Why doesn't the switch turn off the light when you press a key?

General progress of repair work

If a switch with two buttons is closed, then mark with a felt-tip pen the wire that supplies electricity and is common to both switching modes.

Location of switch screws 5.

Removing mounting screws 6. 7. 8.

Reinstalling the switch

Features of the power supply

To increase the brightness of the glow and minimize lighting ripple, high-capacity capacitors can be installed in the power driver circuit. Even when the power is turned off, there is enough charge left in it to light up the LEDs, but it only lasts for just a few seconds.

Do you know why LED lights stay on when the switch is off? Agree: problems in the functioning of the lighting system will not please anyone. Do you prefer to find the cause of the LEDs on your own without involving an electrician? However, you don’t know where the weak point is?

We will show you how to deal with a difficult problem. The article describes the most common situations that cause lamps to glow after they are turned off. Ways to solve the problem are considered, recommendations are given for choosing a reliable light source from a trusted manufacturer.

The measures we recommend will allow you to avoid a number of difficult situations during the further operation of such devices. The special design of LED lamps guarantees economical electricity consumption and a long service life.

Assembly and installation of the switch

Assembling and installing the switch is done in the reverse order. It is important that all wires are connected correctly.

Installation is carried out in the following order:

• Connecting wires and securing them in the housing;
• Installation and position adjustment, fixation with clips in the socket box;
• Installation of decorative trim;
• Key mount;
• Turn on the voltage and check the functionality of the device.

See below for how to replace the video switch:

Mechanical repair

If something breaks in the mechanics, the problem can only be corrected by replacing the unit. But spare parts for switches are not sold separately. In this case, the donor device will help out. The same applies to the electrical part - the design of the terminals does not always allow cleaning, and in some cases they will need to be replaced. Also, movable and fixed contacts may need to be replaced (in case of melting or serious burning).

The donor device is a source of spare parts for repairs.

In many cases, two faulty switching elements can be made into one.

The device is assembled in the reverse order. Before installation, you must once again check that there is no voltage on the supply wires (it may appear due to unauthorized switching on by others).

Basic troubleshooting methods

Most often, when the device is turned on, the contacts burn out, and here it is recommended to simply clean the contact groups. It is better to do this with a small piece of sandpaper. Sometimes the switch does not work due to loose wire clamping, so it is necessary to check the functionality of the fixing screw.

The heavy operation of the switch, especially with the sliding type of contacts, is due to the fact that there is no lubrication, because of this the contact does not turn on the chain. The presence of melted plastic or crumbled ceramic housing means that the device is completely broken and must be permanently replaced.

Safety precautions

You should always remember that before repairing a switch, socket or other equipment related to the operation of electric current, you should follow safety precautions. First, you need to turn off the power supply at the work site. This can be done using an electrical panel and the corresponding switches in it. Secondly, you should stock up on special tools. Required:

1. Indicator screwdriver or multimeter.
2. Marker.
3. Small fine-grained skin.
4. A regular Phillips screwdriver.
5. Insulating tape.

How to fix a switch: types of devices

If you find out that your switch is not working and decide to fix it, then the device must be disassembled. Before this can be done, the power to the network is completely cut off. To do this, turn off the power at the switchboard automatically, and then check the voltage status at the output.

If you were unable to de-energize the line you needed, then it is best to disconnect the entire apartment from power. Only after this can you begin repairing the switch. But that is not all. Before removing the switch, it is necessary to determine its type.

What could the switch be:

• Single-key;
• Two-key;
• Pass-through, or three-key;
• Spinning;
• Dimmer – switch;
• Touch switch.

Today there is a wide variety of switch models on the market, but most users have conventional key devices.

LED backlit switch as the reason for the lamps blinking

If there are no other ways to get rid of the flickering lamp lamp, you will need to completely turn off the LED or neon lighting on the switch. Let's look at how to do it yourself and what are the main stages of this procedure.

Preparatory stage

For those who have never installed switches or done electrical work, it is recommended that you carefully consider your actions. Pre-requisite:

1. Disconnect the general power supply in the apartment/house from the switchboard switch (by checking its absence with an electrical probe or an indicator screwdriver).
2. Prepare a set of necessary tools (mostly a flat-tip screwdriver).

Advice! The switch with the LED is energized at 220 V. Therefore, before starting work, you need to turn off the power to the network. Many circuits still have plug fuses. You can turn them off by unscrewing them from the shield.

