!
Exactly!!
Wait, ur alive?
‘Smart’ bulbs. 😡🤬😡🤬🤯
@@dylanwhite6539 man I miss him
My biggest complaint about the switched outlets in my home is that, in literally every room, they are all in the wrong place.
No your lamps are in the wrong place .😂
I moved to Canada from Europe a few months ago and now I know why I have extra light switch and strange outlet that I thought wasn't working... And I needed the switch and an outlet for the floor lamp! THIS IS GENIUS! Now I use the outlet and switch properly and want to have this in every room. Thank you Technology Connections.
Your reaction was pretty awesome - lol! As someone who's never really been outside of Canada, I always thought this was a universal thing.
They aren't extremely common here, but they've been around for as long as I can remember. I'm glad you appreciate them!
Also, I hope your enjoying Canada so far. Sorry about the winter. We've all lodged formal complaints, but it just keeps coming back every year. 😁
@@ahobimo732 As someone in Europe, we have them here. Albeit the ones in my house are in a bad way, none of the nice double stuff where one side is hot, just an outlet in a convenient place you need to make sure you don't accidentally turn off.
@@ahobimo732 Can't have a post from a Canadian without the word _sorry_ appearing at least once.
@@ahobimo732 In my apartment, the implementation is not the best - of the two switched outlets, both are in duplex (where one is always on, the other is an unmarked switched) - so for the longest time I thought they are just broken. And only one of them has a dedicated switch, the other can only work at the same time as the overhead light. However, I'm still stoked! I've been to 5 European countries and never even heard of switched outlets.
The winter is not so bad, so far the weather is almost the same or even better as where I'm from (Ukraine). Canada is the nicest country I've been to, thank you for a warm welcome :)
I have mostly just seen switched outlets in apartments and condominiums here in Canada. I guess you could say that it's a combination of the fact that tenants probably find it easier to buy lamps than try to swap light fixtures and it keeps capital costs down.
Back in the day, the computer room at my school had two light switches next to the door. One of them controlled the lights, and the other one controlled everything else. If you happened to lean against the wall right next to the door, your butt could accidentally poof everyone's unsaved work out of existence. Guess how I found out.
that seems like a bad setup, it should be something like a key switch so that it can only be operated when intentional, and prevents unauthorized use.
What you do is wire it constant hot and install a switch filler. No more dead outlets. This will cost you about a dollar.
how did you survive getting beat up 20 times in one day?
I once did something similar to a co-worker right after starting a new job. First time I went to talk to her about something, I leaned on the top of her computer case that was right at the entrance to her cubicle. She did video editing for the company, so her computer was a weird repurposed gaming rig that had the power button _on top_ (unlike every other computer in existence where it's on the front). I leaned right on the stupid button and initiated the shutdown sequence for her computer. I was horrified. Thankfully, she just laughed instead of murdering me. It was not the first time someone had done that.
@@NoName-ik2du I miss when computers just had physical lever switches to turn the power on or off. No accidents with those.
Getting very strong "My friend keeps complaining about this thing they could have fixed in less time than they've spent complaining" vibes from this one.
I mean, the only times I've lived in houses wired like this was when I was living with my parents who refused to bypass the switch no matter how much it inconvenienced us all so I definitely couldn't have done anything about it.
But TC has convinced me I was wrong for blaming the wiring.
I don't have a choice in that matter as the switch controls every outlet in the room except the dedicated 20 amp air-conditioner outlet. I just got a switch cover to prevent any guest from accidentally shutting off my computer
"My friend keeps complaining about this thing they could have fixed in less time than they've spent complaining, so now I'll make a 15 minute video complaining about the complaining so that the time it's... now I've gone cross-eyed."
@@Vistico93 Just take the switch out and splice the wires together inside the box (following all necessary local electrical codes etc)
While I'm not too bugged about switched outlets, what does bug me is the common practice of hanging overhead lights directly in the center of relatively small living and recreational spaces where furniture normally is against the walls facing into the room. This places the light in almost the least useful possible location when sitting, shining directly into the eyes and in the wrong direction needed for comfortable reading, etc. I much prefer having diffuse light distributed along the upper perimeter of the room, and/or reading lights in strategic places. It's much more comfortable and less fatiguing.
ooh good point! lights like that should really be in the top edges or corners so they're behind you instead of glaring into your eyes
i have some old 50s boob lights alternative that is frosted plate thing so less light goes stright down and from the side the light is bare. so it though light agisnt the walls so it bounces down and lights the room more evenly.
Not to mention that for photosensitive individuals (e.g. autistic Collin Beal), it's not fatiguing or burdensome, but instead actually painful and stressful. Had to get a bedside lamp for the room because some dipshit decided that what a bedroom needs in the center of a 10 foot ceiling was a quadruple light array with a fan that is either off or full blast. Now I have my Bluetooth-adjusted smart bulb with a shade around it set to 20% brightness relaxed color profile by default, and along with my air circulator that blows air instead of slicing it, I can now rest comfortably.
Don't forget that having the light between you and the TV screen means you either crank the brightness on the TV up, or suffer the glare. Lighting placed to the sides of the screen, or above the seating, is _significantly_ better!
Extra snark should be an entire series of things you’re frustrated by. Love this.
That would be Connextionz Extra
My folks renovated my childhood home before we moved into it. They gave my room a switched outlet for my bedside lamp, but I've since re-organized my room and now it's on my record player.
Now I can set it up so I walk into my room, flip a switch, and have my music play 😎
OK that might be one of the very few really good uses for switched outlets to end up in a different location than said bedside table lamp.
@@imark7777777 Lets be honest. Pressing the play button on a piece of plastic is pretty exhausting.
This is what I did with my bathroom and a radio. Its quietly plays smooth jazz every time I walk in and turn on the lights 😎
wow, what bangers youve been playing there mate.
In my former child bedroom turned into an office, the switched outlet is used by the UPS. Turn it off and an alarm sounds! It is also labeled "Don't turn off"...
He's either joking about it being no effort, or just gotten really good at this. I love how you take a "boring mundane" subject like outlet switches and made it interesting.
Maybe low effort, but there wasn't really anything special in this video. No particular research or special props needed afaict. On par with a Connextras video IMO.
Well yeah, but as usual, the videos end up being more how we inhabit our everyday spaces, how small things matter (like how reaching for a well-known wall switch is much more intuitive than reaching for 10 different possible lamp switches), how history influences current trends and so on. It's not really about the technology but about the thought processes behind it and the human aspects of it.
Yeah, this is his "low effort". No special props, no restarts when there are background noises, playing through sometimes when there's an error, generally looking like a goofball when off set.
@@Tahgtahv That's because it was a (bad) opinion piece :)
Switches on outlets can server a similar purpose. Coming from the UK the switch can come in handy say if your lamp is up high so you don't have to reach up and turn it off, and some lamps don't even have built in switches. I know what you're saying that you could just unplug it, but it looks much untidier with plugs on the floor everywhere, it's much less trouble to just flick a switch than keep plugging and unplugging.
I do love this idea though, we use mainly lamps and it would be nice to have them on a switch by the door.
As someone also from the UK we really, really don't want to step on a plug
I'm American but also lived in England-in one flat, in one house built for Americans, and one 'regular' house. The last had at least one switched outlet in the living-room.
Also uk plugs are dangerous when not in their outlets. They are great in terms of electrical safety but are a puncture wound waiting to happen
Yep, we’d be creating fuckin caltrops everywhere if we just unplugged stuff to turn it off
Would be neat if the bedside switch used an XOR gate like staircases sometimes do. I have this on my stairs and can turn the light on or off from either side, no need to remember anything.
xor? The truth table is the same, but it's not fancy....
It's just a traveler wire between switches....
My room has a light switch by the door, and one by the bed. It’s so much more convenient than using two switches in series like in the video.
Oho. Some people do request we put 3-way switching in bedrooms like how you discribe
It's not quite two switches in series (I mean, it literally is, but it's not exactly intentional). The bedside switch in his example is the actual lamp's switch, being in series with the plug it's plugged into as a matter of course, not a separate light switch that's been wired in series. If you have 2 switches for the same fixture on your wall and they're wired in series that's just lazy wiring tbh (my parents' place has a light like that, and it's been annoying us for as long as I've lived for - the hallway light has a switch in the actual hallway, and one in the master bedroom, but you can only turn it off if both switches are off)
This would be fantastic to have
Ok, free idea for outlet manufacturers: A duplex recepticle with a small (sliding recessed?) switch that lets you toggle one of the receptacles between the "always hot" and "switched" input terminals from the front.
