Double switch one side not working? A faulty switch or broken wire are the likely causes in our experience. But don’t rule out a faulty light bulb or faulty light fitting as causing the issue as well. This post will try and uncover why one side is not working with a double switch.
How A Double Switch Is Wired.
A double switch, as the name suggests, has two switches which control two different circuits. This could be two lights or a light and a fan, for example. It would be wired as shown below.
Double Switch One Side Not Working? – Reason #1
Faulty Switch Mechanism
A light switch contains a mechanism which can fail over time. This mechanism contains springs, plastic and contacts which can eventually fail due to wear and tear. The switch can also fail because the circuit is overloaded. If this has happened you will notice melting or deformation around the switch. The switch may even give off a weird or fishy smell.
Here is more information about faulty switch mechanisms.
Sometimes it is possible to replace the switch mechanism without replacing the entire switch. This would depend on the damage to the overall switch.
Double Switch One Side Not Working? – Reason #2
Faulty Switch
Sometimes the entire switch will need to be replaced especially if the switch is older or no longer up to code. If the switch has melted it is likely that the whole switch will need to be replaced
Double Switch One Side Not Working? – Reason #3
Broken Or Loose Wire
The problem might be caused by a broken or loose wire. For example, if a neutral has broken or become loose, the light, fan (or whatever the switch controls) will not turn on.
Luckily, fixing this only requires making sure that all wire connections are properly tightened.
Double Switch One Side Not Working? – Reason #4
Faulty Light Bulb
Light bulbs should be checked to rule out it isn’t the cause of the problem. A blown light bulb can be simply replaced provided that the fitting itself hasn’t burned out as well. Remove the existing light bulb and replace it with a new one to confirm before calling the electrician.
Double Switch One Side Not Working? – Reason #5
Faulty Light Fitting
Sometimes the cause of the problem is a burnt out light fitting. The light fitting would appear burnt or melted in most cases. Although, if it is an LED light it might not show these things. In this case, the solution is to replace the light fitting with a new one.
Double Switch One Side Not Working? – Reason #6
Tripped Breaker
Although bad practice, I have come across switches containing electrical feeds coming from different sources. This means that each switch is on a different breaker. If there is a tripped breaker at the switchboard it could confirm this. Resetting the breaker should fix the problem. Keep in mind that circuit breakers do trip for safety reasons so it would be a good idea to talk to a registered electrician about why this has occurred.
Conclusion
Double switch one side not working? Check that the light bulb hasn’t blown. If it has, just replace it with a new one. Other causes of the problem include a faulty light fitting, faulty switch or loose/broken wire.
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