Switches do fall apart inside - fuses blow - sockets go bad - cable gets damaged - motors burn out and thermal trips fail... If the switch feels different and unusual then it may well be defective.
If you can access the switch connections easily - you do not say the equipment type, make or model - you might consider bypassing the switch - hard-wiring around it and using the wall socket switch for control - as a diagnostic test - then you'll know.
Good luck...
Peccavi, August 2010