So now you can wire all both the "hot" and "switched" bus to every duplex outlet in a room, and the user can easily select which locations have a switched outlet and which are all always on.
This isn't the cheapest to install, but it's by far the most flexible and frustration free for the user. (Especially if the mode toggle has a neat little indicator when the outlet is in switched mode.)
That COULD work, but you'd need to be janky about it. Basically, you'd need a regular light switch, and a 3-Way light switch. 3-Ways are basically a Circuit 1/Circuit 2 selector, so you could run continuous power on the one pole, and run the switch leg on the other pole.
You COULD design an all-in-one option at the receptacle end, but space for wiring it would be at a premium. To be honest, because of cost and access, I think having a separate switch as a mode selector would work better here.
@@TheEDFLegacy You are right that this could be done externally with a separate switch at each outlet.
But my suggestion is for someone to manufacture a receptacle with a 3-pole switch built in to toggle modes of one of the sockets. On the back it's as simple as not having the bus tab between the 3 hot terminals.
Inside and on the front it's a little tighter, but still much simpler than a GFCI which is already a common form factor. Maybe like the input line voltage selector you see on some power supplies, which is often exactly a compact 3-pole switch used to "move" the power input between tap points on a coil.
A single receptacle with a switch in the same device is already common, but my pitch is to miniaturize the switch as that you retain the duplex outlet to always have at least one hot.
(And you can't just use a 2-pole switch to short the selectable outlet to hot without disconnecting the switched leg, or you'd back-feed all the other switched outlets.)
This idea would require having 2 current carrying conductors wired to every outlet, thus increasing the cost of materials and labor (since wiring these outlets would be more complex). 14-3 Romex is about 25% more expensive than 14-2, plus the extra costs for these specialty outlets really doesn’t justify the benefits of being able to change which outlets operate on a switch. You would be better off adding an RF receiver to the outlets and controlling them wirelessly like a ceiling fan remote.
I've seen lots of outlets that have the shape of a duplex receptacle, but the top "receptacle" is actually a switch for the bottom one. Combo switch and outlets. They have the benefits of the exact same lightswitch design you are used to and that we know works, only at the expense of losing 1 outlet. I wonder if installing one of these can also fit the usecase - maybe even wiring it to a switch! No better marking for it being a switched outlet than there *literally being a switch* on the outlet.
It's a cool idea but maybe 10 years too late, these days the labour cost to plan out such an install would make it similarly expensive to running control wiring for hard wired smart home hardware (eg C-Bus), and probably more expensive than just buying some Zigbee outlets which can then be controlled in many ways including common switching.
I'm not from the US and I've always found this very confusing when visiting. Every single time I enter a hotel room or friend's apartment I have to play "Guess which outlet is controlled by the light switch".
But the colour coding seems like a good way to eliminate any confusion. That should have become a standard...much clearer than sometimes rotating the outlet.
rotating the outlet drives my OCD over the edge
Me either I’m a Taiwanese-American
I have American parents and I grew up in Taiwan
Do your friends find it odd that you're going around their apartment flipping every switch?
Any standard which just requires a bit of recoloring is going to be better than rotating the receptacle when it's not physically inconvenient. More universally applicable, more standard, more good.
Colour coding is nice, but it can interfere with interior design
My bedroom during my late kidhood had a switched outlet. I would rather have had a ceiling light. So I attached a lamp (really just a bulb socket on the end of a long cord) to the ceiling. Do not remember how I did it. Probably with a bunch of thumbtacks. Also covered the light with a small lampshade. probably with more thumbtacks involved. It was very kludgey, but it got the job done.
OMG. I moved to the States from Europe 9 years ago and I just learned from this video that some of the outlets are not just dead… this is amazing hahaha. Why no one told me this before? Thank you
LOL😂
To be honest, the switches on UK sockets are pretty useful because UK power plugs take a fair amount of force to remove, plus the resulting loose plug will maim you if you are careless enough to step on it.
They act as built-in plug holders!
Why not do away with the right angle plug and use straight ones? Right angle NEMA plugs are caltrops too, we just don't use them often.
Same with continental ones if they are made with high tolerances, but no switches. There is usually a little button next to the hole, that when pressed, moves a little plastic lever, effortlessly pushing out the plug. Love those little buttons
+1. It is also useful to easily switch off certain appliances that have stupidly high power draw when in sleep mode without plugging it on and off all the time.
@@thegardenofeatin5965 cos they are terrible. As brutal as it is to step on one, they are more secure in the socket, and take up less space.
As someone from Europe, where light switch outlets are virtually unknown, I always wondered why in movies when people switch the lights on all desk lamps and floor lamps switch on too. Now I know!
where in europe? in italy they are pretty common in my experience
same from Italy here and switched sockets are quite common for lamps. I have at least one per room in addition to ceiling switches so I can choose the light configuration I want.
My home here in Finland has one such outlet, but I haven't seen one anywhere else.
Have seen them in switzerland in quite a few places
It was common in Norway until recently, but only outlets mounted high (to mount ceiling lights) These days they tend to be DCL outlets instead.
I used to have one of these switched outlets (in Europe). The PC was plugged into it. The switch was the flat kind, so it flipped when you leaned on it. It also happened to be right on the inner corner (it was an L-shaped room) where you'd lean to talk to the person using the computer. And it was before everything autosaved constantly. Many hours of work were lost to that switch.
Yeah but apparently that's your fault and you just need to get used to it
@@KenSharp I mean, it's kinda my fault, I probably should've bought a cover or something. I didn't know they existed, but still.
I didn't even know switched outlets existed until now. I always just thought our bedroom had a dead outlet. Thank you so much for this information!
As an englishman moving to the US some years ago, I set up a tv and vcr, and I plugged the VCR into one of those switched sockets. Took me for ever to figure out why the VCR would never record anything while I was out!
Lol!
I work for isp (been on phones and in the field) and the amount of people who plug their modems into these outlets is mind boggling and they always seem confused even when they've lived in the house for years. We were actually trained to ask if their internet goes out at night for around the same time every day for this reason.
My ex used to work in tech support. One of the first questions is always, “is it plugged in?” Many people (but probably not you!) would be surprised to know how often asking that one question led to a solution to the problem.
@@DawnDavidson Reminds me of the infamous "I can't tell if it's plugged in, the lights went out in the entire neighborhood"
I found this out Real quick and figured out what happened. Luckily, the network and all PCs are connected to UPSes as well, so the beeping helps alert you. In the end, I taped them into the on position. :-p
Same here. That's something I check when I plug the modem, usually when there is no light fixture on the ceiling, there is a potential for a switch to control that outlet.
Funny story, I once plugged a TV receiver to an outlet and it would not boot, the power light seemed to blink very fast. I thought the receiver was defective or something, so I went back to the truck to grab another one, but it did the same thing. Then I realized some genius installed a dimmer to control that outlet and it was not set all the way up, so it was essentially turning the outlet on and off really fast...
I remember reading about a person with furnace troubles during the night... probably 10 years ago in a magazine. Repair techs eventually figured out the lighting in one area controlled outlet power for another. Only at night were the last lights off and the heat unavailable.
My dad's old apartment had one of these setups in the tiny 2x3 meter bathroom. There was only ONE outlet, that was attached to wall lamp above the mirror and every time he would charge his shaver he would have to leave the light on. Not useful at all for another lamp as there was no need! PS. Wow, you mentioned this at the end, got job!
I would actually like to see XOR switched sockets become more common - a switch near the bed/desk and the door so you can turn on our off the lamp without crossing the room in the dark.
Sounds like a 3 way circuit
I've encountered a lot of that for hallways. The issue with bedrooms is that the layout may change or it might not have been designated as a bedroom during construction. (For context, I live in Switzerland, but I'm sure it's not exclusive to here.)
@@2003z440 Yes. 3-Way. There are also 4-Way -- which are three or more switches that control the same circuit.
Although those are XOR circuits, they are called 3-way switches. I have a few of those in my house. I certainly wish there were more.
There are also 4-way switches that provide multiple places for controlling a circuit. 3-ways go on each end of the chain and all of the switches in between are 4-way.
The only problem with that is that some people like altering the furniture layout from time to time. That's why I think it's a better idea to get a remote and hook it to a relay that controls the light. Maybe even XOR that with a light switch.
Alec is so thorough with filming he leaves his camera facing his bed at all times in case he needs examples of him going to bed/sleeping.
Yeah… that’s why…
🙄
@@2Sorts 🥰
So you don't sub to his onlyfans then?
@@alang5764 IDK. I have successfully not paid for skin pics.
