Do they make switches with built-in light fixtures?

Factual Questions
1

Of course they make fixtures with switches, but I’m looking for a switch with a fixture. I’m putting together a couple 20-amp circuits to bring power to a few tools and want to be able to cut power to the circuit and easily tell when the circuit is on.

That is, at each receptacle bank I’d like to add a lighted switch to let me (or anyone in the basement) know the circuit is energized. Most illuminated switches are illuminated off (so you can find it in the dark), and the few that I’ve found that are illuminated on are relatively weak—you can see the light is on if you’re looking at the fixture, but it’s not particularly noticeable. I’d like the light to be at least 15 or 20 watts (or the low-power lumens equivalent of what I’m thinking of).

I can put in a switch, then a fixture, then the receptacles, but I figure I’m not the only one who wants a big, red, shiny light warning everyone that Rhythmdvl forgot to shut off power to the saw. Do they make the light/switch combo like I’m thinking of? Any chance they make one with all three?

I, and my son’s fingers, thank you.

2

The term you’re looking for is “switch with pilot light”.

3

That link didn’t work as I expected. I’ll try again.

switch and pilot light

4

Right–I’d found those, but their lights are relatively weak—you can see the light is on if you’re looking at the fixture, but it’s not particularly noticeable. I think “noticeable” is the key word: I want someone in a different part of the basement who looks in the general direction–not at the switch itself–to see that it’s on.

5

If the tools are plugged into a duplex receptacle, maybe you could add a nightlight to the extra outlet. The light would be on when the receptacle is live. Not what you really want, but it might do.

6

Wow, that’s a great idea! I can go with one of these in a 2-gang box and keep two open for use. I’m going to contact Leviton to pedantically verify I can put a load on it (controlled by the switch).

7

Amazingly, they still make Desparddevices, which let you mix and match switches, lights and receptacles on a one, two, or three-gang strap that mounts in a single-gang box. (My amazement is that Despard has been around for eons.)

No 20-amp Despard receptacles, but you can pair a 20-amp switch with a bright neon light.

8

Thanks. Shot them an email asking about their line.

Called Leviton about their switched receptacle, but their tech guy said they’re not designed to take a downstream load. The problem could be my lack of correct vocabulary, so they didn’t understand my question/I didn’t understand their answer.

My default plan (if the neon doesn’t work out or won’t be as visible as I prefer) is to follow GaryM’s advice–pigtail to a single-pole switch that controls four outlets and keep a red nightlight or some other bright, red light source in it.

My only concern about that is it’s adding two outlets to each box. The rule of thumb I’ve been working with is to stay around 13 outlets per circuit. I’m already going over that, but given the nature of the area, use and layout it should be passable. But this plan adds a few more outlets.

I may go switch-simple fixture-outlet box, but hope to find an easier solution.

9

They used to make fittings for 6 watt incandescent pilot light bulbs (basically a squished nightlight bulb) that were probably brighter than todays presumably neon or LED lights.

10

You might consider the potential danger involved here… if you train yourself (or your son) to think “Light off, power off”, what happens when a bulb burns out? No light, but the circuit is still live.
Is there such a device (like old christmas lights used to be) that a burned out bulb would break the circuit?

11

That’s a good point. You could screw in two light bulbs using this in combination with this. Of course, that wouldn’t solve the problem of two lights going out at the same time.

12

Good point, but possibly extending beyond our collective pedanticism. And always treat a saw like it’s loaded’ and never point it at a piece of wood unleess you’re willing to cut it.

13

If you can tell us why you’re concerned about knowing if the power us removed from the saw circuit, perhaps we might offer additional suggestions. Are you concerned about unauthorized use, perhaps by children? Then a small lock through the plug blades would work. What exactly are the concerns?

14

The kid is pretty much it. The Dudeling is only four, so he’s not down there without supervision. Mostly. Sometimes we drink heavily, and when we do there’s nothing we find more fun than sending him to the basement with a bag of broken glass and no lights.

