There’s a light-switch in my flat that has a red light in the fitting that illuminates when you switch it on. It doesn’t turn on any light in the place. I have no idea what is for. As a Steven Wright fan, I flick it on and off occasionally hoping I get a call from some woman in Germany saying “cut it out.”
Edit: after posting this I saw someone else had made the same joke, but fuck it, I’m leaving it up. Who knew there were other fans of a thirty year old album here?
It’s the switch for the red light, of course. Installed by the previous tenant, named Roxanne.
She didn’t have to put on the red light.
Many rooms in my place have light switches tied to outlets. Usually just a single switched plug per room. I know where they all are now but it would have been good if there was a little light icon on each plug.
Still, now that I know, I’m not sure I actually want to add that icon, since I know where it is and I’ll either plug in a light (in which case I know easily) or I won’t (in which case I don’t care).
Some electricians install the receptacles upside-down if they’re switched.
I hate that. I would flip them around the first time I encountered that. There are many things that can be done, from switch covers to lighted/unlighted/colored switches next to each other. All better and more foolproof options
Maybe a porch or outside light.
Nope. I know where the switch for that is.
My bet is that it is for some appliance you can’t hear or see turning on. Possibly a power outlet in a weird place for permenantly installed appliances
I leave it turned off and it doesn’t seem to affect anything, and I’m in a small 1 bedroom flat without any appliances that it might connect to. It really is a mystery.
Possibly for the kitchen, like a light tgat ypu could mount under the cupoards or for a vent
Nope. It’s nowhere near the kitchen, and my place isn’t that sophisticated. It’s in the living room in the same vicinity as the switches for that and two lights in the garage. I thought it might be for something in the garage, but I haven’t found anything that it affects in there.
I’m starting to enjoy this guessing game we’ve got going.
That was my guess because the flat I live in (80s East German) has one just like that.
Living room could mean that there was the idea of a light for a dining table. Otherwise a power socket outside, on the terrace for example or an outside light? Garage door opener maybe?
If you really want to find out, I think you’ll need to “play” around with your safety box and that particular switch
The hilarity of your home wiring being sassed by the (admittedly amazing) guy whose video games boil down to “kill stuff, hit switches” with escalating difficulty and frustration.
On the one hand, I’d love our paths to cross. On the other, I’d relish the thought that he’d sweat just a little when trying to figure out anything inside my home.
“Oh, I’m sorry. The switch you want is behind a hidden door in the other room. Just tap on every wall until one of them opens.”
My open plan living room, kitchen, sunroom area has a bank of 5 on one wall, 3 on the other.
I’m the only person who knows what all the switches do from memory.
My wife and kids throw a lightswitch rave every time they want to turn the lights on over the island and i just beatbox techno while they try to figure it out.
Mine just turn everything on. Outside lights have been on for a week because they just flail at the switches then leave the room.
My house has motion-activated floodlights with the switches inside the garage. It almost qualifies as a workout trying to figure out if they’re on or not.
The real issue with this picture is not the “user experience”, unless it is a hotel or some public place where customers are intended to interact with the devices.
The real issue is that the switches and plates aren’t lined up right.
the switches and plates aren’t lined up right
If that bugs you, don’t look at those screws. So close to perfectly lined up, but not quite.
John carmack throwing shade on lightswitches was not on my bingo card
Ten year old me is desperate to use the label maker I got for Christmas.
But now that you can label things, just what little irritant are you going to rail and rage against without making any attempt to fix it?
That’s just a typical videogame puzzle: figure the correct combination to open the door, or turn on the correct lights
I wanted to make a joke about doom just being a shooter, using his “video game stories are like porn” quote, but honestly the originals are pretty damn puzzley
I have two identical light switches in the kitchen right next to eachother but one does the garbage disposal it is so fucking annoying.
That reminds me of Macs circa 1990. The disk drive had no eject button (because of course it was perfectly intuitive to drag the disk icon onto the fucking trash can icon to eject) but the computer’s power button was helpfully located right above the disk drive, so I was constantly powering off my computer whenever I just wanted to eject a disk.
My university had a bay of Macs in the IT suite with laminated cards taped over the power button to warn newbies of this.
If the switches don’t match I’m triggered. Some small label or abbreviation on the plate might be ok though.
Or little icons that match the style of the plate would be cool. I’m thinking about getting these for the ceiling fans:
Factories have safety lockouts for that sort of thing and I’m dismayed that they’re not a thing in the home. Especially for when your hand is down there.
There are a couple of ways to fix that problem.
You can just get a switch blocker, this prevents you accidentally operating a switch. Yet still allows you to operate by leaving access behind the guard. All the while also giving you a visual indication.
Or you can use two different switches in the box. One could be a different color, or it might be lighted next to an unlighted switch, or a different type of toggle.
You can get a guard that makes the switch hard to flick.
You could also just buy a different light switch in a different color (Like Black)
You could also block it off entirely and setup an air switch so the on switch is in your sink. It’s safer that way.
All 3 are in the realm of DIY
In a rental unit id be pissed to see that without labels, but in a private residence its whatever. You learn it quick enough.
I have a set of switches just like these and it unironically took me a year before getting them down. I never tried so hard to memorize them, though.
Lol yea thats about what I meant by quick enough. But did you learn a couple of them sooner? I feel like there are 2 maybe 3 id learn in a few months, but some of those are hallways or outside lights, some shit that, ya, would take me a year.
I definitely learned the garage and kitchen lights the quickest. I still can’t figure out any rhyme or reason for why they’re grouped the way they are, though.
Where I live, there’s switches next to the front and back door.
I’ve been here since 2017.
I still flip the ones closest to the doors to turn on the porch light because that’s what makes sense, instead of the one further from the door that actually does it.
I mean, it’s your house and not a product you’re selling. After a couple weeks you likely know which switch does what. Whenever a host comes you can show them the switches.
This is why I label breakers/switches the moment I move in — “Kitchen left / Hall / Fan” saves future-me so much chaos 😅 Also, delayed LEDs are the worst kind of suspense.
Every time I’ve tried this, it’s ended in a labeling disaster. Maybe it’s my luck, but electricians seem to be more interested in wiring walls than rooms. As a result, the breakers seldom come anywhere close to any logical room layout. And then there’s legacy breaker-box GCFI stuff, and homeowner renovation hacks…
I always think I’m going to do this, and I never once have. Next time for sure…
Looking for color coded keys is a more intuitive interface?
Everyone used to bitch about how Windows 95 was such an ugly interface, but it was actually built to be usable by people with vision problems, including color-blindness. Relying on color for your interface is certainly intuitive but isn’t useful for everyone.
Agreed. Colorblind. Certain DVD menus were awful for me back in the day.
Tbh marking the distinctly in literally any way would be an improvement, if not for associating a light with that marking then at least for getting a clear answer when you ask someone who knows. “Hey which switch turns on the hall lights?” “Oh the one with the cock n balls drawn on it”
I can’t see it
“turn the light on”
<_<
I wonder if he uses VIM, because that user experience is oh boy…
Incredible?
JC is the real one
hotel rooms
fucking hotel rooms!