I absolutely understand why this is helpful, but I also think that these outlets should be visually separated from non-remote-switched outlets to make them less confusing. Like attach them to a separate face plate that's maybe a different colour or even just give them some telltale marking like a weirdly shaped earth hole. And you could even have the switched be visually distinct if you want.
Edit: ESPECIALLY HOTELS
You can purchase duplex receptacles that actually are labeled "Switched" on one of the sockets.
@@timothyj1962 Then that should definitely be the standard. Because it seems like thats uncommon.
@@milamber319 It is the official standard, although only for the last decade. (edit: since 2014 so not quite a decade)
Sadly many useful standards are uncommon. Did you know the ground pin is supposed to be on top above the two blades? Virtually all homes have their outlets installed upside down.
He actually demonstrated this at index 12:57.
I just put a black dot with a sharpie above the switched outlets once I've figured out when ones they are in a new home.
edit: lol, he ended up suggesting that in the video
My frustrations are not from confusion, but...
1) I feel like every room should have an overhead light, even if you rarely use it, for emergencies, cleaning, and - especially for apartments! - when moving in and out.
2) The builder of the home must decide where you want to put your lamp. If they (inevitably) guess wrong, you have to re-wire your home (or apartment?).
My last apartment, bedrooms only had switched outlets. You'd turn on the light switch, walk across the room and turn on the lamp you actually wanted in the other corner, then go back to the switch.
3) I like the idea of the convenience, but once I'm familar with a space, it's no trouble for me to walk across a dark room and switch on a light, and usually there's light from elsewhere in the house shining in to help you see.
1. I agree.
2. A lamp can go on an extension cord.
3. I like the convenience of scissors, but I also can neatly turn one piece of paper into two just by tearing it-so scissors should go?
I have one duplex like this in my house. It's being used for our Christmas tree, and it's very useful. It was also installed upside down to differentiate it from the others. Another use I found for a switched socket is a subwoofer. You can turn off the bass at night. I even labeled the switch "Bass".
I first learned of this in that Colombo episode when a fridge got plugged into the switched outlet by mistake. It was beyond baffling, like, "they must have invented this concept only for the movie, right?"
Nope, my bedroom has had it my entire life. The top ones are switch controlled, the bottom are always powered. When I was like 5 it was fine as it could be used for the side lamps, but after the era of everything being electronic I just leave the switch on all the time. I've strongly considered just bypassing the switch.
Columbo is one of the great TV shows. I strongly suggest watching all of them at least once, as it ranges over 30 years, and the later seasons are a trip.
Also, Joey and Chandler’s TV.
Also the fan in the jury room in "12 Angry Man" only worked when the it was dark enougth to need to turn the lights on.
My apartment is like this and i cant change where the fridge is plugged in. Theres a light switch on the opposite wall that controls the kitchen light.
My grandma will not learn the difference and has turned off my fridge on every visit. (It is labeled FRIDGE)
The only thing that annoys me about switch controlled outlets is that they generally aren't clearly marked. Floorplans sometimes change, what used to be a good spot for a lamp is no longer.
So you forget that the outlet that was behind where the couch used to be is light switch controlled.
shame this comment hasn't been seen more
what if there was a remote control plug splitter?
Lol did I just bump into you on youtube?
Typically at least new home construction the switch is at the entry to the room. The outlet is on the uninterrupted wall, not the closet slider to balcony, or door to the bathroom walls. The switched outlet is installed upside down compared to the rest of the outlets. BTW your upstairs bathroom outlet is likely controlled by the gfi outlet in the 1st floor half bath underneath it. That can be a head scratcher if it trips taking out the upstairs one.
Oh, gad, the weird houses in Seattle that some companies divide into tiny apartments and rent cheap, yes, always this
Let me just tell you how much I appreciate quality youtubers like yourself who, not omly deliver quelity videos, but also provide quality subtitles. I love it... LOVE it! Thank you!
I laughed through most of this video and nodded enthusiastically through the rest. 11:21 The look on your face when you’re turning the switch on and off is absolutely hilarious!
I grew up with switched outlets and for the most part love them. The only exception is in my bedroom where the switched outlet is almost directly below the light switch. Most other rooms it is at least 5 feet away, which isn’t ideal but is at least far enough away that a floor lamp can be put 8-10 feet away from the switch. So even though it’s on the same wall at least it’s still useful.
🤣🤣🤣
Switched outlets are also really handy for holiday decorations
In the last few years I have used smart-switches for this - the advantage is that you can have multiple decorations supplied from different sockets controllable from single "switch" - also you can usually put them on a timer to make it even easier!
A number of houses I've wired actually have dedicated timer switches going to dedicated recepticles in the eaves JUST for holiday decorations!!! So great!
not if you're like us and have big light off to maximise twinklyness
@@stevenallen512 now that sound posh
No, get a timer switch, far better. Also switched outlet is dumb if there isn't a 2 way switch next to that same outlet, so you use that to shut of the lamp. Screw remembering and having to turn lamp back on at morning, just to make the swich outside work. This concept of turning floor lamps on from outside of the room is only useful for the bedroom, nowhere else I could see a use for it
Two things. One, that room design with the double half-grey outlets is SO FREAKIN GOOD! Two, it took me half the video to realize that the haggled looking dude with the crazy hair and t-shirt was still you. The ponytail and the suit go a long way! 😂
Also the slack-jawed "dimwit" look, just a shift in facial tone can sometimes be jarring.
Amazingly, it's the same t-shirt, just no coat! Sure does make a difference in perceived age.
Yes that means he would look awesome with a short hair cut. Funnily enough i have grown out my hair before and some time i miss it but then he reminds me that i wouldnt look more handsome if i did. I skipped a correlation or 2. The point is tied back is similar to a buzzcut. So you can get that old look when your hair was shorter and still keep the long hair to flick around gloriously in the shower.
Next up: topknot. Let’s go!
We have two switched outlets in the living room, in opposite corners far away from the entrance, each with a permanent outlet next to them, and we do use them for lamps. But before moving into this house, I never knew they were a thing.
I love your rants about British electrical, you should do a whole video on it, maybe even on location!
If you didn't already guess, I'm from the UK but I did live in Connecticut for a few years until recently. Ceiling lights are comparatively rare in the US. In the UK we have every room stuffed with ceiling lights: usually pendants or many multiple recessed downlights but sometimes track lights, strip lights, spot lights or surface mounts. Whatever the age of the building every room will have hard wired ceiling lights.
In contrast in CT both my apartments (which were quite new) had no fixed lighting in the living areas or bedrooms. Only some feature lighting in the kitchen and 1 or 2 lights in the bathroom. Took some getting used to, the rooms were definitely darker even with multiple floor and table lamps.
Man, I didn't know this was a head scratcher for some people. There was an era where houses omitted overhead lights and each room had switched outlets, but growing up the only switched outlet in my house was reserved for the Christmas tree at our bay window.
Some new homes have this. mine has a single switched outlet in the room where the Xmas tree would be most commonly used. It's really handy and the cool part is the electrician we had was not lazy and had the plate engraved for both the switch and the outlet. the one half says "switched". and the switch says "outlet". above it.
I am seeing more and more on new construction switched outlets for decorations under roof overhangs usually near the floodlights and/or porch ceilings. Pretty nifty really considering now some people go all out on decorations now. No screwing in adaptors to the flood/porch lights.
This year I got a timer for my christmas tree lights, it's been very cosy to have it come on just before I get up, turn off while it's light out, and leave it on when I go to bed.
I really disliked the no overhead lights thing, although the switched outlet never confused me.
@@JamesHalfHorse A lot of homes where I live started getting those in the 90's. (if that counts as newer). My house was built in 1999 and has a Christmas light outlet under the eaves.
The shots of Alec flipping a switch with varying degrees of crazy is so far my favorite part of no effort november. Thank you for that!
Also still waiting for the day that I can wirelessly power my lamp so I can place it in the room wherever I darn please, without the need for annoying cable hooha or silly switch outlet placement.
There is a certain amount of LGR's Christmas clone about him...
@@samroberts7404 Oh god... He's coming...
They do make LED lamps like that and even ones that mimic an Edison socket but aren't actually connected to power so you use a remote to turn it on
I really wish I understood (for sure) why anyone thinks switched outlets are a problem.
It's probably just plain old jealousy. All of the posturing of certain people, usually from Europe about our allegedly inferior way of doing things (not just electricity) is probably driven by jealousy.
Technology Connection's name is Alec?!
