How Do You Troubleshoot an Electrical Switch?

You walk into the room and flip the light switch, but the bulb remains off. As an electrician, discovering the source of the issue is second nature. But what basic steps should a pro follow to properly troubleshoot a faulty switch?

When you’ve seen it all as a seasoned electrician, that dead switch usually points to just a few likely culprits. Read on for a refresher on applying testing fundamentals and spotting common problems and finding the answer to: how to repair an electric switch?

How Do You Test Electrical Switches? Troubleshooting Steps

Here are a few troubleshooting steps to find issues with electrical switches:

Step 1: Inspect All Connections and Wiring

Start switch troubleshooting by verifying tight terminals and wire routing without damage before testing components. Turn off the circuit breaker, then remove the switch from its electrical box to inspect connections and wiring more closely under adequate work light. Re-tighten any loose screw terminals connecting incoming and outgoing wires to the switch itself.

Pay close attention to the continuity of the hot (live, line) and neutral wires leading to and from the switch through visual tracing and gentle tug tests. Similarly check ground connections if present. Ensure insulation isn’t cracked or punctured by debris inside the box, which could create unwanted hot-neutral or hot-ground shorts and trip breakers. Straighten any kinked wires and tidy loose wire splices or connections.

Step 2: Check Voltage Levels Across Switch

After eliminating bad connections, turn the breaker back on and use a multimeter to quantitatively check the voltage levels across different switch poles with it toggled between on and off states. Probe the incoming hot and the connected neutral or ground wire to measure the input voltage reaching the switch that should match your mains rating. Then probe the outgoing hot terminal and neutral/ground to read output voltage on the front end of the lightbulb circuit.

If input voltage measures significantly lower than nominal or drops excessively when the switch connects the output in “on” position, this points to an external wiring fault amiss on the source circuit upstream. Or measure no voltage on the output side with the switch activated indicating the contacts inside the switch itself have likely failed if wiring visually checks out.

Step 3: Identify the Root Cause

So, what are two causes of light switch problems? Here are a few common culprits:

1. Old switches: Components eventually degrade and malfunction over decades of thermal heating/cooling cycles from current and mechanical toggling. Age alone often brings failure.
2. Faulty contacts: Pitting or burning creates high resistance and small arcs upon contact closure, eventually wearing down terminals completely. High current/wattage light bulbs and devices can overheat or weld switch contacts together until they stop toggling properly between on/off states.

Replacement is Key

At some point when switches start becoming finicky and a money pit, replacement restores reliable function. Modern UL-rated spec-grade power switches undergo lifespan, temperature, and reliability testing to handle demands. Design tweaks like bifurcated contacts in IGOTO switches further prevent arc pitting for long dependable service life.

For spec-grade switches built to not fail, check out IGOTO Electric’s line of commercial switches purpose-designed to handle the rigors of any electrical project. Their rigorous quality testing ensures you won’t be getting repeat service calls for failures anytime soon. Flip work switches confidently knowing IGOTO has your back!

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Conclusion

From occasional flickering to fully dead switches or outlets, targeted troubleshooting keeps electrical systems running smoothly. But for true reliability, start with premium switches from trusted electric switch companies like IGOTO Electric. Their rigorously tested products withstand heavy commercial use for extended periods, saving maintenance headaches down the road.