Broken Light Switch

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1) What can cause my light switch to break?

There are a number of ways in which a light switch can break. The internal parts can fail and fall apart causing the switch to break. 

There are several moving parts inside a light switch and each of these is carefully manufactured and held together. The switch part itself can become loose and crack, this can eventually cause the switch part to detach from the switch front and expose live parts of the electrical installation.

The wiring at the back of the light switch can overheat and melt not only its insulation but the plastic parts of the switch. This can affect the mechanical operation of the switch and its safety. A BROKEN LIGHT SWITCH is a potential danger and can often only be replaced not repaired.

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2) When should light switches be replaced?

Every light switch, socket or other electrical accessory in your homes wiring system has been designed to offer maintenance free service for several years. When components become old, they become brittle and prone to failure, moving parts will wear and create spongy feeling switches, loose wiring will cause crackling sounds, melting and damage to switches and other electrical accessories. 

Whilst light switches will last a long time there are some signs that we should look for that indicate they may need to be replaced.

• Spongy feeling switches
• Loose feeling switches
• Switches that have to be forced on and off or require a lot more pressure than normal to operate
• Cracked switches
• Discoloured switches

As well as the above, if your electrical switches are over 25 years old then it may be sensible to replace them. Some electrical accessories can go on beyond this age and provide safe continued service but many will be showing signs of ageing by this age. If in any doubt we are happy to have a chat with you.

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3) How long should pull cord light switches last?

Pull cord light switches tend to fail long before a typical wall switch will fail. These types of switches tend to have a greater force exerted upon them by the users of the electrical installation. If the cord has not snapped a few times then you have been doing well!! 

Every manufacturer will guarantee their products for 1 or 2 years and this means that they have absolute confidence that the switch will last at least this long if not a bit longer.

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4) The light switch still turns on and off but the light doesn’t?

This will mean that the light switch is no longer mechanically connected to the inner workings of the switch. The internal connections appear permanently connected. Alternatively, if the switch has been replaced recently this can occur if the wiring has been carried out incorrectly at the terminals in the rear of the switch. 

Wiring faults in light switches are very common when unskilled persons change their light switches. This can result in incorrect cable being connected to incorrect terminals and there is then a mess for an electrician to correct. 

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5) The light switch crackles and pops

This noise is never good when heard from something electrical. If your switch is crackling and popping then there is a big problem and this needs the attention of an electrician immediately. These types of sounds are typical of little electrical explosions where live parts are touching earthed parts causing large fault currents to flow. This can cause damage to the wiring, the consumer unit and the electrical accessories if not resolved quickly. 

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6) The light switch does not always turn the light on or the light goes off after a while?

This sounds like it may be loose connections in the switch itself or at the wiring in the terminals at the rear of the switch. This type of intermittent operation of anything electrical indicates that there is a connection issue somewhere. This type of issue can be down to a worn switch if, for example, the internal workings are completely worn out and barely making contact. More likely tends to be that the wiring in the rear of the switch is loose and barely making contact.

There could also be wiring issues at the pendant / light fitting in the ceiling position. A qualified electrician should come and check to see what the issues are and how they can be solved safely. 

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7) The light switch is hanging off the wall and won’t screw back

The light switch is nearly always installed into some kind of box that sits in the wall. The box will normally have two lugs that screws fit in to. These lugs can become damaged and cause a problem meaning that the light switch will not sit correctly. These lugs can often be repaired although sometimes the box itself needs to be replaced. If your light switch is hanging off the wall then it may not be BROKEN LIGHT SWITCH it may simply be that the box behind needs replacing or some minor repairs carrying out to ensure it can be rescued safely. 

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8) The light switch does not appear to work at all?

If the light switch has been working fine and does not feel spongy, loose and none of the other symptoms in the list above are there then it is possible that there is a power supply problem to the light switch. Check the other switches around the house and see if any others are affected. If other lights are affected then you may need to check the consumer unit / fuse box to see if something has tripped off? 

If you are unsure what to do then give us a call and we will happily come and find the problem for you. 

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