Operating principle of the lighting device

What turns on the light

All LEDs and fluorescent lamps operate on direct current. Therefore, at the beginning of their case, a special driver is installed, which includes two required elements:

Step-by-step instructions for disabling

Instructions on how to turn off the LED in a household switch consist of the following steps:

1. Dismantle the switch or remove the top panel with keys.
2. Having understood the circuit, find the LED and conductors connected to the contacts.
3. Disconnect the indicator from the terminals, using wire cutters if necessary.
4. After making sure that the main conductors and contact points are in good condition, reassemble the switch in the reverse order.

Disassembling and cleaning contacts

If you find that the light switch still works, but is unstable, then, often, the cause of the breakdown is burnt contacts in it. In this case, you should be guided by the following sequence of actions:

1. After turning off the power supply at the breakdown site, you should carefully check the switch a couple of times for the presence/absence of current supply using a multimeter or an indicator screwdriver.
2. After making sure that the mechanism is de-energized, you should carefully disassemble the switch. To do this, first use a screwdriver or other tool to pry the buttons of the mechanism and remove them.
3. Remove the plastic rim of the switch housing and put it away.
4. Check the terminals of the device being dismantled for the presence of current using an indicator screwdriver.
5. In the case of disassembling a two-key switch, you need to use a marker to identify the wire that is common for two types of switching.
6. Next, using a regular screwdriver, you need to loosen the 2 bolts that are located at the edges of the mechanism body, and then remove them from the plastic socket.
7. After this, the bare wires supplying current to the device are cleaned using previously prepared fine-grained sandpaper and wrapped with insulating tape.
8. This completes the repair process.

It is worth noting that if you are not well versed in the repair business, or if this is the first time in your life that you have decided to repair a light switch, arrange the parts of the device during dismantling in the order in which they were disassembled. Or, as an option, take a photo of the step-by-step disassembly of the device, so that after solving the problem, you can calmly and without any hesitation assemble it as needed.

The light in the room does not turn on or off: what to do

If you notice that the light switch is working somehow wrong (it turns on unstable or by itself), then you can assume that the cause of the breakdown lies in burnt out contacts. In this case, after turning off the power supply, it is necessary to check the switch a couple more times at the breakdown site for lack of electricity supply and get to work.

After making sure that the network is de-energized, you should slowly disassemble the switch. To do this, use a screwdriver to pry the keys of the mechanism and remove them. If you have a Soviet switch, then simply unscrew the bolt and remove the box.

Modern switches exist with one, two or even three keys. If they are not removed, the device cannot be disassembled. All elements and fastenings are hidden inside the device. All keys are removed in order of priority. Then, prying it by the edge, we remove the decorative frame pressed against the mechanism and held in place by the latches.

Stages of dismantling the light switch:

• We check whether we have actually turned off the power supply;
• Use a screwdriver to pry up the edge of the button and remove the housing;
• Remove the lid trim;
• Using an indicator, we check that there is no current in the terminals;
• If the switch has two or more buttons, then the common wire should be marked with a marker;
• Unscrew the screws and remove them from the socket box;
• We insulate exposed wires;
• We clean the contacts on which carbon deposits have formed;
• We assemble the device in reverse order.

Our switch has been repaired. Connect everything in the reverse order, turn on the machines and check the operation of the device. When assembling a switch, it sometimes happens that the cover does not want to sit on the base of the switch in any way. In this situation, you need to loosen the bolts that hold the housing a few turns and press the cover tightly into place. Then you should tighten the bolts. If this manipulation does not help, then it is best to simply replace the device. In order not to get confused at the sight of a huge assortment of products in the store, take an old device with you from home.

Many people, faced with such a breakdown, do not hesitate to run to an electrician, since they are completely unfamiliar with the structure of this mechanism and do not know what to do with it and how to fix it. The light switch is actually easy to fix. You just need to get down to business once and figure it out a little. Why does the switch break?

The most common cause of failure is poor contact in the automatic switch assembly, which contains plates that become coated over time due to constant sparking. To return the switch to functionality, just clean the switch contacts. Before you fix the light switch yourself, we recommend reading this article.

Troubleshooting procedure and safety measures

Before you begin repairing light switches in your apartment, it is advisable to thoroughly prepare for this procedure. First of all, you need to stock up on working tools that can be used to repair products of this class. The set includes the following items:

• indicator screwdriver;
• tester (multimeter);
• regular screwdriver;
• side cutters or platypuses.

Disassembling and cleaning contacts

Before you repair the light switch, you will definitely have to disassemble it to the point where the fault is clearly visible. It is recommended to start repairing a broken device in the following order:

1. Completely remove the voltage from the linear branch of the supply line or from the entire apartment at once.
2. Disassemble the switch, for which you first need to remove all the keys.
3. After removing them, the switching mechanism with the rocker arm will be “exposed”, the condition of which is used to judge the nature of the breakdown.

