switches

i had to replace a switch in my switch box cuz it got sat on. i was looking at the new replacement and the old ones and it says they are ac volts. why are they using ac switches instead of dc ones? my thought is that they are tougher and thats all i could think of.

all hydro / airride switches use dc for power... the only difference between a regular on/off switch is that when you use it for hydros/bags they are momentary on/off switches...but ac switches are alternating current... like a switch for an actuator or a power window switch.
for example:
up : red black
down : black red
all it does is swap the sides of the switch positive to negative and then negative to positive.
might sound a little confusing but its not... its easy once youfigure it out.

o ok ya i kinda get what your saying

Almost...most switches are rated at a current and voltage limit. Whaever that particular switch has written on it is the max it can take reliably. For instance you might have a switch that says 30A @ 250vac. This is what UL (Underwriters Lab) or equivelent testing house rates the switch.