# Forum Home Renovation Electrical  Pushed in Light Switch......

## Renno Bob

GDay guys, One of my light switches has been pushed in, I have unscrewed the plate and clicked the switch back into place a few times but after normal use of the switch it slowly gets pushed in again until it is not supported at all by the plate. 
Is this fixable or should I replace the whole thing??
Cheers,
Bob.

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## BRADFORD

Just replace it 
Easiest in the long run 
Regards Bradford

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## Bros

> Just replace it 
> Easiest in the long run 
> Regards Bradford

  I second that as it could be the tags on the mech or on the plate. Chuck the whole lot out.

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## Gooner

Considering the cost of the wall switch, why bother fixing.. just replace.

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## leeton

Replace it...but he will need to get a licenced electrician to fit it...won't he :Biggrin:

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## wozzzzza

> Replace it...but he will need to get a licenced electrician to fit it...won't he

   oh yeah, definately.  dont wanna go burning the house down.  ive replaced a few light switches in my house, and i have a license :Tongue: .

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## Gooner

> Replace it...but he will need to get a licenced electrician to fit it...won't he

  Well that goes without saying..... But chances are, if you're hanging around this forum you're going to do this type of job yourself. 
(I wonder if the mortality rate of this forum's members is higher than the national average? hmmmm)

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## Peeeeda

I'd suggest that that the people who read this forum have more nous than the average idiot.   A lot of us are from a trade background and therefore already know the importance of safety.  I would never attempt to rewire my house but I would replace a faulty switch wether I'm legally allowed to in my own house or not.  Knowing how to calculate the weight of a planet or the power drop along 10km's of transmission line isn't going to have any bearing on my competence to disconnect and reconnect a wire.  OK, that should piss the sparkies off  :Smilie:

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## murray44

> I'd suggest that that the people who read this forum have more nous than the average idiot.

  Peeda,
I agree but it's only _most_ people, not _all_ people who read this forum have more nous than the average idiot. I have read a few scarey posts!
Murray

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## Gooner

> I'd suggest that that the people who read this forum have more nous than the average idiot.

  Not to divert the thread, but thats a big assumption. Probably generally true of many of the "members" here who regularly read and contribute to the forum. However, then there is that large general population who come here to get some DIY advice. I would assume that a large motivator behind a lot of DIY work is cost-cutting/saving, and this would have no relation to the reader's competancy level. As Murray mentioned, it is obvious from reading certain posts that some people attempt stuff that is beyond them and potentially quite dangerous.

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## Terrian

> Replace it...but he will need to get a licenced electrician to fit it...won't he

  For sure, it would be a shame to burn the house down from tightening the screws too much

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## elkangorito

> I'd suggest that that the people who read this forum have more nous than the average idiot.   A lot of us are from a trade background and therefore already know the importance of safety.  I would never attempt to rewire my house but I would replace a faulty switch wether I'm legally allowed to in my own house or not.  Knowing how to calculate the weight of a planet or the power drop along 10km's of transmission line isn't going to have any bearing on my competence to disconnect and reconnect a wire.  *OK, that should piss the sparkies off*

  Ya didn't piss me off at all  :Smilie: . 
You sound like a "common sense" kind of bloke, which is becoming rarer these days. As a matter of fact, it should be called "uncommon sense". 
Keep up the good thinking.  :2thumbsup:

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## Bros

> "common sense"

  Be careful using that term. I used it once to an OH&S person  and they came back and said define "common sense".  
The main reason given was common sense means different things to different people

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## elkangorito

> Be careful using that term. I used it once to an OH&S person  and they came back and said define "common sense".  
> The main reason given was common sense means different things to different people

  I believe the OH & S person to be partially correct, in the sense that "common sense" is something that everybody BELIEVES they have. 
I tend to differentiate a bit. 
"Uncommon Sense" (as I wish to call it), is the ability for somebody to see the "root cause" of a problem, without necessarily understanding how to fix it but with a complete understanding of the problem & its further possible effects. 
Examples.
1]
Situation: People using the swimming pool suffer ear & eye infections.
Reason: Contaminated pool (for some reason).
Uncommon sense action: Do not use pool until problem is solved (enlist a pool expert). Who wants Meningitis?
Idiot sense action: Keep using pool whilst waiting for pool expert to arrive. 
2]
Situation: People get a "tingle" when having a shower.
Reason: Faulty electrical.
Uncommon sense action: stop using shower until the problem is solved. Who wants to get electrocuted?
Idiot sense action: "It was only a tingle & it didn't happen every time I used the shower. I'll keep using it until the problem is solved." 
The list goes on & on.

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## GrahamC

I think it is a bit like speeding. Hopefully they have set the bar low enough to make sure unlicensed people stick to changing light switches and making up 10amp to 15 amp conversion power leads. I agree that you should have a license to change a light switch in the same way that I agree that the speed limit should be set to 50. Like speeding, people should have the humility to take what ever comes their way by breaking the law. <O :Tongue: </O :Tongue:  And to be honest, I've been directed at work to do more dangerous things than anything I could possibly do at home. I remember once that we were asked to keep on working even though there was a fire in another part of the factory as there the doors to that section were fire rated. It got a bit silly when people started to ask to go home through smoke inhalation and managers sniping back with incredulously comments. Anyway things go worse when the building when into brown out and there was enough power to keep the doors magnetically locked, but not enough to operate the security system to open them up.  There was also the time I was asked to stay in a security rated building to protect it (against and with god knows what) after a fire alarm forced an evacuation and when the firefighters arrived, they asked me what I was doing there. I just grinned said I was very safety conscious and dobbed in the security manager.<O :Tongue: </O :Tongue:

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