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Lindyloo
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10-02-2017, 06:11 PM
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Changing a wall light switch

I just went to turn on the light in my lounge and the switch started sizzling. So tomorrow I intend to buy another switch and have a go at wiring it in. I'm totally useless at everything electrical - can anyone direct me to some idiot instructions please?

The current switch is a double but actually only works for one light (no idea about another light), so I thought I'd just buy a one switch switch!
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10-02-2017, 06:41 PM
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Re: Changing a wall light switch

might not be as easy as you think , our double needed changing and after several attempts we had to get a electrician friend in to do it .
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Lindyloo
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10-02-2017, 06:52 PM
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Re: Changing a wall light switch

I've just remembered that I have an old DIY book here and it has some blurb on changing wall switches, even a two-way switch wired for one light!
However - it says to turn off the power and remove the fuse before taking off the face plate. Are they talking about taking the circuit breaker out of the main fuse box?
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10-02-2017, 06:54 PM
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Re: Changing a wall light switch

ours was a double dimmer we were changing back to a plain double , the set up and coloured wires were differant ..

yes we isolated the down stairs wiring by flicking the circuit breaker in fuse box off
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10-02-2017, 07:04 PM
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Re: Changing a wall light switch

Lighting circuits can be quite complicated, and if you don't even know which switch to buy (as there is a lot more to it than 1 2 or 3 actual switches), then get an electrician to do it. Damned dangerous stuff for the novice and saving a few quid certainly isn't worth burning the house down for...
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10-02-2017, 07:06 PM
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Re: Changing a wall light switch

Originally Posted by Barry ->
Lighting circuits can be quite complicated, and if you don't even know which switch to buy (as there is a lot more to it than 1 2 or 3 actual switches), then get an electrician to do it. Damned dangerous stuff for the novice and saving a few quid certainly isn't worth burning the house down for...

I agree with this wish we had the electrician in , in the first instance .
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10-02-2017, 07:13 PM
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Re: Changing a wall light switch

Originally Posted by Barry ->
Lighting circuits can be quite complicated, and if you don't even know which switch to buy (as there is a lot more to it than 1 2 or 3 actual switches), then get an electrician to do it. Damned dangerous stuff for the novice and saving a few quid certainly isn't worth burning the house down for...
Hmmm - I do understand the sentiment, but it could take days and days to get an electrician in and it's something I'd like to see if I can do. If I don't succeed straight away, I'll call half a dozen electricians and hope one turns up!
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10-02-2017, 07:58 PM
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Re: Changing a wall light switch

With lighting, it's difficult to advise, unless you have owned the house from the start, you don't know if someone else has had a go at it.
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10-02-2017, 08:05 PM
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Re: Changing a wall light switch

Do NOT do it yourself.
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10-02-2017, 09:06 PM
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Re: Changing a wall light switch

It could be quite simple, depending on the way it is wired at the moment.

To be safe, switch off the circuit breaker (no need to take it out!) or, better still, switch off the main switch and make sure there is no power at all in the house.

Then unscrew the light switch and take a clear photograph of what's behind, specifically the back of the switch with wires attached of course.

Post it here, and if it looks correctly wired, I can probably help.

Changing a correctly wired light switch is simple, but if you are at all uncertain get in an electrician. It will probably be a quick and cheap job.

BTW, the switch 'sizzling' probably indicates a loose connection of one of the wires to the terminal in the switch, but it could be the switch that is faulty.
 
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