1 Gang 10A Fan Isolator Switch - Sky Blue

A screwless plate keeps its fixings out of sight, so the face reads as one clean square of colour with nothing to interrupt it. The sky blue is bright without shouting, and the chrome rocker sits at the centre for a little contrast against it. The plate is 88mm square, the familiar single-gang footprint, and the switch works on all three poles at once, breaking line, neutral and switched line together in one movement.

The job it is made for is isolating an extract fan, so a bathroom or shower room fan can be shut off completely at the wall before anyone goes near it. That makes it a sensible companion to any fan in an en suite, cloakroom or utility room. We reach for a coloured plate like this where the walls have been painted something soft and a plain white switch would sit there looking like an oversight; against pale grey, chalky green or tongue and groove panelling, the blue reads as a choice.

The plate and rocker are moulded in ABS, a tough plastic that takes colour evenly, and the switch is double insulated. Indoors, on domestic lighting circuits, is where it belongs, and it is no use outdoors or anywhere hosed down. Cleaning asks for very little: a dry cloth over the plate now and then, and nothing solvent based, since cleaners of that sort can leave the colour patchy and the chrome dull. It carries a ten year warranty. We stock it in the sky blue shown here, and plainer white ceramic and chrome fittings elsewhere in the room keep the blue as the one point of colour.

What is it rated at?

It is a 10A switch, which suits the domestic bathroom and utility extract fans it is intended to serve.

Why three poles rather than one?

A fan usually has a permanent line, a switched line and a neutral. Breaking all three at the same time takes the whole fan out of circuit in one action, rather than leaving part of it live.

How big is the plate?

It measures 88mm by 88mm, the standard single plate size, with a 25mm depth behind it.

Can it go inside a shower cubicle or over a bath?

No. With an IP20 rating it has no protection against water, so it is for dry positions only.

How should I clean the sky blue finish?

Wipe it with a soft dry cloth. If something has splashed onto it, a barely damp cloth is enough; keep solvents, bleach and cream cleaners away from both the colour and the chrome rocker.

Will the blue fade?

The colour is through the ABS moulding rather than a surface coat, so ordinary use and normal indoor light will not wear it away.