Ever been scared when you turned off the light at night, but it was still on?? Lying on the bed after a hectic day, when all you want to do is to rest and have a good night’s sleep, this experience can make you go wild. Well, anybody can fall victim to it, and there is no need to be afraid. Give yourself a sigh of relief; there are no ghosts in your bedroom.
Get yourself a chair and read out the blog as here we are going to tell you all the possible reasons why the light stays on when the switch is off. It usually happens due to the switch malfunction, and it can be fixed easily.
Besides all other reasons to get it fixed, wasting electrical power is something we all want to avoid. So, without any further discussions, let’s now see why it happens and how we can fix it permanently.
Why does the light stay on when the switch is off?
It’s common to see your light bulb glowing even after you have turned off the switch. It can happen due to several reasons. But mainly, it occurs because of the wiring issue or the device malfunction in the electrical circuit. Let’s get into the details of it.
For better understanding, you need to see how the light turns on or off. It is basically the electrical circuit that consists of the electrical equipment and the switch. As you turn on the switch, it connects the hot wire, completing the circuit, which then allows the current to pass through.
In the same manner, when turning off the switch, it disconnects the circuit and prevents the current from passing. Thus, when the current fails to reach the electrical appliance, it turns off.
In case the light stays on despite the switch being off, it might be possible that the light is connected directly to the hot wire, completing the electrical circuit, and not considering the switch at all.
In other cases, it can happen because of using low-quality lights or if the light bulb stores energy.
Whatever the case is, it is important that the light and the switch must be connected through a reliable connection. If there is any breakage or any other problem with the connection, the light might stay on even if the switch is off.
How to fix a light that stays on when the switch is off
As now you know the reason, fixing it would be easy. So, let’s look at the solutions one by one.
Replace the light
A quick and simple solution, yes, just replace the light and see if it is working in synchronization with the switch or not. We have studied that using poor quality lights can be a reason light stays on, and if we replace the light with good quality, there are high chances that it will work. No need to indulge yourself in the wiring paradigm or call the electrician. Use a high-quality light bulb and see how it works.
Check electrical wiring
Based on the reasons we have identified; wiring is one of the prominent issues that cause the light to stay on even when the switch is off. It is highly possible that the light is somehow directly connected to the hot wire, allowing the current to flow easily. A thorough inspection will help you trace down the problem yourself, or else, if you are unable to do it, you can call a professional electrician for help.
Make sure the switch is connected to the light
The reason for all this fuss can be the switch itself. When not connected to the light, or the connection is broken, it may cause the light to stay on for a long time. Checking the switch condition and switched leg conductor to see whether it is working properly or not, if it doesn’t stop the current flow, how can the light be turned off?
Thus, the switch must have a proper connection established with the light. In this way, turning the switch on/off will affect the light as well.
Sometimes, it happens that some of the wirings get disconnected due to any reason; all you have to do is to inspect and reconnect those wires.
Conclusion
Next time you see the light is on even after you have turned off the switch, know that there is nothing to be worried about. There can be a fault in the cabling, in the light bulb, or in the switch itself. Checking all these aspects will help you identify and solve the issue once and for all. No deep knowledge is required, and you can test it out yourself. Within a few minutes, you will be able to solve this problem. So, do you have any light in your house with the same issue? It’s time for you to showcase your learning.