Lights are necessary for the house as one can easily see on a dark day or night. However, there’s a time when you don’t need the lights on to sleep or when not in use. But there are instances when you try switching off the lights, but they stay on while the switch is off. What can make the lights stay on when the switch is off?
When you switch off the light bulb but it still stays on, the problem can be a loose or faulty wiring connection. Additionally, it can be an issue with the switch making it not function properly. Remember when the lights stay on throughout because of such a problem, you’ll have to pay higher electricity bills as energy gets wasted in the process.
So, if your lights stay on even after you switch them off, this article may be of help. Learn the cause of the problem and probably get the solution.
Problem with Swtich
You use the switch to turn the lights on and off. It can be a problem when it turns on the light and fails to switch it off. It could be that the toggle is not connected to the circuit terminals. The best solution is to replace the switch to have it function well. But as you wait to do this, disconnect the breaker to reduce energy wastage.
But this problem can also come by if you bypass the switch. So, you need to do some checks to ensure everything is okay.
Check if;
- All the neutral wires are capped and bundLED together with none connected to the switch.
- The ground wires are clamped together and connected to the green ground screw.
- Live wires are connected to a particular brass terminal.
Knowing this will prevent the wrong wiring connection to the switch, which makes it incapable of controlling the lights. Use a voltage tester when checking the wiring connection on the switch. Then ensure you put on gloves for your safety’s sake. Then connect the right wire to the lower terminal and not on the top terminal.
Wrong Wiring Connection
Another reason lights might stay on when the switch is off is a wrong wiring connection. You need to connect the lights to the switched leg conductor to have it work without such challenges. However, if you fix it on the hot wire, the light will continue getting continuous current supply even if the switch is off. So, you need to ensure the light switch is connected with the light to function properly.
You can fix this problem by;
Locate The Hot Wire
If lights stay on while the switch is off, then the problem could be on the hot wire. The hot wire transfers electric current from the breaker panel to the light source. However, it doesn’t get affected if you turn the switch on or off, making the lights stay on all through. You need to rectify this wiring connection to enable you to control the lights through the switch.
To do this, you’ve got to locate the hot wire. Identify its origin from the light source through to the main power source. But first, know where the electrical current is flowing from.
Spot The Switched Leg Conductor
After that, you need to identify where the switched leg conductor is to make the right wiring connection. Remember, the switched leg is a wire that transmits current to the light source when the switch is on. You need to connect the light to the switched leg to enable the switch to control the lighting.
When fixing this issue, ensure the conductor stops the current from flowing to the light source when the switch is off. Carefully connect the wires between the light source and the switched leg conductor.
Rejoin The Wires
Then reconnect the wires in a way that none of the wiring connections run through the hot wire. Only have the wires on the switched leg conductor to avoid having a similar issue after this. While doing this, ensure you follow all the safety measures to avoid harming yourself or causing a fire.
Then test if the switch will make the lights go off when they’re also off. Take your time doing this procedure and avoid interruptions to get the best results.
Bulb Could Be the Problem
Your lights might also stay on when the switch is off because of a faulty bulb. It could also be that the electrical circuit has issues affecting the bulb’s performance. This will make the switch allow some current through even when it’s off.
Additionally, this issue might result if you’re using LED bulbs. LED bulbs store energy as it runs, which they can use in case of a power outage. So, if it stays on while the switch is off, it could be the residual energy making it light.
Try removing the bulb from the socket to see if there’s any change. You can replace the bulb to test if the problem ends, but checking on the wiring connection leading to the bulb is essential.
Checking Settings of Switch
Sometimes you’ve got settings that enable the switch to power other smaller devices. So, it will allow some small amount of current to pass through it, making the lights stay on when the switch is off.
Devices like motion sensors, night lights, or timers work while in connection with the hot wire and use small amounts of energy. So, if you’ve got LED bulbs, they can stay on because of such settings. However, the old incandescent bulbs won’t stay on under such circumstances.
You can change the switches to the regular ones, which don’t have such features. But also using a switch with both neutral and hot wire can help solve this problem.
Alternatively, you can change the bulbs from LED bulbs to incandescent bulbs, which don’t have these smart features.
Bottom Line
Lights staying on when the switch is off will waste energy, increasing your electric bills. You need to identify the cause and solve it amicably to stop this. Check if the switch or the bulb is the problem and work on it. But if it’s a wiring connection, be careful not to cause accidents.