I lived in a house where the outlet right by the front door was on a switch, but that's also where they retrofitted the internet coax cable to be screwed in, so that's which always had to be on because the alternative was to run the internet cable across the middle of the living room to the opposite side of the room in order to run both power and the internet signal into the modem
You could put a nightlight in the switched outlet, if you don't feel like using it for a lamp. It's essentially like marking the outlet, but now the switch actually does something visible, so no one has to wonder what a switch does. Plus, if you have a lamp across the room that has its own switch, you at least have enough light to stumble across the room and find it.
I did this after my kids kept asking "what does that switch do"
But if a night light only turns on when it's dark (the whole point), and turning the switch off is supposed to turn off the lights in the room (which is when the nightlight would turn on), hence cutting power to the outlet (which the night light needs for power), the night light would not power on when it's supposed to.
Just want to appreciate that you write your own closed captions. They're accurate! (And sometimes funny... loved the musical scatting at the end there...) I wish more presenters would do it.
I remember when Tom Scott looked like he had a mild aneurysm when talking about how few big channels have captions. Even if you don't have time to do it yourself, hiring a captioning service is a drop in the bucket for giant channels. But it's still mostly niche channels like this that care enough!
@@lukeothedukeo I don't remember which video but one of his videos had a group of people playing a game and the captions were color coded for each person! I didn't know that was even possible. Tom is the best.
I'm glad you pointed this out as I rarely watch anything with captions and would've missed it, but it was worth rewatching the end with them on. Automatic captions wouldn't have caught his phone going off either. And he said this was no effort...
@@chitlitlah Not only did he say it, he wrote it too
Confoundingly smooth comment!
A previous apartment of mine had the worst implementation of this. Basically the entire living room had its outlets on one switch. When I moved in I almost filed a maintenance request because I couldn’t figure out why all the outlets in my living room were broken. Worst part was that unknowing friends would flip the switch when leaving, turning off the router, tv, everything. I eventually just bought a cover.
Sounds more like a mistake someone did when replacing a fixture. Often, the drop from the panel will come to the fixture, then a traveller or switch loop goes to the switch, and comes back to the light. A third cable leaves the fixture box to connect to the outlets in the room. If someone changes the light fixture and accidentally connects the outlets to the switch instead of the hot wire (always on), then all the outlets are now switched.
I was gonna say, two of my previous apartments had all the outlets in the living room on one switch as well as the bedrooms on a single switch as well. I'd say I've got valid reasons to despise switch outlets.
My 2b apartment is wired like this in the living room. We tested it thoroughly when we moved in before we realized we couldn’t use a circuit that wasn’t switched. So, we disabled the switch.
Was it an old apartment? Back when 99% of what you'd have plugged in was a light it would be convenient to have everything switched together.
So I'm a maintenance guy for a property management company. We have/had a couple places that had the switchable outlets. Being that I learned as I went I had no clue why there was a switch that seemingly did nothing. Then I changed out one of the outlets and wondered why. Luckily it hit me what application it was for and thought how brilliant that was. Thanks for the great and sparky video explaining this to some amount of the populace.
I finally know what the weird random switch in my apartment is for! I never connected that it was associated with the seemingly dead outlet, and now happily have my lamp plugged into it.
I love no effort November, the snark, the warning that there would be snark, and the film canisters on the desk from the last video. Great job as always!
I noticed the left over film canisters too
My dad's house had these! Literally every room except the kitchen and bath were all lit through switched outlets. It was a completely normal way of living for me until I started visiting friends' houses that had lights on the ceiling! It was a fascinating futuristic fixture for me, until I learned that the house I lived in was actually the odd one out
And also learned how awesome your dad is, right?!
We have lamp switches in most living spaces even though only one room does not have an over head light. We also have a second switch next to our kitchen sink, the first being the sink disposal, but the second is hooked up to our dishwasher. So when a guest flipped it on accident it took us over a week to figure out why our dishwasher wouldn’t start. So now we have a trash can sticker under the disposal switch and a dishwasher sticker for the dishwasher.
They make switches for garbage disposals that run off of air now so you are completely isolated from electricity. It’s a little button you push in. It’s also handy so that you don’t have guests thinking it’s a light switch.
Some cities have added dishwasher switches to their electric code requirements. I’ve noticed this at my friends place in Houston TX. It’s a plain when someone kills your dishwasher mid cycle.
1:20
Some things do spark when you plug them in to a live socket vs. plugging them in to a socket that's been switched off.
In the uncommon event that I move my desktop PC for example, I turn off the power supply and the wall socket. Plug the cable into the wall and into the power supply. Then turn on the wall socket and then the power supply.
If it's all on then there is a small electrical "click" sound when plugging the cable into the power supply. If the power supply is off but the wall socket is on, this click sound is slightly quieter.
It's likely fine but it feels uncomfortable. It's nice to have everything definitely off while you're plugging stuff in and turn it on only when needed
I get the preference, but I just don't understand why some people think outlets *need* them.
Because that way you have a choice. If you have the preference then you use the switch. If not, leave the switches on all the time and it doesn't affect you.
One of the reasons power outlets in other countries have switches on them is to avoid arcing when you plug something in. We were always taught to plug in the device first , then turn on the switch.
That only makes the spark not visible. It will still spark in the switch behind the cover. That just electricity.
@@skeery2605 That is the truth, but also switches are designed to switch as the name says, therefore they can withstand more arcs it their lifetime than sockets, well at least on paper.
Pretty sure there won't even be a spark when plugging something in, unless the thing you are plugging in is turned on as well.
@@skeery2605 Switches operate far more quickly that plugging/unplugging so the arc is extinguished much faster creating a lot less heat, which is what damages the contact surfaces.
Why is what you're plugging in turned on? Why is what you're plugging in, if it draws enough current to arc, not equipped with a switch? That sounds like danger town right thar
This is honestly one of the main reasons I've gone all in on smart lights: I can place lights and the controls for them anywhere, independent of each other, and not limited to where some guy thought I might want to put a lamp 50 years ago.
If the light switches are installed correctly (as in, installed with hot and neutral always-on at the switch) you can kill two birds with one stone. Pull the switch and bypass it to the outlet so the outlet always gets power, and put in a smart controller where the switch was so it turns on any lamps or devices you like. Or even a smart panel capable of controlling more than one thing.
Still simpler to press the switch than pulling out your phone and taking the time to find the light in your smart device list and then turning it on though.
@@NintenloupWolfFR yeah, but if the switch is replaced with a smart switch that controls that device, it's "also". You CAN press the switch to control the lamp, and you can also pull out your smartphone. And you can plug the lamp into any outlet in the room you want.
@@NintenloupWolfFR You can put in a smart switch / relay so the switch still does something. Don't have to pull out your phone for anything, just means you're more free to better configure your home for your lighting. My bedroom light is a smart relay so I can either use the switch (the switch doesn't directly control power anymore, it just sends a signal to the smart relay behind the panel), or if I'm in bed and don't wanna get up I can ask Google to turn it on, use my phone, or the bedside smart display.
@@NintenloupWolfFR Motion sensors and/or voice :)
I've been using smart bulbs that is remotely controlled with a smart dimmer where the light switch is. Now all sockets are switched sockets. Some riomes have multiple lamps on different sides of the room. No voice control needed. Normal looking switch
Just want to give huge appreciation for the full-effort subtitles, even in November.
Apparently, my previous home was a "No Effort November" build. The switched outlet in the main bedroom was awkwardly close to the door. You'd probably trip over the cord if you plugged a lamp into it. No surprise. Many outlets throughout the house were in odd locations relative to the layout of the rooms. Bare minimum of code was met and that's about it.
But it did meet code, so you're welcome. Lol
A trick to inconveniently placed power cords - tape.
I for example put my Christmas tree in the middle of the room. I clear tape the lights cord to the floor and noone trips, roomba doesn't get stuck and it looks nice.
@@DARKredDOLLAR good idea! I'm filing this trick away for when I don't have wall-to-wall carpet lol
I'm quite lucky. My home the switched outlets would mostly be in sensible spots. Like where I put my bed and nightstand the switched outlet would be near the nightstand and not next to the outlet where my desk and computer is.
My pet peeve is when the switched outlet is in the most convenient location... for something else. Like in a friend's house (built in the mid-late 1980's) the switch for the living room controlled the outlet for the middle of the long wall opposite the entryway. The perfect place to set up the TV games system, and such.
Did it control both sockets, like the switched outlets in my brother's living room? (Some have both sockets on the switch, some have neither.) I still think that's the wrong way to do it, unless you have side-by-side switched and unswitched outlets like Alec's studio room.
