When I turn my lightswitch to the ON position, it will make a kind of buzzing noise. At the same time, there'll be a dim flicker from the usually bright lightbulbs.
What's wrong, and how do I fix this?
Thanks in advance!
2007-09-09 15:03:04 · 10 answers · asked by hsawaknow 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
*UPDATE*
i bought a new lightswitch, exactly as the old one, except for one thing:
apparently, whoever installed the old lightswitch drilled the hole in the lightswitch a little bigger--because the wire was too thick.
the guy at the hardware store said it's okay, and that i could just wrap the wire around the screw, tighten it down, and it'll work all the same.
well, i did what he said, and the light doesn't work.
any thoughts?
2007-09-10 19:17:33 · update #1
You either have a worn out switch or you have a bad connection at the wires and the switch.
Imagine two wires touching, the power flows through and the lights turn on. Now take those two wires and separate them, the power can not flow and the lights turn off. Now do this several times a second and this will cause the lights to flicker. If you do this real fast they will become to buzz.
That is what is happening in your wall switch if you have a loose conection or the wires don't have a tight contact.
Turn off the juice to that circuit, remove the cover plate, remove the switch by the two screw top and bottom, now disconnect the two wire from the back, remove the ground wire which should be bare or green if applicable. Now reinstall a new switch . The two wires that you removed don't have to be installed in any right way as the switch is just a gateway to allow power to flow. Install the ground if applicable. Screw the switch back in the box and reinstall the cover plate.
This works on a single pole switch which means there is only one switch on this circuit. If there are more than one switch on this circuit like in a hallway then it is slightly different.
2007-09-10 07:35:40 · answer #1 · answered by Mr. Ish 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Buzzing light switch—very bad.
Turn off the power at the breaker; remove the switch cover (2 screws) and the switch (2 more screws). Check the connections: are they tight? Tighten them and reinstall the switch to see if that solves the problem. If so, then you’re done, otherwise, change the switch ($2.00 at your local home centre).
If the problem persists after changing the switch, is the fixture buzzing? If not, call a licensed electrician because your problem is more serious.
2007-09-10 12:32:24 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Replace the switch. It is going bad. Do it soon. Turn off the circuit and wire the new the same as the old. Look at how many wires connect to the switch before buying the new one.
2007-09-10 14:32:24 · answer #3 · answered by John himself 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is this a dimmer switch? Are these fluorescent lamps? Did this just start happening? Or did you do something to make this happen?
questions I might ask. Chances are you need to replace the switch. wiggle the toggle from side to side. do you hear crackling then? If so the switch is bad. If not you might just have a loose connection.
Good Luck
2007-09-09 19:11:23 · answer #4 · answered by DaveUSA1 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A little less likely but it could be loose connection to the switch. Might just need tightening.
2007-09-09 15:36:43 · answer #5 · answered by len b 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Switch is going bad. Call electrician to replace.
2007-09-09 15:12:51 · answer #6 · answered by Kris_B 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What's wrong? The firetruck is on it's way.
Replace the switch it's broken.
2007-09-09 15:12:28 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
bad light switch, turn the power off to that section, remove the cover on switch remove switch , replace with new one,
2007-09-09 15:12:26 · answer #8 · answered by William B 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Make sure the fuse is not tripped.
2007-09-13 14:21:21 · answer #9 · answered by Jay Bailey 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
switch is worn; replace it.
2007-09-09 16:46:45 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