Light Switch: After fifty-nine years, the three-way light switch in the dining room is getting iffy. Getting one from Amazon would take too long, so I looked at what Lowe's has to...

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

After fifty-nine years, the three-way light switch in the dining room is getting iffy. Getting one from Amazon would take too long, so I looked at what Lowe's has to offer. Eaton - $2.52 or $5.46 "For heavy-duty use areas." I wonder how many people decide to save money on a switch that transfers 110 volts within their wall. It would be like saving money on a parachute or a fire extinguisher. I never try to save money on things that could cause my death.

I emptied the dining room hutch, which was loaded with all sorts of stuff I don't need. Now that it's empty, I can slide it out from the wall and get access to that switch. As it is now, there is almost enough room to remove the switch.

Trivia question: Why do light switches snap when you turn them on and off, instead of moving smoothly?

pumakat

Some sort of spring inside.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

The OLD switches had a rocker and spring in them to keep the switch locked in place (CLUNK). The newer silent ones do not have that mechanism.

I never get the dollar-two-ninety-eight replacement switches or outlets, I get good ones.....

marine73 Loc: Modesto California

So you can hear the contacts complete the circuit to turn on the light and open the contacts to turn off the or close the circuit

BebuLamar

I do not think the cheap one would kill you but I won't buy the cheap one though.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

BebuLamar wrote:

I do not think the cheap one would kill you but I won't buy the cheap one though.

They simply won't last as long.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Longshadow wrote:

The OLD switches had a rocker and spring in them to keep the switch locked in place (CLUNK). The newer silent ones do not have that mechanism.

I never get the dollar-two-ninety-eight replacement switches or outlets, I get good ones.....

The switch has that spring so the contact will be made very quickly. If the switch moved slowly, there would be significant arching, something you don't want in an electric device. A fast "make-or-break" is essential.

This guy is interesting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrMiqEkSk48

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

BebuLamar wrote:

I do not think the cheap one would kill you but I won't buy the cheap one though.

Didn't you ever see this on a tombstone?

He Didn't Think
The Cheap One
Would Kill Him

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

I paid $1.02 at Home Depot for a replacement bathroom wall switch just two days ago. It looked exactly the same as the faulty switch.
Should I worry?

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Kmgw9v wrote:

I paid $1.02 at Home Depot for a replacement bathroom wall switch just two days ago. It looked exactly the same as the faulty switch.
Should I worry?

Nah.
You just might have to replace it again in maybe 3-5 years, high traffic area....
Still UL approved.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

jerryc41 wrote:

The switch has that spring so the contact will be made very quickly. If the switch moved slowly, there would be significant arching, something you don't want in an electric device. A fast "make-or-break" is essential.

This guy is interesting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrMiqEkSk48

Yup. Depending on the load. The larger the load, the bigger the zzzort.
If one moves a silent switch very, very slowly one can hear the zzzort.
And of course they will zzzort more with age as the arcing slowly eats the contacts.

aphelps Loc: Central Ohio

Kmgw9v wrote:

I paid $1.02 at Home Depot for a replacement bathroom wall switch just two days ago. It looked exactly the same as the faulty switch.
Should I worry?

Looks from the outside don't tell you much. The contacts will last longer on some of the more costly switches. It depends on the load (in rush currents) and frequency of use. Should you worry? Only if you are selling your house.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

aphelps wrote:

Looks from the outside don't tell you much. The contacts will last longer on some of the more costly switches. It depends on the load (in rush currents) and frequency of use. ...

Exactly.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Longshadow wrote:

Nah.
You just might have to replace it again in maybe 3-5 years, high traffic area....
Still UL approved.

This switch doesn't even qualify as low use. The few times I do turn on those lights, I tend to use the dimming switch on the other wall.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

jerryc41 wrote:

This switch doesn't even qualify as low use. The few times I do turn on those lights, I tend to use the dimming switch on the other wall.

I can replace a $1 switch five times as opposed to a $5 switch once.(same expenditure)
I just don't want to be bothered with doing so...

Kinda like buying "good" camera batteries, memory cards, etc...
If one buys a $90 OEM battery for their camera because they are the "best", why not buy a $5 switch for the house?
Oh, wait, the camera is more important....