Why don't American hotels have ceiling lights?

8/19/2017 9:58:26 PM

Why not ceiling lights?

In the USA most rooms must have a light switch. Builders lobbied an Electrical Code change to allow switching a receptacle instead of an overhead light. This saves the cost of running wire to a ceiling box, drywalling around it, and fitting an overhead light. (Especially when many hotels use construction methods such as prefab or poured concrete, which would make fitting a ceiling light very difficult). The cost of making some receptacles switched is trivial by comparison, since receptacles are already required. This is all about cost.

In this scheme, the homeowner or proprietor is expected to plug in a floor or desk lamp. Those have their own switches, making it possible to render the room switch totally inoperative. A homeowner is expected to learn a habit. A guest or first-responder is on his own.

This same Code (and economics) applies to hotel rooms.

A problem/convenience in hotels

A desk or floor lamp is just not enough light. (halogen torchiere lights were, but they fell out of style). Also, some people who share rooms or beds want to operate out of sync, one sleeping while the other burns a reading light, so it is common to provide a desk lamp on each side of a queen or king bed. Others also want task lighting at the provided desk or counter. When I travel with others, this is a blessing: we turn off the main light, my partner turns in, and I read off a bedside light -and don’t have to get out of bed to turn it off.

At least one of the lights, must provide the statutory switched light. These, being commodity types, typically have a local switch also.

Your best practice in a US hotel is not to use the on-lamp switches at all, until you learn which ones are controlled by the light switches. Operate the light switches first; if that does nothing, then go for the on-lamp switch.

Also watch out when charging your devices; they often wire extra receptacles to be switched (or one of two sockets switched) – if you rely on those, they will stop charging when you turn off the light.

Credit:stackoverflow.com‘

About me

Hello,My name is Aparna Patel,I’m a Travel Blogger and Photographer who travel the world full-time with my hubby.I like to share my travel experience.

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