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Why Does My Safety Outlet Switch Seem to Work Backwards?

Sometimes a safety outlet switch may act opposite from what you’d expect. Don’t worry—it’s usually easy to pinpoint why and get it corrected.

Step 1: Identify Which Type of Switch You Have

Docking Drawer Safety Switches come in two versions:

Magnetic Switch – consists of a small magnet and a round reed switch inside a black cylinder.
Corner Switch – features a corner housing with a plunger that gets pressed when a door closes.

Step 2: Troubleshooting

For Magnetic Switches

If your magnetic switch seems to work in reverse, start here:

1. Make note of your part number found on the item packaging. It will look like one of these:

0290-6120B67
0290-6120B67-NO
6120-2002B
6120-2002B-NO

2. Inspect the cylinder itself (the black reed switch). Look closely for a small item number, which should be one of these:

BR-1015A = Magnet closes the switch (Normally Closed, NC)
BR-1015 = Magnet opens the switch (Normally Open, NO)

3. Confirm you received the correct type. For example, if you ordered NC but the reed switch body says NO, the behavior will appear backwards.

➡️ If you received the wrong style, please reach out to our team at (866) 806-7228 or sales@dockingdrawer.com so we can arrange a replacement.

For Corner Switches

If your plunger-style corner switch seems to work in reverse, it almost always means the wrong version was shipped. Since there are no markings on these switches to distinguish NC from NO, the best next step is to contact our support team for a replacement.

Why You Can’t Just “Flip” the Switch

Switches are built in two set states: Normally Open (NO) or Normally Closed (NC). Changing states requires a 3-wire design, but Docking Drawer uses a safer 2-wire setup. Because of this, the state is fixed during manufacturing and can’t be changed in the field.

👉 Quick Summary

If your switch is working in reverse:

Note the part number from the packaging and switch body.
Compare it to what you actually ordered.
If there’s a mismatch, contact Docking Drawer and we’ll ship the correct replacement.

📞 Phone: (866) 806-7228
📧 Email: sales@dockingdrawer.com