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| Too soon old, too late smart |
Light bar stopped illuminating a couple of days ago. None of the bulbs came on. The light bar is a collection of incandescent bulbs so no fluorescent ballast or starter problem. I had decided to start looking for a short until my wife flicked the switch on a minute ago and the lights came on. Now, it works every time. I’ll tighten all the connections and maybe replace the switch, but in the meantime, has anyone ever seen a light switch having so much wear as to start working sporadically? | ||
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| Member |
Yes, they can wear out just like anything else. Usually they have less resistance when you move the switch when they go bad. | |||
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| Member |
Absolutely! The builder grade switches that are typically installed cost less than a dollar. Put a few thousand cycles on them and they are bound to fail. | |||
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| Too soon old, too late smart |
I’d feel better if it just stopped working, but now it’s working perfectly. Maybe it’s time to karma off this very rare ‘self healing’ light switch.  | |||
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| I believe in the principle of Due Process  |
Either that or the curse of electronics, the dreaded intermittent! Luckily, I have enough willpower to control the driving ambition that rages within me. When you had the votes, we did things your way. Now, we have the votes and you will be doing things our way. This lesson in political reality from Lyndon B. Johnson "Some things are apparent. Where government moves in, community retreats, civil society disintegrates and our ability to control our own destiny atrophies. The result is: families under siege; war in the streets; unapologetic expropriation of property; the precipitous decline of the rule of law; the rapid rise of corruption; the loss of civility and the triumph of deceit. The result is a debased, debauched culture which finds moral depravity entertaining and virtue contemptible." - Justice Janice Rogers Brown | |||
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| Member |
I had to laugh when you said the wife flicked the switch on and the lights came on. My first thought was well no shit Sherlock!! You may find that it is the type switch with push in connectors and those can work loose especially when jamming the wires back in the box. | |||
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Ammoholic |
I'm horrible at troubleshooting things that work. I'd pick up a switch, wait til it goes out again, remove switch with power on. If lights turn on while manipulating wires/switch, kill power and replace it. If not check connections on fixture. Jesse Sic Semper Tyrannis | |||
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| Member |
It is very likely the switch or the the connections in the switch box. I would go ahead and turn power off, replace the $1.50 switch and check all the other wire nut connections in the box then see if the problem reoccurs. Playing with the switch with power on with possible loose connections or defective contacts is not a great idea. Leaving a possibly defective switch in place while statistically maybe ok would make me nervous about possible arcing and fire. | |||
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| Ammoholic |
You'd hate my job, I do it every day. The only way to be sure is Since it's a light switch and can be turned off there is no danger in waiting til it happens again, just don't leave switch on when not home or in the room. It will not do any harm to just replace the switch and see what happens. Jesse Sic Semper Tyrannis | |||
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| Member |
It might have poke and stab connections and one is loose. I'd change it ASAP. | |||
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God will always provide |
I also have seen infestations of tiny ants clog up the internal contacts. | |||
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Delusions of Adequacy |
I pulled a kitchen switch to replace it because it was doing the same thing, and found one of the ground wires had come loose. Easy fix. I have my own style of humor. I call it Snarkasm. | |||
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Member |
Light switch problem? Ok, here goes: 3 light switches on the first floor. One turns on a light on the third floor, the other two are dummies. You are allowed ONE trip to the third floor. How do you find out which switch works? | |||
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Still finding my way |
Flip all three then go up. | |||
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Member |
Break out the trusty old Fluke meter. No trip to the 3rd floor required. ——————————————— The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Psalm 14:1 | |||
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| Page late and a dollar short |
Get a adapter that changes a screw in light bulb fixture into a two prong plug. Now get a AC powered radio and plug it in, turn it on loud. Go flick the switch, there you are, audio circuit tester........ -------------------------------------—————— ————————--Ignorance is a powerful tool if applied at the right time, even, usually, surpassing knowledge(E.J.Potter, A.K.A. The Michigan Madman) | |||
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| Member |
Nope and nope. This was a puzzler on Car Talk with Click & Clack decades ago. Think outside the box and try again. | |||
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semi-reformed sailor |
it has to do with feeling the bulb after one of the switches is in the on position...if the bulb was warm then the number "x" switch is the good one...but I cant remember the rest of the solution. "Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than has any other factor.” Robert A. Heinlein “You may beat me, but you will never win.” sigmonkey-2020 “A single round of buckshot to the torso almost always results in an immediate change of behavior.” Chris Baker | |||
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| Member |
Winner winner chicken dinner! 1) assume all switches are off. 2) turn on 2 switches, leave on for about 5 minutes. 3) turn 1 switch off. 4) run up to the third floor and observe light in question. The light will be either: A) on B) off C) off and cold D) off and hot | |||
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| Member |
OK. You don't want to play the game. I get it. I tried to make it short. In the original, Clack tries out all sorts of scenarios: examining and testing the wiring, radio sound, assistant on the 3rd floor, checking for light outside after dark. All were disallowed by Click. BTW, I couldn't solve it, but my teenage son got it right away. | |||
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