Just kidding. We don’t give him a bag to carry the glass in.

It’s a fine line between overprotection, trust and the loss of fingers. I could wall off and lock the shop, but I don’t want that kind of enclosure around the shop.

Similar to your suggestion, an early thought was to get those little padlocks to go through the plugs. They may be in order for a particular piece down the line, but for now thinking of locking/unlocking each tool every time I want to use it crosses my convenience line.

So here’s my tradeoff: The switches will be mounted on the ceiling or about six feet up the wall (depending on the outlet location). Simple height/location will buy us years (weeks?) of relative safety.

Eventually, he’ll grow to be able to use a ladder or stack something to reach the switches (if so inclined). I’m installing
locking covers (mainly because this is when I’m doing all the work), and if need be those will protect the switches from the mildly motivated, particularly when we go on a bender and leave him alone for a week. The switch covers will be mostly be mischief-proofing–if he evolves such that those won’t stop him, we’ve got bigger problems than a plugged-in saw.

This also has the side benefit of allowing me to easily cut power to a machine I’m working on. I see people changing drill bits in plugged-in presses and it gives me no end of willies. Change a bandsaw blade with the machine plugged in? Yikes.

That’s it in a nutshell. Relatively inaccessible switches will turn off the bank of toolbench outlets (e.g. drill press, miter saw, sander, grinder, etc.) and the ceiling switches will turn off the table saw, band saw, etc. I’m not ‘protecting’ the dust collector or the convenience outlets; just the once with machines relatively permanently plugged in.

Enter the indicator light. I know that as much as I get into the habit of turning things off, I’ll screw up—a phone call, bathroom break or velociraptor attack will leave the switches on. So an indicator light adds a touch of fine tuning to that balance between too much/little protection. A 15W red bulb will be overpowered by the shop lights, so working won’t be affected. It will, though, add more color and noticebility to the room than a mere pilot light—a red, 15W glow will be noticed from across the room, even when you’re not focused on whether the switch is on or off.

It won’t be the be-all/end-all of safety. It won’t be the only check on whether a machine is plugged in, but it’ll be a major factor in knowing whether it’s safe to do something.

So back to the OP. I could do something like this (excuse the crappy Paint drawing). That’s adding a light fixture between the switch and the outlets. Not terribly problematic, but the OP asks if there’s a ‘proper’ or prefab solution. The closest is adding an outlet/nightlight combination, but if I’m adding an outlet just for that I might as well add a fixture. I’m already kind of high on my outlet count, so don’t want to add another ten or twelve (or five or six if I go through the trouble of installing single receptacles).

I really hope this makes sense~

15

This?

16

FWIW, a lot of shop tools made in the past decade or so have a “key” that’s part of the power switch. Take it out, and the tool can’t be turned on.

Some of them are fairly subtle. The black button that has to be pressed to pull the trigger on my miter saw is removable, and my table saw had a yellow tip that could be removed from the power switch. The drawback to these things is they are small and not difficult to lose.

17

Are you installing a sub-panel for all of the shop circuits? If you put it near the door and get one with a locking cover (most outdoor panels with a flip-up cover have a hole for a padlock), you could de-energize everything at the end of the day from one spot. Put the lighting circuit(s) in that panel as well, and a dark shop with no way for the kids to turn on the lights should help make it even less inviting for them to mess around in.

18

My dad’s radial arm saw had one in the eighties. My bandsaw has large buttons at his eye view. Go figure. They fit the switch part of my idea, The bulb is to simply say ‘hry, you left the safety off’.

nothing is going to keep a determined kid away. I cabn hoe he won,t be that kid, and give him plenty of opportunities to learn, love and grow with a shop.

19

None of the pilot lights I’ve seen are bright outdide one,s focus. Those would be good if I was changing something and loooking at the switch to check. but I want to catch my eye when I’m accrss the room changingthe cat box’

20

if you put in a subpanel don’t put a lock on it, especially if there are lighting circuits. mount it out of reach of child height, put it at the maximum legal height if you want.