On Thu, 18 Feb 2021 11:40:29 +0000, Chris Green wrote:

NY wrote:
"Jeff Layman" wrote in message
...
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.

Agreed: you want to move the contacts from fully separated to fully in
contact (or vice versa) as fast as possible. But for a light switch,
especially with modern low-current LED bulbs, there's not much current so
much less chance of sparking at the changeover point.

I wonder if modern switches are rated for much higher currents (a rating
which is almost never needed) whereas older switches were rated for lower
current for lighting circuits and didn't need such a strong (and noisy)
spring.

However in some (many?) cases the click has nothing to do with the
switching. Our fairly new bathroom light switch does a load click
when you pull it and only switches when you release the switch which
you can do as gently and slowly as you like.

Also on breaking: slightest pull and the load goes off then there's a CLONK
that does noting for the switching.
I replaced a CLONK-CLONK DP switch with a Crabtree illuminated one as the
new fan has 3 lights, only one illuminated but shines through the others so
no way to tell if it's on timer, on or the switch is off. The irony is that
the Crabtree goes Clon-click on and click-click off, so I can tell which way
it's switching. Rather a waste of about 3 - 4x the price of an unilluminated
one.
--
Peter.
The gods will stay away
whilst religions hold sway