On Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 11:44:15 AM UTC-4, Scott Lurndal wrote:
Marilyn Manson writes:
On Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 10:54:31 AM UTC-4, Scott Lurndal wrote:
Wade Garrett writes:
A couple of years ago, I replaced a pair of little-used (and only during
the summer) standard 20 amp Leviton 3-way toggle light switches
controlling a Hunter Original ceiling fan because at least one of the
switches had failed.

I installed the same then-current model Levitons and everything worked
fine for a few years. And don't you know, at least one of them has just
now failed!

The original switches and the fan were installed during a room addition
construction project by a licensed electrician hired by the general
contractor whom we've used for years and does very good work.

What are the chances of this being just a random second switch failure
vs. needing to get an electrician out to check it over?
The chances are high that you've got a problem that should be
looked at.

Just for the sake of discussion, what problems can you think of that would
break a 3-way switch?

Obvious signs of arcing, loose connections, etc.
'nuf said.

Two failures on something as ultra-reliable as a Leviton switch?

Stranger things have certainly happened.

As I noted in an earlier post, I have had problems with higher-end
Leviton devices - humidistats and smart plugs. Their quality control
issues could be systemic.


Was the correct switch chosen for the application? Switching motor
loads isn't the normal job for a residential light switch.

He did say a licensed electrician installed the original switch and then he
replaced it with the same switch. Sure, not all licensed electricians are
equal, so it could have been the wrong switch to start with.