Why Is My Light Switch Hot? A light switch can feel hot for a variety of reasons, some of which are serious that may require immediate attention.
A warm light switch is not necessarily a cause for concern. Light switches can get warm during their normal use. Dimmers can make light switches feel warm or even hot. If your light switch has a dimmer, it’s possible that the light switch is warm for normal reasons. However, it is a good idea to rule out other, more potentially dangerous reasons for a hot light switch.
Why Is My Light Switch Hot?
Check For Warning Signs.
Firstly, it is important to examine the physical condition of the switch. The condition of the switch can give clues for what you should do next.
Here are some things you should look out for.
- Can you see black soot around the switch mechanism?
- Does the switch have a “burnt plastic” smell?
- Does the switch look slightly deformed in areas as if it is melted?
- Is the rocker light switch stuck in one position? Or hard to move?
- Is the light switch disintegrating from age?
If you have any of these problems it should be immediately addressed by a registered electrician to prevent a potential fire hazard from occurring.
Here are some reasons why this might be happening.
Why Is My Light Switch Hot? – Reason #1
Bad Light Switch.
Light switches wear down over time. Especially light switches that receive high usage.
Constant pressing of the switch mechanism leads to parts becoming loose over time. This can include the switch contacts. Loose switch contacts will cause sparks whenever the switch is used. You may or may not be able to see these sparks, but might be able to feel the switch becoming hot.
If you can see sparks then it’s a good idea to contact a registered electrician. They will be able to replace the bad switch with a new one, if the problem isn’t caused by something else.
Why Is My Light Switch Hot? – Reason #2
Loose Or Broken Wires.
Loose and broken wiring at the switch can cause the light switch to become hot for similar reasons as a bad switch. Loose touching of wires at the switch can cause sparking which generates heat. Again, you may or may not be able to see the sparks but it’s something an electrician will be able to fix by simply replacing the light switch.
Why Is My Light Switch Hot? – Reason #3
Overloaded Circuit.
An overloaded circuit, or in this example, a circuit with too many lights is a potential cause for a hot light switch.
When a circuit is overloaded, its essentially drawing more electricity than the cable can handle. This results in the cable heating up and becoming warm or hot to touch. This can also cause fires, so its important to deal with this as soon as possible.
Another tell tale sign that you have an overloaded circuit is that the wall above the light switch feels warm to touch. Again, you should not sleep on this problem and get it looked at right away.
Why Is My Light Switch Hot? – Reason #4
Overrated Circuit Breaker.
In addition, if a lighting circuit is overloaded then it should have tripped a circuit breaker (MCB) before the cables became so warm.
The reason for the MCB tripping is to prevent a fire. We can’t see cables behind walls and rely on circuit breakers to disconnect the power on the circuit before the risk occurs.
In this case a potential reason why the light switch is hot is an overrated circuit breaker. This means the wrong circuit breaker has been used for the circuit. For example, they used a 20A rated breaker for 10A cable.
An electrician will be able to identify this and install a correctly rated MCB for the circuit. They will remove the source of the overload and properly rate the circuit so the light switch doesn’t heat up.
Next Steps.
As a hot light switch is a potential cause of fire it is important to take action sooner rather than later. This post was designed to give you information about this type of electrical fault so you can decide what to do next. This can help save time with the electrician trying to find the fault, which means saving money on the electricians bill.
What You Can Do.
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