# Possible electrical problem in house? Cracked light switches



## Italgrl (Mar 12, 2009)

All my rocker switches are cracking. The plastic plate around them is cracking also and the cracks line up with those in the switch.

The house was newly built 6 years ago. I have lived here 4 years. Before that it was vacant for two years because of builder foreclosure.

I have had rocker switches in every house I've lived in and never had one crack, much less all of them. Could this indicate I have some kind of electrical problem? None of them are discolored, they do not sizzle, pop or spark.


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## nap (Dec 4, 2007)

I. Suspect it is more indicative of low quality trim plates and over tightened screws

With the switches cracking I would have to guesss cheap or a defective run of switches. 

I would simply replace them with a good quality switch and trim plate. 


Or tell the Hulk to quit hitting the switches so hard when using them n


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## Nutmegger (Mar 12, 2015)

What Nap said above.. low quality product. 
Can't have anything to do with electricity -- just a defect in the material.


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## Italgrl (Mar 12, 2009)

*So whats its going to cost me to replace all these*

Probably about 60 of them. Maybe more. Some runs have 8 switches.


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

Italgrl said:


> Probably about 60 of them. Maybe more. Some runs have 8 switches.


Yep.... You may want a battery screwdriver...:wink:

Good luck...


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## ben's plumbing (Oct 6, 2011)

post a picture of what your looking at so we can see the same thing:thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## joed (Mar 13, 2005)

If the cover plates are cracking is suspect the switches have been tightened too low into the hole which was too big around the box.


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

Get the unbreakable nylon ones...


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## Nutmegger (Mar 12, 2015)

Sorry to state the obvious, but that's what builders do -- they source the cheapest material possible to make the most money in every way they can. 
The price difference between the bottom-of-the-barrel that they used and halfway decent switches would have probably been $1 to $2 a switch, translating into $120 *at most* -- a price the original poster I'm sure would have gladly paid, especially considering the amount of labor to replace all those switches..

I'm sure they are "backstabbed" too.. 
Since you are redoing them, do yourself a favor: instead of backstabbing the new ones, wrap the wire around the terminal screws.


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## Italgrl (Mar 12, 2009)

*pic*


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## brric (Mar 5, 2010)

Abuse.


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## nap (Dec 4, 2007)

given that is the issue, this part of my original post applies:





> Or tell the Hulk to quit hitting the switches so hard when using them n


I have never seen a switch damaged like that. Somebody must be thumping on them with a stick.


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## Italgrl (Mar 12, 2009)

Well Ive lived with "the hulk" for 30 years and he's never broken anything. That said my niece and her two y/o stay with the dogs when we're out of town. Maybe he's using a golf club to reach the switches.


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## jbfan (Jul 1, 2004)

Italgrl said:


> Well Ive lived with "the hulk" for 30 years and he's never broken anything. That said my niece and her two y/o stay with the dogs when we're out of town. Maybe he's using a golf club to reach the switches.


No way is that normal wear and tear.


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## Nutmegger (Mar 12, 2015)

jbfan said:


> No way is that normal wear and tear.


Maybe, but maybe not.
We take for granted how resilient the nylon-based switch and faceplate plastics are, but this is not nylon.

The cheapo bakelite-like faceplates -- the cheapest kind you can get at the home improvement stores -- crack in half if you overtorque the screw even by a quarter turn. 
If these switches are made from the same or similar material, it will not surprise me that they break under normal, repetitive use.

What confirms my point is that _most _of them are all like that, based on what the OP said.


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## joed (Mar 13, 2005)

brric said:


> Abuse.


Agree 100%. Someone smacked that one hard with something.


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## ben's plumbing (Oct 6, 2011)

that was hit with something.....sorry..... the crack travels in line from switch to plate....


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## Italgrl (Mar 12, 2009)

Thanks for the input. Must be the 2 y/o because the one pictured happened while I was out of town. 

Glad to know it's not a random spark of electricity cracking them.


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## Knucklez (Oct 21, 2007)

in OP you said ALL your rocker switches are cracking. surely only one looks as bad as the picture posted. 

my faceplates crack when i overtighten the screw; its super sensitive. i wish i knew how to identify good plate from bad plate, or maybe HD just sells the cheap stuff.


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

Knucklez said:


> in OP you said ALL your rocker switches are cracking. surely only one looks as bad as the picture posted.
> 
> my faceplates crack when i overtighten the screw; its super sensitive. i wish i knew how to identify good plate from bad plate, or maybe HD just sells the cheap stuff.


HD and BBoxers all sell the unbreakable nylons.

Best


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