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Leviton Mercury Light Switch This is a light switch that uses a vial of mercury that is tipped when the switch operated to complete the circuit. They were sold in the past as silent switches; the toggle has a very smooth action and it doesn't "click" or make any noise when turned on. Commonly used in the mid 60's to the late 70's, environmental concerns about the effects of mercury have since put an end the manufacturer and use of such switches. I found this at a ReStore Keywords: Gear

Leviton Mercury Light Switch

This is a light switch that uses a vial of mercury that is tipped when the switch operated to complete the circuit. They were sold in the past as silent switches; the toggle has a very smooth action and it doesn't "click" or make any noise when turned on.

Commonly used in the mid 60's to the late 70's, environmental concerns about the effects of mercury have since put an end the manufacturer and use of such switches.

I found this at a ReStore
eec_streetlight_display_2.JPG 55LEDgend.JPG Mercury_Light_Switch.JPG series_iso_m250.jpg Series_Iso_Trans.JPG
File information
Filename:Mercury_Light_Switch.JPG
Album name:yuandrew / Controls
Keywords:Gear
Company and Date Manufactured:Leviton
Filesize:79 KiB
Date added:Sep 24, 2013
Dimensions:800 x 600 pixels
Displayed:2540 times
Color Space:sRGB
DateTime Original:2013:09:23 21:26:56
Exposure Bias:0 EV
Exposure Mode:0
Exposure Time:1/30 sec
FNumber:f/2.6
Flash:No Flash
Focal length:5.8 mm
ISO:200
Make:Canon
Max Aperture:f/2.6
Model:Canon PowerShot A560
URL:http://www.galleryoflights.org/mb/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=16405
Favorites:Add to Favorites

Comment 1 to 10 of 10
Page: 1

rjluna2   [Sep 24, 2013 at 12:17 PM]
Nice find, yuandrew Smile
A_lights   [Sep 24, 2013 at 08:53 PM]
Considering these last forever they are indeed more green then modern junk switches that fail after a few years sometimes!
joe_347V   [Sep 24, 2013 at 08:55 PM]
Yeah, nice find too!
streetlight98   [Sep 24, 2013 at 09:45 PM]
nice! yeah the life of these is basically unlimited considering there are no functioning parts that will wear out. BTW, how can you tell a mercury switch? will it say mercury switch on it? my favorite switches are the older loud SNAP! switches.
yuandrew   [Sep 25, 2013 at 12:44 AM]
BTW, how can you tell a mercury switch ?

Without wiring it up, you'll notice how smooth the action is when you flip it and the larger size of the lever when compared with a regular switch. If you do hook it up, you'll have to keep it level and the top side up for it to operate correctly. If you tilt or turn it upside down, the light or whatever you wired it to control will turn on. It also will not operate if mounted horizontally.
streetlight98   [Sep 25, 2013 at 01:53 AM]
Ahh i see. so it will only work right-side-up? The Pass & Semour switches at lowes are large like this but they're not mercury switches.
yuandrew   [Sep 25, 2013 at 04:57 AM]
This one does work mounted upside down and will actually change positions so "ON" will always have the toggle pointing upward due to the way the vial of mercury is arranged. A regular switch mounted upside-down will point downward in the "ON" position (and the ON will say NO instead).

Shaking the switch itself (when turned off) will make the light flicker as the mercury bounces around and hits the contacts.
LampLover84   [Sep 25, 2013 at 04:20 PM]
I once lived in apartment that was built in 1970 and all of the light switches were of the mercury type
I wish I knew what I now know if I did I could have scored alot of these switches and other cool fixtures (The apartment complex was remodeled when I was there) This had to be around 1998 though when I was only 14 Years old
Oh well Razz
GEsoftwhite100watts   [Sep 27, 2013 at 11:30 PM]
Yeah a mercury switch would be cool although I must also say my favorite would have to be those older SNAP! switches. A historic lighthouse I've volunteered around, built in 1932, has quite a few of those in use and that snap! echoes off the lath-and-plaster walls. There's plenty of modern switches too though. (And it's funny using those vintage switches to turn on vintage fixtures sporting CFLS! Laughing
Form109   [Dec 28, 2014 at 09:14 AM]
neat!

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