On 18/02/2021 09:47, NY wrote:
"RJH" wrote in message
...
Been on my list for a while - a quiet replacement for the noisy bathroom
pull
cord switch. If it came to it I could look into the kinetic/wireless type
switches, although that'd be quite expensive and relatively involved. Or a
PIR. But really a quiet pull cord would do. Any suggestions?

I've never understood why a lot of the modern pull switches for bathrooms
make an *exceptionally* loud "clock-clonk" noise every time they are turned
on or off. When we had some building work done and a new bathroom made, the
electrician replaced an old and rather battered (but fairly quiet) pull
switch with one with a power-assisted clonk. I know some of the noise is
exacerbated by the switch being on a wooden batten in the ceiling rather
than attached to a masonry or plasterboard wall. But a lot of it can be
heard even with a "loose" switch before it's been mounted anywhere.

Is the noise "accidental" or is there some new building regulation that new
switches must make a noise to prevent them being turned on/off
surreptitiously?

Well, when there is a heavy current involved (such as an instant heat
shower), you've got a switch which will have to take 40 amps or more, so
that will require some heavy-duty contacts and a pretty powerful spring
to make sure make/break occur cleanly.

It's much less important with a light switch. I was looking at the same
problem 20 years ago! In the end I decided that the easiest thing to do
was get some wire-cutters rated for spring steel and cut a length off
the light-switch spring. I think I might also have had to stretch what
was left a bit so that it still operated correctly. It was many years
ago, and I can't remember, but it's possible I tried to use the old
switch's spring in the new switch, but it didn't fit.

--

Jeff