Light switch not working but light is on? The most likely reason is a faulty light switch.
The light will stay on because the fitting is still receiving electricity – despite the switch getting turned on or off.
In this post, I’ll go into a few potential reasons why the light switch is not working but the light is on.
Firstly, you’ll want to check whether this problem is isolated to a single light (or one set of lights) or several lights operated from multiple switches.
To do this, simply go around and check that the other switches in your house are working ok.
If you notice that the problem is isolated to one switch controlling one set of lights, then here are six potential reasons why your light is on despite the light switch not working.
Light Switch Not Working But Light Is On – Reason #1
Do You Have The Right Switch?
Now, this might seem painfully obvious, but it is important to double-check that the faulty light switch in question corresponds to the correct light. This can save you an unnecessary callout and embarrassment. You can do this by checking the other lights in the house as well. As an Electrician, you’d be surprised about the number of callouts we get from people thinking they have a light switch fault, when they simply had the wrong switch. Yes, it happens.
Light Switch Not Working But Light Is On – Reason #2
Light Switch Installed Incorrectly
A light switch which has been installed incorrectly, especially if it was recently installed can cause this problem.
If your light switch was installed by the homeowner (which is technically legal), or worse, a handyman then it is possible that it wasn’t done properly.
Always ensure that anyone who works on the electrics in your house is both experienced and legally allowed to do so.
Light Switch Not Working But Light Is On – Reason #3
Broken Light Switch
Light switches can physically deteriorate over time through wear and tear. This is especially true for cheaper brands.
Sometimes you will notice this when the light switch becomes difficult to press up or down. You might even notice the rocker switch get stuck in the on position.
This deterioration starts when you begin to feel resistance, unevenness, or lack of “click” when you operate the switch. Once the switch mechanism is not working properly it can lead to the light switch not working but the light stays on. A registered electrician can help you replace a broken light switch.
Light Switch Not Working But Light Is On – Reason #4
Loose Wires At The Switch
Poorly connected wires in the switch can lead to many kinds of issues. For example, a loose wire leading to the light could be in contact with the wire feeding (providing electricity) to the switch. This would cause the light to stay on, despite the switch not working. Loose wires can eventually lead to other, potentially more serious problems such as hot light switches and warm walls – both are significant fire hazards. A registered Electrician will be able to diagnose this.
Light Switch Not Working But Light Is On – Reason #5
Damaged Cables
Damaged cables could be why the light switch is not working but the light is on. A damaged cable can be caused by many things, although most commonly by rodents.
A damaged cable at the light switch, the light fitting, or somewhere in between could be causing a constant electrical feed to the light fitting. As mentioned previously, this would result in the light switch not working but the light staying on.
Light Switch Not Working But Light Is On – Reason #5
Induced Voltage From Another Circuit
Although this is probably quite unlikely, it can be worth mentioning if the light having problems is an LED.
LED lights require very little voltage to operate and other nearby cables can sometimes “induce” a voltage via a magnetic field around the cable. Without getting into too much technical details, it can mean that LEDs sometimes, seemingly, turn on “by themselves”. This would be one possibility for why a light switch wasn’t working but the light was staying on (however, unlikely). A registered electrician will be able to rule this one out quickly.
Light Switch Not Working But Light Is On – Reason #6
Poorly Configured “Smart” Switches
Can this switch be controlled from your phone? If not, you can ignore this one.
But here is why this point might be important if you have a smart switch.
Sometimes “smart” switches can become unresponsive to pressing. This is usually due to poor configuration when the smart switch was set up.
Next Steps
Now that you know about six possible reasons why your light switch is not working but light is on, you can talk to an electrician armed with knowledge about what the fault could be.
Knowing why this could be happening will help you save money and time when dealing with Electricians.
Remember do not attempt to fix the problem yourself. Only a licensed Electrician with the right experience and equipment should fix this.
Make sure to keep the area safe from any people (particularly children and elderly) who could come in contact with the light switch or light fitting until an electrician arrives.
What You Can Do
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