If, even before completely disassembling the device, loose contacts were found in the places where phase conductors are supplied and discharged, they should be tightened firmly, first installing the locknuts.

If at this stage of dismantling it is not possible to detect traces of a malfunction or the damage is too serious, it is best to completely dismantle the device from its installation location.

Before repairing a faulty switch, you will have to unscrew the mounting screws and pull the box with it out as far as the length of the conductors allows. If they are short, the fastening is loosened, and the device itself is taken out of the plastic case (first you remember which of the conductors was connected where).

After removing the device from its installation site and removing it from the box, it will be more convenient to inspect it for damage. During inspection, several types of faults may be detected:

• the axis of fastening the rocker arm has fallen out, which returns to its place and is slightly flattened along the edges with side cutters; after this the key will be pressed normally, without jamming;
• the contacts of the changeover element are slightly burnt from frequent switching, which can be corrected with the help of sandpaper;
• if the contacts are badly burnt out, the moving part of the mechanism will have to be replaced with a new part (from a spare working switch);
• if there is nothing to replace this part with, you will have to buy and install a new device.

After eliminating all detected faults, they begin assembling the repaired device.

Switch assembly

To assemble the switch and install it in its original place, first its body is secured in the mounting box. After this, the dismantled conductors are carefully connected to the contacts, and the screws securing them are tightened with force. Then the plastic cup is installed back into the niche and fixed there with spacer screws. Next, all that remains is to return the decorative panel to its place and install the switch key back.

Repairing 3-key switches or their two-key analogues is no different from the process already described for a single-key switch. In this case, everything will repeat itself, only perhaps on a larger scale. After installation, the device is checked for functionality.

Restoring rotary and touch models

In rotary-type devices, characteristic malfunctions have approximately the same causes and manifestations as in keyboard analogues. In their working mechanism, the closing and breaking contacts also burn out and completely wear out, which is explained by their intensive use. In addition, by analogy with the samples already considered, it is also possible for them to loosen the contacts at the points where the phase conductors are connected.

Practical advice

1. If an old-style switch breaks, you can of course fix it, but there is no point in doing so, because... Every part wears out over time, and in electrical work it is very dangerous to use old switches and sockets, especially if they often break down. Today, even such leading companies as Legrand have inexpensive but reliable products, even with lighting, a chain (cord) or a dimmer.
2. The reason why the contacts on the key switch burn out quickly is because the light bulbs are too powerful. We recommend replacing incandescent lamps with more efficient and at the same time less powerful light sources - LED lamps. In this case, you can forget about repairing the switch for a long time.
3. Before proceeding with complete disassembly of the case, check how well the wires are tightened with screws. You may be able to fix the switch simply by tightening the screws with a screwdriver.
4. In order not to confuse the order of assembly of spare parts of a disassembled case, we recommend using a camera: take photographs of each of the disassembly stages one by one and, if necessary, assemble the structure from the photo.

That's all I wanted to tell you about how to fix a light switch with your own hands. We hope that the provided instructions and photo examples will help you repair a switch that does not turn off or turn on the lighting in the house!

Also read:

• How to disassemble a light switch?
• What is the danger of a broken neutral wire?
• What tools should an electrician have?

Video instructions for assembling the case

Causes of breakdowns

A faulty switch can be determined by the following signs:

• when you press a key or turn a toggle switch, knob, or other actions, the light does not turn on;
• turning on or off operations require multiple repetitions, keys or other elements work with jamming;
• an increase in the temperature of the light switching device housing is felt;
• after the circuit is closed, a crackling sound is heard or the lamp flickers;
• frequent burnout of light bulbs, regardless of their type (incandescent, LED, halogen, etc.);
• when the contacts in the switch close, a crackling sound is produced;
• The device does not connect to the network.

These problems may occur due to the following faults:

1. Destruction of individual elements of the switch or melting of contacts.
2. Violation of integrity and contact in the place of fixation of electrical wiring or terminals.
3. The housing in the contact group is destroyed.
4. The contact group is worn out.

The basic principle of operation of any type of switch is that it closes to turn on the light and opens the contacts to turn it off. However, often in more complex switch configurations, breakdowns can be even minor, which will prevent the luminaire circuit from closing.

Repair of halogen chandeliers

Lighting devices with remote controls often break down. The main signs of failure of such chandeliers:

• despite transmitting a signal from the remote control, the lamps do not light up;
• Some modes do not function, the chandelier switches off spontaneously;
• the same modes do not work when controlled from the remote control, but function when switched manually;
• flickering occurs that is not caused by any human action, and spontaneous switching between modes occurs.

