The only time I know of you can legally switch the neutral is on motor fuel dispensing equipment. However it maybe a white wire but was not coded with tape when it was installed and could very well be a hot conductor.
Unless the switch has a light to indicate the switch is turned on, there is no neutral connection to a single pole switch.
You switch the hot side instead of neutral, because there is a shock hazard otherwise. If a fault caused hot to connect to a metal part on the device, you would get shocked touching the metal part. Sometimes a double pole switch will switch both hot and neutral in special applications. It is never a good idea just to switch neutral.
A single pole switch interrupts only one wire, which must be the live wire. A double pole switch interrupts both the live and the neutral, so it contains two separate switches operated by the same lever. Current practice is to use single-pole switches, to avoid a fault condition which could leave equipment live while switched off.
Answer for USA, Canada and countries running a 60 Hz supply service.The difference between a double pole switch and a single pole switch is the use of the switch in the installation or equipment. A double pole switch is used when the voltage from two circuits has to be broken. An example of this is a 240 volt supply. A single pole switch is used where there is only a single supply voltage that has to be broken.
A DPDT switch is a Double Pole Double Throw switch
Unless the switch has a light to indicate the switch is turned on, there is no neutral connection to a single pole switch.
ICDP Stands For Iron Clad Double Pole. It is also known as Main Switch. It contain two fuse. One is for phase wire and another is for neutral wire.
"Double-pole" refers to the type of switch used to disconnect the cooker from the incoming household electricity supply. Only by using a double-pole switch can the cooker's connections to both the live (or "hot") and neutral supply wires be switched on and off simultaneously.
All that is needed for a three phase installation is a three pole, the neutral is not switched.
You switch the hot side instead of neutral, because there is a shock hazard otherwise. If a fault caused hot to connect to a metal part on the device, you would get shocked touching the metal part. Sometimes a double pole switch will switch both hot and neutral in special applications. It is never a good idea just to switch neutral.
A single pole switch interrupts only one wire, which must be the live wire. A double pole switch interrupts both the live and the neutral, so it contains two separate switches operated by the same lever. Current practice is to use single-pole switches, to avoid a fault condition which could leave equipment live while switched off.
iron clad double pole switch
A Switch on a domestic supply has always got to be on the LIVE part of that circuit. A double pole switch switches both the LIVE and NEUTRAL off together.
Answer for USA, Canada and countries running a 60 Hz supply service.The difference between a double pole switch and a single pole switch is the use of the switch in the installation or equipment. A double pole switch is used when the voltage from two circuits has to be broken. An example of this is a 240 volt supply. A single pole switch is used where there is only a single supply voltage that has to be broken.
4-pole changeover switch connects also the neutral wire. 3-pole changeover switch connects only the 3 live wires.
A DPDT switch is a Double Pole Double Throw switch
For a single throw, double pole switch, each section is wired to the individual items to be controlled. For a double throw double pole (220) set up, both hot wires are run through the switch.