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IEC 60328: Household Appliance Switches — From Wall Switches to Appliance Switches
Why Some Switches Work Only on AC, Not DC — Arc Quenching Determines Everything
IEC 60328 specifies household appliance switch requirements. A switch rated “10A 250VAC” cannot be used at 10A 48VDC — DC arcs have no natural zero-crossing for extinction. The same switch DC rating is typically 1/5 to 1/10 of its AC rating.
TNLab — Using an AC-rated switch for DC loads results in welded contacts or sustained arcing.
