I'm not so sure about that "hence"
Yes I do agree the terminology has gone to pot on this one but they have been called 2 gang back boxes for as long as I rememberI'm not so sure about that "hence"
Anyway, thanks for explaining what was meant - and, yes, I agree that the bigger size may be an advantage (although, of course, some people might find that to be aesthetically inferior!).
However, I would hope you would agree that it's confusing and misleading to call it a "2-gang switch" - since that conventionally has a totally different (very well-established) meaning!
Kind Regards, John
True, and even that is a bit confusing, but we've come to understand what "2 gang back boxes" are. However, I don't think that in any way excuses using the term "2-gang switch" to refer to something that clearly is a 1-gang switch
There are plenty out there - the first Google hit was this one from TLC, and to confuse the terminology even further, it's called "Twin Plate" (maybe to avoid called it a "2-gang 3-gang switch"
)I sympathise with every part of that but just like so many terms in use today they have developed over the years and become accepted as standard/correct. I believe the 2 gang switches came first (and probably started out even bigger) but in the early days would have just been called 'cooker switch' etc then the smaller size introduced and to differentiate between the two called 'single gang'. Hence the defaqto term '2 gang' came into use.True, and even that is a bit confusing, but we've come to understand what "2 gang back boxes" are. However, I don't think that in any way excuses using the term "2-gang switch" to refer to something that clearly is a 1-gang switch
Reversing that abomination of terminology, I have plenty of ('actually'!) 2-gang and 3-gang switches which fit onto a "1-gang back box" - should I perhaps call them all "1-gang" switches?
... and, perhaps most confusing of all, there are 3-gang (actual) switches which fit on a "2-gang" back box. Should I continue calling them "3-gang" (which they are), or should I perhaps call them "2-gang", by analogy with the shower isolators we're discussing?
Kind Regards, John
I have to say that, in all the years/decades I've been looking at such things, I don't think I've ever noticed this before - hence the confudion I expressed in relation to the "2-gang shower isolator".
Indeed - although there would obviously have been no confusion there, since they would have been "2-gang 2-gang switches"!
It is useful/beneficial (or, at least, 'neutral') evolution of language which some 'admire' (perhaps because they are happier speaking 20th/21st century English than they would be speaking Chaucer's or Beowolf's English).
As I wrote (and illustrated) last night, one doesn't have to turn the clock back - there are plenty still available today.
Not sure if the one you illustrated qualifies as 'one piece', as the data sheet shows the back of it it to be made up of 3 removable switch modules, which would be useful if say an intermediate is required.
Fair enough, but I would be inclined to regard that as 'quibbling', since anyone looking at the front would have know reason to know that it was 'modular' (in the sense that the three switch mechanisms were physically separate)
Size of plate.
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