Ever see a switch that was put together backwards?

[rslaback]

This switch is in the basement of my wife's parsonage. Off is on and on is off.

It's wired to interrupt just the hot from a bulb containing source power. The switch has continuity with the lever in the down position marked as off.

I originally thought it might've been a case where someone took it apart and screwed up the lever but the mechanism is still held together with the factory rivets so that isn't it.

 

[OccupantRJ]

I have never seen that, but maybe it was the passive aggressive way of an employee about to quit saying ”take this job and shove it”. It may also have been a case similar to some of our factory assembly workers who would nod off asleep and bump their forehead on the assembly setup after staying up half the night. It could also be a Monday morning switch.

 

[CJ7VFR]

That setup is called a switch loop. As you said it is used to make or break the connection of the hot wire.

The incoming Neutral (White) wire from the power source connects directly to the light fixture. The incoming Hot (Black) wire from the power source connects to the outgoing white wire (marked black with either tape or using a Sharpie) running down to the switch. The returned power (Switched Hot) is sent back on the black wire from the switch to the fixture

Perhaps the white and black wires are reversed either at the switch or at the source/light fixture? Check to see if the switch is wired correctly and the source/fixture is wired correctly.

If not, and everything is wired correctly, then in rare cases it could be like you said and the internal connections of the switch are backwards.

Jim

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Perhaps the white and black wires are reversed either at the switch or at the source/light fixture? Check to see if the switch is wired correctly and the source/fixture is wired correctly.

wouldnt be the case because he stated there is continuity with the switch in the down position. clearly its a faulty switch

 

[manwithtools]

Switch was manually assembled backwards in the days before automation was building such things.