The listed problems are the most common, but a combination of several of them is rare. Typically 1 or 2 components of a remote control chandelier need to be replaced.

The search for a problem in a lamp with a remote control begins with checking the batteries. If new ones are installed, but the chandelier still does not work, the next possible cause of the malfunction is the controller.

Different groups of lamps are most often connected in separate blocks. These elements are connected using a controller. A common situation is that it launches only some modules of the device. In this case, it will need to be replaced.

It happens that the light does not turn on either using the remote control or when pressing the switch. In this case, you should pay attention to the number of non-working components. One lamp may burn out. However, when all the bulbs do not work, the likely problem is in the electronic transformer. This element is replaced with a new one, while working with clean gloves.

Restoring rotary and touch models

Touch switches must be repaired in specialized workshops. In rotary-type devices, characteristic malfunctions have approximately the same causes and manifestations as in keyboard analogues. In their working mechanism, the closing and breaking contacts also burn out and completely wear out, which is explained by their intensive use. In addition, by analogy with the samples already considered, it is also possible for them to loosen the contacts at the points where the phase conductors are connected.

Restoring switches of this class is similar to the approach already discussed for key products. Difficulties arise when the cam mechanism breaks down, which is unlikely to be repaired manually. In this case, experts advise completely replacing the device with a new product.

Touch switches at home cannot be repaired. Due to the complexity of the design of the dimmer device, their restoration is possible only in specialized workshops.

Operating principle of the equipment

Specific circuits of LED devices produced by different manufacturers may differ significantly from each other. However, they are all based on a general operating principle, which can be schematically depicted as follows.

When you turn on an LED lamp connected to the mains, a chaotic movement of electrons begins inside the cylinder. Colliding with each other and holes in the region of the pn junction - the contact of two semiconductors with different types of conductivity - the particles are converted into photons, due to which light radiation occurs.

To optimize the process, additional devices can also be used, for example, different types of resistors or current-limiting elements.

Repairing a switch in a refrigerator

There can be many reasons why the light in the refrigerator does not light:

• Failure of the thermostat that supplies a special contact to the light bulb. This device cannot be repaired, so it will have to be replaced with a new one.
• The button that is moved to the on position by pressing the refrigerator door does not work or “sinks.” It is necessary to check its operation and the possibility of repair.
• It is also necessary to check whether the light bulb has burnt out. It may not be installed tightly enough, or it may be inserted in such a way that its contacts periodically move away. At one time I was unable to go to college due to health reasons, then I got tired of it and never received any specialty. But I really want to succeed in this life, build a career and develop in the profession, so I started looking for where to get a diploma in Moscow without risk. Having found the company, I was a little confused and doubtful. But after talking with the managers, all fears disappeared. They guaranteed complete anonymity and assured that the diploma was identical to the original. After collaborating with them, I was convinced of this. In order to make sure of this, you just need to swing the light bulb in different directions and if it starts to flicker, you just need to replace the socket.
• It would be a good idea to make sure that the refrigerator is working at all, whether it is connected to the mains or has simply broken down for various reasons.

The reason may also be due to other breakdowns:

• electronics fail;
• The magnetic switch does not work;
• any problems with the wiring inside the device.

Wiring problems can occur when water gets into the light bulb socket, often causing the wires to burn out. Often, increased condensation formation can damage the entire wiring. This “disease” mainly affects inexpensive models from little-known manufacturers.

Lever-type switch, used in most modern models of refrigerators of famous brands

If it is discovered that the problem lies with the switch, you need to find it inside the refrigeration unit. As a rule, in most models the switch is located in the upper inner part of the case and looks like an elongated lever pressed by the door. There is a corresponding protrusion on the door for reliable pressing.

If the switch malfunctions, the most that can be done on your own is to alternately press and release the button several times.

Illuminated switch

The most common reason for a lamp to glow after being turned off is backlit switches.

Inside such a switch there is an LED with a current-limiting resistor. The LED lamp glows dimly when the light is turned off, because even when the main contact is turned off, voltage continues to flow through them.

Why does an LED lamp burn at full heat and not at full power ? Thanks to the limiting resistor, the current flowing through the electrical circuit is extremely insignificant and insufficient to light an incandescent electric lamp or ignite fluorescent lamps.

The power consumption of LEDs is tens of times lower than the same parameters of an ordinary incandescent lamp. But even a small current flowing through the backlight diode is sufficient for the LEDs in the lamp to glow weakly.