And yah, I grew up in houses where the living room and all the bedrooms had switched outlets. My parents _intentionally_ had our house built that way in 1987-88 -- with only the bottom(?) socket on the switches.
As for hotel rooms, one tip I've seen is to bring a night light to check the outlet functionality.
I had the opposite issue in rentals where the switch worked the outlet that's right next to the door and the switch. What's the point?! At least have it more than 5 feet from the doorway
I agree. I just moved into a home, there is ONE switched outlet in a massive living room, on a way where the TV almost had to go. The opposite wall is a massive window, and the third wall is a fireplace. We have two lamps on the window wall, but have to manually switch them.
The builder can't plan where you want the lamp, but there are better and not so better ways to configure them, even not knowing how the owner will want it.
@@jakeh8366 And sadly, there will _always_ be a problem with builders who'd rather do it cheap than do it right.
@@AaronOfMpls it was a standard 2 plug socket and both of them where on the switch.
Original socket too. A friend of my friend that worked as an electrician helped him run a second "always hot" line and got it set up like in the way shown in the vid.
But the fact that it needed to be done at all is the problem.
Switched sockets definitely have a purpose, but in my experience the implementation is awful about half the time.
My parents' house has a switch in their living room that controls an outlet at the carport. All their Christmas lights get plugged into it and they can turn them on and off from inside the house. It's very convenient and I plan to add a switch to my outdoor outlet for the same reason.
My Christmas lights are on a timer, but I installed a switched outlet on my porch for Halloween lights. As soon as the candy runs out, off go the lights.
A lot of newer or renovated places have gotten rid of switched outlets, but I've actually used wireless (not wifi) remotes to turn some outlets into switched outlets. The remote even makes it easier, since you can usually control multiple outlets with one remote. At my last place, I used velcro strips to mount the remote near the entrance to the bedroom, that way I could turn on my bedside lamps with that switch, then bring the remote with me to bed and turn them off without ever messing with the lamp's switch. These little remotes are also renter friendly, so you can take them from place to place!
10:01 "We just lost cabin pressure."
I do remember when I was a small child back in the 80's, my parents being confused by an electrical outlet that was controlled by a light switch. They ended up plugging the television into that outlet and just taping up the switch so that it couldn't be switched off. However when I moved into my own place as an adult, it seemed pretty obvious to me what the purpose of the switched outlet was, and I used it to control a floor lamp.
Almost perfect, but in the future it will be the ISP switching off your modem to "save the climate" and "because of energy crisis". We're already almost there in Europe.
It makes sense, but sometimes they just don't line up with how people use spaces after a while.
Had a house where every room had a ceiling mounted fan + light and the power cord was nailed across the ceiling and down the wall to the outlet that was controlled by the switch. It was one of those older homes were the outlet was directly under the switch, too. Generations of cost cutting! lol
Where I vote is no longer a home. It's been converted to a community center type of thing, and they can't have the appliances getting turned off by accident so they have little plastic covers screwed over the switches so you can't bump them off.
@@clray123 what? Is use a joke that went over my head?
@@georgelaxton It's not a joke, laws in Switzerland have been recently introduced that permit that sort of thing.
My house has a switched outlet in every room and we never used lamps so it was frustrating to accidentally plug something important into one. Recently, it turned into a blessing in disguise when I wanted to install smart switches and learned there was no neutral in any of my switch boxes. The switch controlling an outlet has to run a wire to the outlet box that has a neutral. If I turn the switched outlet into a normal always on outlet, I can repurpose the now unused wire to run neutral back to my switch boxes. No new wiring required for my smart switches!
I'm quite happy with the Australian way of having a switch right next to every outlet. Easy to control standby power, by cutting it off at the powerpoint, and without having to fumble for a plug evey time you want to turn the devices back on again. Also because the switch is next to the outlet, there's zero confusion over which switch operates which outlet.
Unfortunately we get idiots here in Australia that read energy saving guides from the USA which say to unplug devices from the wall is the only way to avoid standby power usage... In Australia we can trust the switch (on every outlet) is a real switch that cuts the circuit, unplugging is an unnecessary complete waste of time!
My apartment is wired like this (Including the poor both-sides-of-the-outlet wiring), and it's *extremely* annoying because the outlets are often in the most convenient locations for... things that aren't LAMP, while where I want to put LAMP is just. A regular outlet. And, as pointed out, they're the ones closest to the switch because of course they are.
I _do_ actually like the concept of switched outlets for LAMP, because I come in the room, hit the light switch, and then bam. Light. My frustration always comes from poor implementation of it, which seems to be the more common occurence.
Same boat here. The switched receptacle in my apartment's living room is right next to the switch, so there's no effort saved versus just using the switch on the lamp. And in fact my parents often get confused when they come visit and switch off the lamp rather than the switch.
How about just removing the switch (just connect it permanently and put a blank cover over the place the switch used to be? If you still need LAMP, then use the switch on LAMP ;)
My apartment doesn't have an overhead light so I have to use lamp
In this case you could rewire your lamps with longer cords. I regularly cut 20' cords off of vacuum cleaners left by the trash for this purpose.
Local city utility here is still called the Board of Water and Light. Which sounds like a minor D&D magic item.
The only switched outlet in my house is an outdoor one. The only reason it’s on a switch is so you can turn on and off the Christmas lights from inside.
The main thing that annoys me about our switched outlets is they're all connected to the full outlet (only half would be amazing!) and they're all super inconvenient. The best place for my wife to put her computer is where the switched outlet is so we had to cover that switch to keep it turned on at all times.
But really they're just minor annoyances at first until you take care of it. I don't know why you would just live with the annoyance permanently and let it continue to annoy you.
just beak the tab or if it doesn't have a tab. just install a new outlet
I think that one of the issues that many people have is that, in most homes, there's just far fewer outlets than you'd expect, and half of them are probably covered up by furniture that's been drilled into the wall or is so heavy that you won't be able to move without help. Because most people don't really think about where they put their furniture. I'm not in the US but in my apartment, quite literally every single outlet is covered up by furniture because the previous owners thought they were ugly apparently. I cannot even imagine finally finding an outlet that isn't in an incredibly inconvenient place only to find out that it's a switch outlet.
Fortunately, were I live, it's pretty rare to find outlets covered by furniture... but it's very common for them (and light switches) to be positioned with the assumption that you would put very specific furniture in very specific places, making things quite akward if you have reason to do anything that Isn't That.
I have one outlet per room. It really sucks and I have a disturbing number of extension cords..
@@zechsblack5891 My late brother was the king of extension cords. After his death, I removed 18 extension cords from his bedroom. One chain was 5 cords long. Astonishingly, he didn't die in a house fire.
You can buy extension cords with flat plugs, just for such an occasion. You plug it in, and push the furniture up to the plug, and done
@@zechsblack5891 Where are you at? Or when was your home built? in the US the maximum distance between outlets for many MANY decades has been 12 FT. Not saying is not true just that its either old or was done wrong :)
To your point on rooms with no ceiling lights, I remember one house I looked at when moving in the early winter (so the sun set very early) where the living room was made to be lit with lamps on a switch. Only problem was that the house wasn’t furnished, so me and the realtor had to use our phone flashlights to look around.
Oh hey! My last place had the same living room lighting setup! Worse though, they'd never installed the wall switch, just left a hole in the wall with wires twisted together (not even capped). We asked the landlord to fix it (or let us get it fixed) and he never did of course, but other shit went wrong and it got bumped down the priority list quickly enough. The living room had the balcony and a huge sliding glass door, so at least there was that 🤷♂️
Also, LOL @ phone flashlights with the realtor!
That was my first thought when Alec said that some mid-century houses had _no_ ceiling lights. So there's no lights before you bring in lamps? How do you house-hunt? Carry lamps around with you?
What do you do when moving furniture into the house without lights? (Because it's always late, or winter, or raining, whenever I've moved.) Do you have to bring a torch and some lamps, walk around until you find the (unlabelled!) switched outlet in each room so you can plug the lamps in, then hope you don't wreck the lamps when carrying the bulky furniture in...
I know this is a "but sometimes" issue, but Jesus, WTF America.
I didn't know some folks hated these. I always considered them a handy bonus. If for some reason I don't want the outlet off I don't turn the switch off. Only (related) thing I don't like is how some places build in like zero lights and go for all outlets. I like having some basic lights to flip on if I just want to light the room up. For ambience I prefer the indirect lighting of a floor lamp shining up and bouncing off the ceiling. Easier on the eyes.
My apartment mostly has outlets linked to switches because lamps are, indeed, a thing, and they didn't install ceiling fixtures in the living room, the bedroom, or the loft.
