What position (up or down) is ON in light switches in your house ? In other places in your country ? Is there any reasoning for the choice of one position over the other ?

What position (up or down) is ON in light switches in your house ? In other places in your country ? Is there any reasoning for the choice of one position over the other ?

Here general rule is Up/right/clockwise=ON and Down/left/counter-clockwise=OFF, so practically all installations follow it, whenever possible.
It applies for rockers, levers, knobs, as well as a pair of push buttons. And not only for electrical, but as well for mechanical and other controls (wheel actuated clutches, train power controls, etc...).
The only exceptions are rotation actuated valves - there the open is CCW and close CW, but there the reason is the usual concept of a standard CW thread tightening the seal...

Here general rule is Up/right/clockwise=ON and Down/left/counter-clockwise=OFF, so practically all installations follow it, whenever possible.
It applies for rockers, levers, knobs, as well as a pair of push buttons. And not only for electrical, but as well for mechanical and other controls (wheel actuated clutches, train power controls, etc...).
The only exceptions are rotation actuated valves - there the open is CCW and close CW, but there the reason is the usual concept of a standard CW thread tightening the seal...

Here too, that is the case. However, I believe certain European countries have the opposite (Belgium comes to mind, among others). I have also seen some installations where there is a mixture because the "electrician" homeowner didn't care (that was in France in case you're curious).

The mechanical device part is also mostly true, but there is one commercial lock manufacturer that thinks opposite : Sargent hardware, you often turn to the left to unlock. Those particular models are not used typically on houses, but they can be confusing if you don't know.

...Belgium comes to mind...

Well, I thoght more abou British, they seem to really like everything to be different than the rest of the world just for the sake to be British...
At work we have bunch of TTI bench top lab power supplies and these have all switches (mains input, as well as output disconnect) with ON down. Plus the annoying oversized mains plug, which we have to use with adapters, because in these instruments there is no other fusing than the fuse within the plug. Even no thermal protector in the trnsformer. Even the new models have the mains switch with ON down (these have the output control by push buttons andluckily the mains cord via the "computer" IEC socket, so regular cord could be used).

Well, I thoght more abou British, they seem to really like everything to be different than the rest of the world just for the sake to be British...

Yep, that's us

Here it's always been up for off and down for on, no idea why. Although it can be a bit confusing if you have an installation with 2-way switches, such as the top and bottom of the stairs, where it can be either, depending on which switch was used last 

Yep, that's us

Here it's always been up for off and down for on, no idea why. Although it can be a bit confusing if you have an installation with 2-way switches, such as the top and bottom of the stairs, where it can be either, depending on which switch was used last 

That reminds me of a funny story, I was visiting my parents and I switched the light on in the hall at exactly the same time as mummy did at the other end, so the circuit remained open and the light didn't come on, we were both in stitches of laughter and daddy wondered what had happened.