There can be two lighting options. Either the LED lamp lights up continuously after turning off, which means that sufficient current flows through the LED backlight of the switch, or the light flashes periodically. This usually happens if the current flowing through the circuit is too small to cause a constant glow, but it recharges the smoothing capacitor in the power supply circuit.

When sufficient voltage gradually accumulates on the capacitor, the stabilizer chip is triggered and the lamp flashes for a moment. Such blinking must be definitely combated, no matter where the lamp is located.

In this operating mode, the lifespan of the power board components will be significantly reduced, since even the microcircuit does not have an infinite number of operation cycles.

There are several ways to eliminate the situation when the LED light is on when the switch is off.

The simplest is to remove it from the backlight switch. To do this, we disassemble the housing and unscrew or bite off with wire cutters the wire going to the resistor and LED. You can replace the switch with another one, but without such a useful function.

Another option would be to solder a shunt resistor in parallel with the lamp. According to the parameters, it should be designed for 2-4 W and have a resistance of no more than 50 kOhm. Then the current will flow through it, and not through the power driver of the lamp itself.

You can purchase such a resistor at any radio store. Installing the resistor is not difficult. It is enough to remove the lampshade and fix the resistance legs in the terminal block for connecting the network wires.

If you are not particularly friendly with electricians and are afraid to “interfere” with the wiring yourself, another way to “fight” backlit switches can be to install a regular incandescent lamp in the chandelier. When turned off, its spiral will act as a shunt resistor. But this method is only possible if the chandelier has several sockets.

Expert opinion

Viktor Pavlovich Strebizh, lighting and electrical expert

Any questions ask me, I will help!

But if the presence of lighting is important and there is a pass-through switch in the pantry, then you can eliminate the flickering of the lamp with its help. If there is something you don’t understand, write to me!

Repair of other types of switches

The dismantling and repair of a switch with two keys is discussed above. Single-key and three-key devices have a similar structure, so after reading the step-by-step instructions, there should be no problems with their restoration. It can be seen that the one-key switch shown in the figure differs from the two-key switch only in the combined (rather than separate) movable strip for attaching decorative overlays. And he understands it exactly the same way.

Single-key device design.

You just need to keep in mind that the design of the devices may differ slightly from manufacturer to manufacturer. But there are other types of household switching elements.

Repair of a chandelier with a remote control: breakdowns and their repair

• The maximum permissible voltage must be at least twice the value in the network, that is, 440 V. 630 V capacitors are suitable for these purposes.
• If this could not be found, a 400 V capacitance will also do, but it should be connected according to a circuit with one series and additional shunt resistance in accordance with the following circuit.

Useful tips Connection diagrams Principles of operation of devices Main concepts Meters from Energomer Precautions Incandescent lamps Video instructions for the master Testing with a multimeter

Batch switch repair

In rooms with lighting from many lamps it is difficult to use key switches. Package devices that connect lighting in parts are designed for this purpose. Due to the load, devices break down and require replacement, but more often you can repair or install spare parts.

Batch switch repair stages:

1. Turn off the power to the lighting board.
2. Use a tester to check the absence of voltage on the cable cores.
3. Disconnect the wires, remove damage, and isolate exposed areas.
4. Remove the package switch housing, check the contacts, clean carbon deposits and oxides.
5. Replace damaged springs, fixing petals and handles with new ones.
6. Measure the moving contacts; if the thickness is less than 20% of the initial thickness, replace them.
7. Mount the packet switch in the reverse order and connect to the wires.

After completing the repair, check the resistance between the live wire and the device body with an ohmmeter; a value of 50 MOhm is allowed. Check the fixation of the handle by moving it to the appropriate positions.

If you do the work yourself at least once, you can gain experience on how to repair a light switch if it fails. To facilitate assembly, photograph the dismantling stages and mark the contact wires and clamps with a colored marker.

Video

Video about the procedure for disassembling the switch and its internal structure:

If at one point you notice that the light switch in the room does not work or turns off the lighting every once in a while, you should not immediately go and buy a new one. The design of the product is not complicated and most often the cause of failure is burnt contacts that just need to be cleaned. Next, we will look in detail at how to repair a light switch with your own hands, and also tell you why this type of breakdown can occur.

Pros and cons of LEDs

Such products have gained popularity among the population due to a number of positive qualities. Their main advantage is their efficiency: the lamps have a long service life, which is confirmed by a three-year warranty. In addition, they require a minimal amount of energy to function.

Environmental safety is also an important advantage. LED devices do not emit ultraviolet waves, which can harm living organisms. They are designed without hazardous materials, making them easy to dispose of.