2:25 Speaking of the garbage disposal monster - Next to my kitchen sink there's a panel of three switches: One for the over the sink fluorescent light, one for the dishwasher, and one for an outlet under the sink in case there was a disposal.
Since there's no disposal, I make use of that GFCI outlet for the air compressor for my airbrushes, running a longer air hose to the dining room, where it splits into three receptacles so I can switch between brushes on the fly.
I added some extra foam to the cupboard door and back wall to reduce the noise to less than the dishwasher, without compromising air flow for cooling it.
Honestly, the idea of making your switched socket a different color is GENIUS! The first thing I'm going to think if I walk into a room with four off-white and one grey outlet is, "What's up with that one?"
Edit: There is also such a thing as a single outlet, as opposed to a duplex. So you could use that...if you don't mind losing an outlet.
I really don't get why outlets and switches aren't labeled, at least a number or something, I guess for aesthetic reasons? Putting a matching number on a switch and the outlet it goes to would make way too much sense for americans I guess.
In commercial settings, orange outlets usually mean backup generator power, so you plug your servers etc. into those. Sometimes they'll also be labeled with shapes to indicate which electrical circuit they're on or which breaker box they're wired to, etc.
I'm sure it's probably frowned upon, but landlords paint sockets all the time, you could probably paint just one half? LOL
You can probably buy coloured light switches, too, which would eliminate confusion, requiring only minimal experimentation from the user to go "oh, the grey sockets are switched from the grey switch!"
@@KriLL325783 AHAHAHAHA thats funny total knee slapper... ahem my outlets are labeled, as are the wires in the wall and the circuit breakers for easy knowledge, this is a habit ive had for years as it is easier to know what does what and goes where, its not common in america, no but doesnt mean no one does it, its also not common in a lot of other countries as really its just not necessary
I'm not from the US and hadn't heard of these switches before. It honestly sounds really cool! I rarely use floor/table lamps outside my bedroom because they're a pain to turn on and off. This makes it much easier to use them all the time.
exactly what i was thinking, i moved my office to another room and decided to get a lamp for it recently, and now i'm wishing i had this because i just leave it off most of the time now lmao. it's too much effort to walk to the other side of the room to turn it on
@@natalyst remote control sockets my friend. Cheap as dirt, get RF version so you don't need line of sight, BAM, switched socket.
@@proksalevente you beat me to it.
The problem is only 1 outlet in the room will be controlled by the switch, and you may not end up wanting your lamp there.
The switched outlet is never where you want to put your floor lamp, unfortunately.
See, I totally understand the concept in theory. I think it would be amazing if the lights were controlled by the light switch in my apartment!
In practice, the switched outlet is in a place, in my case, that makes no sense for a light and in my various attempts to find a reasonable room layout it has ended up controlling the TV, Computer, or Wifi Router, which has in every case been disastrous when a new friend came over and turned off one of appliances in use as they walked in the door.
Edit: I did eventually settle on extension cords as suggested, but it feels tacky to have two sets of extensions cords, one to take the switched power over to the lamp, and the other to take the solid power over to the appliances lol
Double Edit: Mine is the kind where both sockets are going to the switch. That's probably why I'm annoyed. However, it does mean I am not afraid to plug in the six prong 6 socket splitter!
I imagine it is a not a good idea to use a splitter that bonds the two sockets if the second slot is switched, but maybe it's fine??
Triple Further Extra Edit: I never had the issue of not knowing what these were for, as there are no overhead light fixtures in any house I've been in except the florescent tubes in my kitchen and my parent's kitchen and garage. I grew up used to the idea that lights go to switched sockets. It's just that they're inconveniently arranged in my current apartment, and I got used to switching lights manually.
Fourth final probably edit: YES, IT IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE SWITCH AND THAT'S WHY IT'S USELESS. WHY HAVE THE SWITCH NEXT TO THE LAMP WHICH HAS A SWITCH??
Wiring changes may have to be made, but your wiring would need to be investigated to know if that's easy or not to be able to split the outlet.
In my old apartment, the switch was right next to the lamp as well, however, here's why that made sense:
There was no overhead light for the living room. In fact, many tenants may have done exactly what I did, and actually but a light fixure (such as a porch light or outdoor light of all things) and simply ran an extension cable across the ceiling. Alternatively you could just have a lamp table by the switch. Smart thing was though, the switch was next to the front door. Now why the ceiling didn't just have an overhead light put in? IDK, but it was an old 2 story town home, so it probably never had one, and the owners never wanted to invest in adding any.
The 6 outlet splinters you mentioned are almost always just 2 3 outlet splinters in the same case. The don’t actually bond the 2 together. Ive even used them on the end of a extension cord in a pinch with half of the splitter not even plugged in. The other half does become live
Yep, we call it a light bill here in TX. It's very common in hotels, but for some annoying reason, apartment living rooms rarely have ceiling lights, at least down here anyway, so you always have that necessary outlet in the room that's tied to a switch by the front door, since lamp(s) are then the only way to get light in the room. Lamps are good for reading or just for a little light, but I do like having a ceiling or ceiling fan light for room-wide lighting. I don't have any such outlets in my place, but thanks for the tip on making an outlet half live and half switched, that is pretty cool! It would be more complicated, but you could do a double switch to the bedside lamps like you sometimes see with a stairway light where the top and bottom of the stairs both have a switch. It would mean having an oddly-placed switch near the bed, but... is a way out, and would control both lamps because reaching WAY across the bed for the other lamp is WAY too much trouble >>:=p Wait... a dimmer switch tied to a plug... ummm... that sounds a tad bizarre.
The reason I had an adverse reaction to this type of switch and still somewhat do is because when I moved out and into my first place (which is also where I currently reside) I found out the main light switch in my apartment does this. But the problem comes from the fact that it's for literally every single plug in the living room, which is also my gaming room and the room with internet. I'm in a one bedroom apartment so I use the living room as my game room and sleep area, where the actual room is designated to my cat and various set pieces for filming.
So when I get home I have to fight the urge to flip that switch every time I walk in the door or risk shutting off every electronic I have.
Is it fair to dislike these switches for that reason? No. But do I dislike every switch I know like this because I only know this one switch? Yes.
Stick-on (removable) protective cover plates are a cheap and effective way to make it much harder to (habitually or accidentally) flip a switch.
Uhm, rewire the sockets?
@@wich1 Can't make changes if you live in an apartment.
@@bwofficial1776 Who will know lol
I know that pain. I went out and got a tamper cover for that switch when I was in an apartment like that. For the typical small switch it left the side exposed so you could still turn it off if you really wanted to, and for the large flat style the cover generally leaves a pair of holes the size of a finger so you can still flip it, but can't accidentally turn it off by bumping into it or mindlessly hitting the switch.
The problem I have with switched outlets is in most houses they aren’t placed in a “lamp” spot, but a random outlet.
I only use the overhead light in the kitchen and the (infrequently used) dining room. Lamps everywhere else.
What I ended up doing was setting up my bedroom and living room with lamps on timers that line up with the times I usually end up in those rooms. None of my outlets are switched so this was the compromise without rewiring the entire house
My bedroom has 3 or 4 split switched outlets and I love them. I use two for lighting and one of those power my tech (PC, printer, charger, etc.) on the non-switched side. My only problem is how far the switch is away from the door: within arm's reach when you walk in or out, but farther than you think it should be.
I’m from the UK and I always thought the switches on plug sockets that you ranted about were to stop you unplugging anything. There are a lot of good design decisions in the three pin plug, but the huge downside is they lie flat and if you’ve ever stepped on one (which everyone here will have at some point) you’ll realise why, in this country, the phrase isn’t “stepped on a Lego brick”.
I'm from the UK and I'd never describe them as lying flat, especially when the point you're getting at is that - in that position - they're anything but!
Personally, I like that you can plug in an appliance with the socket de-energised, preventing potential arcing as the contacts come into close but incomplete content.
It's particularly funny Alec doesn't understand this, since they also have an entire video talking about the importance of "clicky" light switches.
It's mostly for convenience nowadays, perhaps culturally driven or because of building/electrical standards becoming normalised. Initially it was due to safety concerns regarding arcing. It's also a lot easier to turn off devices rather than removing plugs, especially as some plugs can be really hard to remove - and if you have to do it regularly, it can be a pain.
Certain devices also don't have dedicated switches (certain TVs, monitors etc) to turn the device off, so without a switch the device can remain on standby.
That sounds like an electrical solution to a mechanical problem.
