Last night i turned off my decora switch in the dark and i saw the switch light up with a spark inside.
Wall light switch sparks.
Why you may see a spark in your wall switch and what to do about it.
Halloween decorations but i have noticed this over the years on different switches in different house.
One day you flip a light switch and notice a lovely popping sound.
Electrical loads of light fixtures and switches.
Diagnosing light switch problems.
But if the sparking causes smoking or if you notice scorch marks on the cover plate or switch toggle then it is definitely time to replace the switch.
The pop might even be accompanied by a brief blue flash of light from within the switch.
If the light switch isn t.
That said a large spark or a spark that makes an audible noise can indicate a faulty light switch.
Why does a wall light switch sometimes have a little spark on the inside as you turn the switch off.
But before you replace it you need to determine whether it is the light switch that is faulty or if the wiring is the problem.
The one i just turned off is a light switch that controls power to a socket on the outside of the house.
This can happen due to age and the amount of wear and tear the light switch experienced as a result of repeated use.
A light switch is inexpensive and has small parts entirely contained inside a plastic casing so if the switch is bad the best option is to replace it.
The occurrence of a visual spark from inside a light switch is most likely an indication that the light switch is beginning to wear out which may be due to a large electrical circuit load that is passing through the light switch.
Wiring was good and not ancient.
In this case you ll just need to have the light switch replaced.