1 Gang Double 20A Light Switch - Orange

A single gang double pole rocker rated at 20A, with a neon indicator that glows while the circuit is live. The plate is orange with a chrome insert behind the rocker, and it is screwless, so the front face stays clean with no fixings showing across it. The rocker has a firm, positive action and sits square in an 88mm plate. We keep this one for jobs where a switch needs to be seen and recognised rather than blend quietly into the wall.

Double pole switching breaks both live and neutral, which is why a switch of this sort is used to isolate a fixed appliance: an extractor, a water heater, an immersion, a boiler feed. The orange face does real work in a plant room, a utility, a workshop or a busy kitchen, where a run of white plates all looks alike and the one that matters has to be picked out quickly. It suits anyone coding circuits by colour, and it is what we would reach for where an isolator sits among ordinary switches and power points.

The plate is moulded in ABS, tough and non conductive, and the switch is double insulated. Keep it to dry rooms indoors, on a domestic supply, as it offers no protection against water or splashing. Wipe the plate with a damp cloth and a little washing up liquid, then dry it off; solvents and abrasive creams will dull the moulding, so leave those alone. The neon reads clearly even in a bright room, which is half the point of a switch like this. It carries a ten year warranty. Where two or three appliances need isolating along the same wall, matching orange plates make the set read as one deliberate group rather than a row of odds and ends.

What does double pole switching actually do?

It breaks both the live and the neutral conductor when the rocker is off, rather than the live alone. That is why double pole switches are used as local isolators for fixed appliances.

How big is the plate?

It is a square plate measuring 88mm by 88mm, with a moulded depth of 25mm.

What is the neon for?

The neon insert lights while the circuit through the switch is live, giving you a quick visual check that the appliance is switched on.

What is the switch made from, and how should it be cleaned?

The plate is ABS, a hard non conductive plastic. Clean it with a damp cloth and mild detergent, then dry it. Avoid solvent cleaners and cream abrasives, which will haze the surface.

What current is it rated at?

20A, which covers the usual run of fixed domestic appliances needing a local isolating switch.

Can it go in a bathroom or outside?

No. It is for dry indoor rooms only and has no rating against water ingress, so it should not be fitted in a wet zone or outdoors.