The "stepping onto the plug" danger could have also been eliminated by fitting outlets with a hook that you can hang the plug onto when it's not plugged in. This would provide the added advantage that if you have 2 plugs taking turns on being plugged into 1 outlet, the inactive plug can rest on that hook, instead of still having to lie on the ground.
Admittedly, throwing a switch is much more convenient than unplugging a plug from a socket and causes much less wear, so I get why this solution was chosen.
@@zactron1997If you're plugging in things that are not switched off, you DESERVE to have your house burned down. The arcing itself is a long way from being the only problem. Most (but not all) modern devices are protected, but many, especially older ones, will be killed by the surges and instability. Nanny state = sheer stupidity.
My American 50s house has been wired for floor lamps controlled by a "light switch" by the front door and stairs between the main and second floor. Without realizing, my wife plugged the cat's water fountain into the switched outside. Sometimes the water gets shut off, mostly by us, but sometimes one of the cats switches the water off when the other cat is drinking. I'm amazed they know to do that, and that they spite each other this way. Lmao
Smart plugs have been an amazing thing. I was skeptical, but having them now, it's awesome.
My parents have one in their living room! Their living room actually has no ceiling or wall lights (its not huge, has a cathedral ceiling and one wall is entirely made of windows) so even at night, the ambient light was adequate enough to walk around in, but they did have a nice lamp on the shelf opposite the window wall connected to a switched outlet that would add an extra bit of lumination if duty called.
Here in Australia, it's simple, every room has a ceiling light and all outlets are switched at the outlet.
ew
Cool, so you can switch off the lamp when you're already close enough to switch it off at the lamp. Or even unplug the lamp.
(He literally addressed this point about australia and the uk in the video)
@Phillip Banes Many many rooms in older houses absolutely do not have overhead lighting.
@@synapticburn No you switch it off at the lamp, but you do have the ability to use the outlet.
I actually have a lamp where it is the switch on the cord is hard to reach so I use the outlet.
@@synapticburn switching something on with an actual switch is so much easier than fumbling around with a plug when space is tight or it's dark. Just because something isn't strictly necessary doesn't mean it isn't better overall; it's not like a few switches are expensive compared to the value of the building.
Swiss here: We also have switched outlets commonly AND they’re usually marked!
Usually, there’s a small switch symbol _/ _ next to the switched outlet. As outlets here come mostly in sets of three (and I have yet to see one where more than one is switched), I have never been frustrated by having a switched outlet.
I was, however, occasinally frustrated in the few places where one switch controls both overhead and all switched outlets for a room...
Yea, same here. My apartment was built in 2010, and every room has a dedicated switched outlet and a seperate switch next to the lightswitch to control that outlet. I use them for lamps in almost every room, except for the bedroom.
I love my two switched outlets in my living room. Unfortunately my lamp doesn't like the switch and will only turn on if I use the switch on the lamp. But I put fairy lights behind my curtains and a tapestry on the wall. Now I can turn on all the fairy lights via a switch instead of turning all three sets on individually. It also works great with the Christmas tree!
Smart bulbs in a lamp with a wall switch is bliss. Flip them on, lay down, say smart home - lights off, next day, switch off and back on to toggle that lights back on. Best of both worlds
Our lovely switched outlet is controlled by 2 switches! For the first year of living in this house, we had a switch that seemed to do nothing. Weirdly, there was a second switch that also seemed to do nothing! We found out what the useless switches were for when the outlet we plugged the Christmas tree into didn’t work. We spent a few hours looking into it. Then, a few hours later, I decided to fidget with the do-nothing switch… and suddenly the Christmas tree worked! So that was fun.
I have something like that. The switch that controls the switched outlet in the living room is in the … hallway… around the corner… on the other side of the hall … on a wall that isn’t shared in any way with the outlet. Oh, and that outlet is now behind a giant wall of shelves, so yeah, we put an extension cord in. As I’m sure you can imagine, that took us some months after we moved in to figure it all out!
That is a fairly common set up for living rooms. There’s a switch by the entryway that turns on the light and another switch on the other side of the room to turn off the light as you enter the hall towards your bedroom. It’s very convenient actually it allows you to turn off the light using the switch and not have to cross a dark room to go to bed. Much like having two light switches at either end of the hallway for an overhead light.
I am an Australian living in America. I am very slowly coming around to switched outlets. Unfortunately, some previous owner of my apartment thought it made sense to have a switched outlet in the bathroom. This just makes no sense. At all. We still have over head lights, but having the only outlet in the bathroom also switched is more frustrating than anything else.
So I'm okay with them in principle, but so far I have found them more frustrating than practical.
We in Finland literally have only one outlet ever behind a switch and thats in the WC cabinet bc the light and outlet are fed with the same 3x1,5 mmj
I believe it was normal in the 70's to have the "shaver" outlet switched with the lighting in the BATHROOM at least in Canada
@@jasonriddell old bathroom vanity lights in North America as a whole often have an ungrounded shaver outlet on it, usually in older homes that still have most of the original wiring.
While the switched bathroom outlet was probably intended for a shaver... you could use it for a lighted vanity upgrade.
@@CoffeeConsumer643 aattelit sitten että englantia puhuvat ihmiset täällä eivät pelkästään ymmärrä mitä muovi-muovi-johdin tarkoittaa, vaan tietävät myös termin lyhenteen 😅
I had an office in a room in the basement that tended to be cold in the winter, so I got a space heater for it. I was terrified that the space heater would be a fire hazard, so I put in several safeguards: I put the heater on a heavy-duty timer that could only turn off (I removed all the "on" tabs), *and* I put the timer in a switched outlet. While I had too many lamps to turn off with that switch (even with overhead lighting, I didn't think it had enough light), I nonetheless *greatly* appreciated that switched outlet!
I didn’t know switch-controlled outlets were a thing until I moved to my current apartment and I hate them with a passion because it’s not just one plug, it’s the top plug for *every* outlet in the room. (So by your advice, I need to go buy 10 lamps, 5 for the living room and 5 for the bedroom lol) I don’t need that many lamps. The only benefit is my Christmas decor is now on the light switch
ok i can help you... buy those lovely little multi taps that alec showed, you now have two outlets with each wall, and put a label next to all your top outlets saying they are switched, or put the little baby proof covers over the outlet, job done
I'm kind of infuriated by them too, because my apartment bedroom, the switch controls EVERY SINGLE OUTLET in the whole room. So I have to leave it on all the time. And it's pretty annoying. So if I need to turn the lights on, I have to go turn on each of my 4 lamps on individually. :P
You buy 1 lamp that takes 4 bulbs and then plug it into the switched outlet that is most convenient for you
I *wish* my place was like that so I could choose where to put the lamp.
Use child-proofing plugs on the switched ports you don’t need, and multi-taps on the other half as needed.
I'm sorry but that's smarter than you're making it seem.
- The switched plug is clearly identified, - You OPTIONS for lamp placement, as in, you don't have to put a lamp in every socket.
- At every potential outlet location the switch can be bypassed, and you don't run into a situation where the most ideal location for a device only has a single switched outlet nearby, because there is always a non-switched option.
a fun fact we were reminded of while setting up the christmas tree yesterday is that one of the switched outlets in our living room (which is, by the way, literally directly below the switch by the front door) just refuses to work at all if there's anything plugged into the top plug of the outlet on the other side of the room. but that's less a problem with switched outlets themselves and more the fact that our house was assembled by a crack team of monkeys in utility belts and has all sorts of fun easter eggs like that
I'll bet you $100 there is an empty beer can inside of one of your walls, unless they have already had all of the drywall replaced since it was built.
That's sketchy. Maybe you should have someone check your electrical systems.
That. That hurts my brain. I can't think of a reason of how that could even be possible.
Or also possible, you had a Weekend Warrior - Boomer Edition who just kludged everything rather than get anyone to do anything properly. Our house had one of those. The electrician nearly had a heart attack when he saw how our basement lights were wired.... not to mention the "so that was just being held in place with duct tape" of our bathroom lights....
This is a fire waiting to happen. Please get it fixed right now.
When I've worked as an electrician, you wouldnt believe how many calls are for outlets that are dead because of
1. A mystery switch
2. A tripped GFCI
This reminded me of the old commercial for... was it insurance? See, I like commercials that fail as advertising because they let me forget what they were trying to sell me, but are so entertaining as tiny films that I remember the actual content forever. Anyway, this one involved a guy in a tract house trying to figure out what the Mystery Switch in his garage did, unaware that he was causing his next door neighbors' garage door to repeatedly crush their car.
How about at our first house, the GCFI plug was in the bathroom for the outside outlets. Man, I searched far and wide for the issue, until I texted an electrician friend of mine, and he told me this was the case. I mean I know GCFI outlet's are expensive, but seriously, you couldn't have included a separate one for outside?
