one day the switch to the light & fan did nothing until I push it off & on & off it turned on everything. then today sparks come out of the switch. replace switch?
One danger of a sparking switch is that it will generate heat and start to burn the plastic on the fitting - this will form carbon which is a conductor of electricity and could lead path for a sock.
A spark is normally a small speck of metal which is on fire such as from a grinder working away on iron. Electrical discharges do not jump very far and in the case of 240 volt ac mains this produces a peak voltage of approximately 350 volts which will jump only a mm or so in dry air as the current is switched ... it is also possible that the current is switched as the voltage passes thro' a polarity change (reversing current direction) when no spark will occur as the switch is opened.
To check on sparking hold a portable radio near the switch as you operate it and listen for the buzz.
best wishes Nyge C, March 2011
and one more thing,all switches spark,its just that you dont normaly see them,that is why the gas people say if you smell gas,do not turn off your lights if they are on, or turn them on if they are off,
MM, March 2011
turn of power,unscrew the switch,check if any wire has come loose,if none are,then replace the switch.
MM, March 2011
What a stupid question of course if the ....y switch is seriously fault if it's sparking, change it before it arcs and give you a shock or causes a fire through overheating.
