DIY : Setting up a new home requires a lot of decisions. – Arpit Sharma – Medium
Setting up a new home requires a lot of decisions. What materials to use, what tiles to lay, what colours to paint the walls with and more. However, when it comes to one of the most important decisions we tend to go with whatever is the cheapest for our needs. I’m talking about switches. Think all you need to think about while choosing a switch is its appearance and colour? Think again! Here are the things you need to keep in mind when buying new switches for your home.
1. What type of switch: Let’s start at the very beginning. Before you decide what colour and finish you want your switch to be. You need to decide what type of switch, conventional or modular, you wish to use for your home. While both are good, conventional switches are falling out of favour and modular switches are better for the long run.
2. What current ratings you require: Different appliances and gadgets require different switch ratings. For example, air conditioners, geysers and microwaves and other heavy load requiring appliances require 16A switches. TVs, lights, fans etc require normal load switches.
3. What is their lifespan: The best modular switches in India will have significantly longer lifespans than regular switches. Good switches, in general, should last you more than 2,00,000 on and off operations.
4. Safety: As with anything to do with electricity, this is one of the most important aspects. One must ensure the safety of oneself and one’s loved ones by only purchasing switches that contain an ISI mark. The switches must be fire retardant and surge-proof to avoid any mishaps in case of a short circuit.
5. How easy is it to use: The best switches like the ones from Anchor will come with Feather Touch technology that makes it super easy to operate. So no more struggling with switching them on and off.
6. Other features: Features like colours, finishes, and textures are also things that one needs to keep in mind.
Needless to say, factors like brand name, durability and easy availability are also crucial to making your final decision. No point selecting a fancy switch which is not available in your city or doesn’t last beyond six months or worse, an expensive switch from a not-so-well-known brand that starts giving out electric shocks from day three! Now that you know what factors to keep in mind while buying a switch for your new home go ahead and make the right switch!