@@builder1113 even better: put these safety devices in the distribution panel rather than a random outlet. then you have only one place to check if something tripped.
@@builder1113 My condo was like that.
@@unitrader403 My current house is like that, and I'm about to pull the breaker and use individual outlets instead.
I HATE that if I plug in a power tool outside it can make the bathrooms dark.
I live in a part of Asia where many Heavy load Appliances uses UK style Type G sockets while Low and Medium load appliances uses type C and type F respectively
Those Type G sockets and plugs are a godsend for Heavy load equipment honestly. The plugs are bulky so very easy to spot, the plug are harder to dislodge and there's very little chance for the cable to be frayed or under tension because it needs to go from the X/Y axis of the plug and not the Z axis so no one will be pulling the plug from the cable.
I'd argue the Socket is convenient than safe. Those heavy load stuff draws a lot of power. That would damage the equipment if you have some trouble pulling that socket out. Plus, you'd probably hide that kinda socket behind a furniture or use them to power Split AC Units/Heat Pump so you put them high above... With that less room.
With a switch, you could just reach the switch to kill the power to the appliance without removing the socket.
And I can totally see that in my own house. My Living room have a Type F socket for the newer model Type F plugs AC units while My room have the Type G socket and I have an AC unit that uses Type G plug. Our house ran the wiring to the AC just next to the AC unit. If for some reason I need to kill the power for the AC unit alone (the AC remote doesn't work for example), I don't have to physically remove the plug... I can reach the switch with a broom and turn it off until I resolve the problems.
With the Type F, I either need to kill the entire house's main power, or climb a ladder to get it switched off.
I also worked on a small office that has an electric stove on their pantry that uses Type G plug, They put the socket behind a cabinet so everytime they need to kill the power to the stove... Like when we left for the night or when the stove need some cleaning... we can just flick the power off.
Love this ep. Agreed with every point.
Let me just say, once you have a nice array of recessed lights that are dimmable and color-temp controlled, there's no need for floorlamps anymore. That was the only and only reason I got sick of having switched outlets in my house. If I want to vary up the lighting, I can change individual lights or even animate effects across the array, and do this per room.
There are lamps that have digital switches that default to ON after power is cut to them. This allows you to turn the lamp off at the lamp and then flip the wall switch off and on and BAM lights are on. Of course most of these lamps (and ceiling fans) have remotes.
That's . . . very clever, and I've never before encountered one of those. I was just about to write a comment saying that someone should invent those. Problem solved already.
Smart bulbs too - I only have experience of Hue and INNR but the default power cycle behaviour is to switch on again after power is cut (which makes them a good choice if you have visitors much, because they basically revert to being dumb bulbs until your visitors leave)
Yep, that feature is really annoying during a middle-of-the-night power failure...
@@totoanihilation I expect many will offer the option to not turn them back on if you expect power outages to be a big concern - I use Ikea’s Tradfri range and for them you can set each bulb to either turn on when power is restored or save the previous state instead. For me, I can’t recall the last power outage so leave them all to turn on, but I could probably change most of them to save the state instead, since I’ve covered almost all the original switches with smart remotes for the bulbs.
@@totoanihilation Yup, I've had that! Fortunately we don't have them in the bedroom but I have got up in the morning to find all the Hue stuff has turned itself on and the kitchen appliance clocks are flashing.
In my experience, my gripes with switched outlets tends to come with someone moving into a rental property or a new house and using a room in a different way than the [previous] owner intended. And in the case of a rental property, that can't be easily changed. If you have the capability to rewire your house to your liking, switched outlets are a fantastic idea.
Bypassing a switched outlet is about $0.50 and 5 minutes.
@@jonanderson5137
But if you're renting, your landlord might not appreciate you fucking with the wiring in their property.
@@APaleDot I asked my landlord of the house I was renting with two other buddies for permission before I added additional phone outlets in each bedroom. They had no problem with it. I suggest that it doesn't hurt to ask.
This was back when dial-up MODEMs were still popular, and we all wanted access to different phone lines at the same time.
If I was going to do additional electrical wiring in a rental, I'd use the landlord's preferred electrician ($$) and not risk wiring it myself.
@@APaleDot I suppose, I'm my landlords electrician.
Probably worth thoroughly documenting all proposed and completed work from a licensed and insured electrician.
Or if you want them to simply stay working and don't want the risk/hassle of rewiring there are covers that simply make the switch very hard to flip.
We have one such outlet in one corner of the living room of my father's house. We figured this out very quickly after moving in, helped by the switch being a mere couple feet from the outlet, and this quickly became the outlet we used for our Christmas Tree every year, so we can switch the lights on the tree on/off without unplugging it.
my grandmother's house, that my grandfather started to build in 65(added on to it slowly in the years following), has a fairly big living room, with a 4 switch panel right beside the door that controls all the outlets in the room. i think the room was added in the 70s, as it did, and still does, have yellow shag pile carpeting, with probably over 500 pounds of that white floor powder stuff in it that my grandmother used over the years. anyway, at current, my grandma has like 3 lights in those plugs, and it also turns on the air conditioner in that room too.
I was a residential electrician for a number of years and the number of people who would call and complain when they moved into their new house that some of the outlets were upside down and forced us to flip them back over so they're all the same was aggravating. We started taking a magic marker and putting some sort of mark on the receptacle that was switched and they would even complain about that.
We have a couple flipped light switch in our home. Didn't feel like fixing it after 5 years now, so up means off and down means on. It's only in closets so not a big deal.
@@westonscampbell I had an electrician wire up some new lamps at my work, we had four switches next to each other and the fourth one was unused. He wired them up and left, and then we noticed the fourth one was upside down! He was there again for something else later, and we asked him why he did that. He looked at it and said... I wired it up correctly, the other three are upside down! Yeah they were all up for off and down for on, and he wired his up correctly without checking the others. He flipped the other three free of charge while fixing up some ceiling lamps too high for us to reach with regular ladders. He even labeled them on and off with a label maker, which is a bit silly, but appreciated!
People will complain about practically anything. Even if there's no actual problem.
The longer you're alive, the more you learn this to be true.
@@HKlink is that a issue? You guys don't have cross switches? That both can turn on or off the same light? Sometimes even up to there switches for the same light, is useful for corridors or for people that have them close to a bedroom door and by the side of the bed, my previous house was like that, those will change positions for on or off based on use, it's specially upsetting when it's a double and on side is inverted to the other...
Its a old idea that isnt a reasonble solution today, me personally i would never remember to turn of this, turn on that, remember to turn on 3rd button on wall or turn off 3rd wall switch and find out that you connect your charger into that plug and only when you wake up you notice that you forgot to turn on the switch on the wall at the very end of the room..
Only to fight and try to stress the charger so it charge faster than its possible and swear and go nuts over the stress while you dress and drink your morning cofee at the same time..
Idk what "wake up juice" the companies drink that came up with that idea but i would love some if it will wake you up 110% within 2 minutes so you can plan the power switch flipping game..
Its a forced and dumb solution for a issue that is made up, no one have a issue with pushing a button a lamp to turn it off.. Quite common though that companies create issues that dosent excist to earn a dollar or 2 in profit.
If we talk about a real world issue, then we can talk about non earthed plugs as a standard and a rule that stop me from putting in proper earthed plugs instead.. Its a real world issue i have personally.
The thing I hate about switched outlets is the lack of markings on the outlets. I get to play "guess the system" every time I go to a new place or want to redo a room that I've forgotten.
I had renters who just couldnt figure this out in spite of the fact that I clearly marked the outlets with printed labels.
Us Americans prefer our outlets vertical with blades up. So we consider vertically alligned grounding pin up to be upside down to denote a switched outlet. Some electricians install them as such. I thought there was an NEC reference for this but was corrected.
it's always the bottom thats hot
In the UK we use a different type of socket for light switched outlets, one with round pins
@@stuart959 the NEC has no reference to receptacle orientation, with the exception of receptacles installed in countertops. It's not a listing requirement either so there's no right or wrong way to do it most of the time, unless the job spec specifically calls for them to be installed in one orientation or another
The house I grew up in had one of these in the basement (at the time I had no idea it was intentional), but the weird thing was _the same switch also controlled the pot lights in the ceiling._ So it was very funny when we plugged in our Christmas tree and the lights immediately turned on, then we went to turn off the lights in the room to see just the tree turned on, and it turned of with them. That's why it never occurred to me to plug in a lamp, because that was the exact opposite of what the switch let us do