Light switches wearing out.

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I've had several light switches wear out. These are the standard recessed wall mount toggle switches found in most everyone's house. What happens is eventually they get to where you flip the toggle and the light doesn't go out or the light will flash if you wiggle the toggle while it's in the off position. Also have some switches where the toggle may stop halfway acoss its throw (it can go all the way, but is a bit stiff so when you are in a hurry it may only go halfway) but the light does go out.

Question: Is either of these situations a potential fire hazard.
 
Replace em'. If you can change oil, you can replace an outlet or light switch. Just don't electrocute yourself!

The real question is, what brand would be considered the PP of wall switches? Extended wear protection against stop and go kids!
 
The broken/jammed parts can or are arcing inside the switch itself. It is possible for them to get into the recpticle box and the wiring. If wearout is common may try commercial rated units, should last lomger. That banana is acting a little fruity please tell it to stop.
 
I also get pull chain lights that wear out. Yes, I'll change out the switch. Easy enough to do. Right, turn off the breaker first.

The banana drank Valvoline and now feels 4 times better.
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I've seen light switches that were broken. The front completely separated from the back. They still worked, sorta, but when you removed them they came out in two pieces..
 
I'll have to do a calculation on how long you have to be leaving a room before the energy savings of turning the lights of as you leave outweighs the cost of wearing out the switch a bit. It's longer, now that CF bulbs are in use, since they use less energy and suffer more wear per on/off cycle.
 
Yeah, go for the "Spec Grade" switches, they do cost more but are well worth it in the long run. Somewhere on the switch (usually the yoke) it will be stamped "FED. SPEC. W-S-896". Their bodies tend to be a little larger than the flimsy 39-cent jobs they try to pawn off as switches, so it could be a little tight if the box has quite a few wires in it.

They are very much worth the small additional cost IMO.

FWIW, I picked up a BUNCH of spec-grade switches on eBay real cheap a few years ago...
 
The worn out switch is a Cooper. I ordered a Levitron, which I understand is the same company, as in Peerless faucets are same company as Delta faucets. Why did I order, because it's a 20 amp stack switch (two switches). Why 20 amp for a light, because the other switch on this stack handles a bathroom heater that draws 15 amps and occasionally kicks the 15 amp breaker. It had a 20 amp breaker and is wired #12 wire, but I found melted insulation on the wire by the old switch I replaced in 2002, so figured the 15 amp breaker was a better deal for safety. It's overkill and the 20 amp switch is $20, but I want to be anally safe.

Oh and this was a professional electrical supply place, Home Depot does not carry this switch. I mentioned the worn out condition of the switch and my concern for possible fire hazard and the counter guy said it won't start a fire as it will kick the breaker, that's why there is a breaker. I said, but what if it gets in a position of contact that is a poor contact, won't that create resistance and generate heat. He again said, no it's either on or off, it doesn't work that way. Though he talked with an air of knowing what he was talking about, I think he is misinformed. Yeah, if it gets a poor contact and generates resistance, it will kick the breaker, but not until it reaches 15 amps and I can toast a lot of loaves of bread with a high resistance toaster and never kick a breaker, so he must be wrong. And the fact that wires in there before 2002 had melted insulation also shows the fire hazard situation. In theory, it will kick the breaker, but in practice it may not get to the 15 amps needed to kick it.

I could stick two naile in an outlet, shorting it with my body and the electrical system will think I am a toaster and fry my keester, not kick the breaker or if the breaker kicks it will be after significant damage is done. Even a GFCI would not help if you stick two nails in the outlet, else GFCIs would kick on toasters.

I think I know a little bit about household electricity. It's electronics where I plead total ignorance and bafflement.

Whew!
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Hopefully the interim arcing position happens when a human is trying to operate the switch, and they know to back off when they smell ozone or smoke. IOW it won't suddenly transition to half-arcing after hours of just sitting there in either position. 'sides, that's why these things are in fire-resistant boxes.
 
leviton is not the same company as cooper, both make junk and high quality parts. trust the electrical supply guy as much as you would trust the auto parts counter guy to give repair advice.

buy spec. grade as a minimum and they'll last a long time.

I don't think it would cause a fire.
 
I have never had a wall switch 'wear out'; I have only ever used 39cent Home Depot 15A switches in my house, some have to be more than 12 yrs installed. I can't imagine how many times you would have to flip one on and off to get it to fail.
bulbs on the other hand...
 
I have replaced the pull chain light in the laundry several times, and a couple others once each.

I replaced a lot of the light switches in the house (built 1950) as the originals seemed gummed up, that is they didn't flip freely.
 
The one I just replaced early this week in the laundry already seems to be having problems. I plan to put a switch on it someday, but wife is very resistant to change.
 
I will soon be replacing several toggle switches with motion detector switches. I have two kids that can't muster up the energy to turn them off and I'm tired of paying for the energy that keeps the lights on.
 
Originally Posted By: drivewaytech
I will soon be replacing several toggle switches with motion detector switches. I have two kids that can't muster up the energy to turn them off and I'm tired of paying for the energy that keeps the lights on.

just take the bulbs out of their rooms.
 
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