Anyone with electrical skills?

[Graye]

More "new house" quandaries.... This is probably not worth calling in an electrician but it's driving us mad! The bathroom light works on a pull switch and it has a central circular light fitting. I've had the lid off and there is just a single light bulb in there. I've even changed the bulb for another one.

BUT, to turn it on we have to pull the cord three times! I can't imagine why or what purpose that would serve. Is it just faulty? Or am I missing something here?

[Crickleymal]

Is it always three times? I can't imagine why that would be. It's probably a faulty switch and I'm sure you know that for a bathroom it's got to be a pull cord switch.

[RuthG]

Change the switch - not the cord, but the actual switch. That at least will check whether there is a problem that is past DIY.

[Graye]

Good thought on the new switch as a starter. I've just checked and the shower room has the same light fitting and identical ceiling switch on the pull cord. It always works first pull. It's a newish house too and the switch "sounds" perfect if you know what I mean. However it looks like a trip to the shops might be in order.

And yes, ALWAYS three times, never first time or second. And it always goes off on the first pull too. I thought it might have had three bulbs in there, one for each pull for extra brightness but it's just the one...

[mrsflibble]

our bedroom light pull cord had this problem! new switch fixed it.

[kit-e-kate]

Yup, I'd also reckon its a worn switch. (Often caused by small annoying children playing with the pull cord! Click-click, click-click, click-click.....so on and so forth!) Should be easy (and cheap) to change though.

[The Riff-Raff Element]

I wonder... could it be that at one time there was more than one switch for that light? If it was once worked through three-way switches and one or more of these was removed without properly rewiring the remaining switches you could get all kinds of odd things happening.

[Graye]

I was just wondering about that. There have been alterations to the house and I'm not sure where various rooms etc were. And there are signs that there was some sort of strip light there previously too. I suppose starting with a new switch is still probably a good idea though...

[Milims]

Yes it's just a worn switch. Is not rocket science to change it but you will have to have some electrical skills and work safely. If you do decide to call a sparkie they MUST be Part P registered - it not they are not qualified to work on anything in your house - don't let them set foot in the door!It is usual practice these days to have the rocker switch outside the bathroom door so if you are going to have a sparkie do the job it may be worth considering a change, although it will either mean chasing out for a new switch line or using trunking to accommodate it.