3-way switch problem

10 years ago

At each end of our kitchen there is a 3-way switch. They worked correctly when installed ~ 5 years ago, but not too long ago they stopped working correctly. This past weekend I turned off the breaker, and pulled the two switches out expecting one of the wires to be loose, but instead found that one of the switches had failed internally so that common to one leg is always open.

It was an easy fix considering that I had another 3-way switch on hand, but how common is it for switches to fail? Is there anything that should be checked further, or is it just one of those things that will happen occasionally, and I just was unlucky?

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Comments (3)

randy427
10 years ago
I've seen it happen, though not often. Usually they've been hit by something or were 59 cent 'contractor's grade' switches to start with.
bus_driver
10 years ago
In my house, certain switches are used many times per day while others are seldom used. We might be amazed if the switch had a use counter to display the number of times it has been cycled. If it is any consolation, today's cheapest switch probably has an operating life exceeding that of the finest switches of the 1930s and 1940s.
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saltcedar
10 years ago
The only electrical devices I remember my Grand Parents having to repair were lamp sockets. Granted they probably didn't use switches and outlets like we do today.