Electrical question--help !
 

Light switch in bathroom started making "crackling" sound when turned on & off. No sparks or such. Then, after a few weeks of this, nothing, no lights in the bath. But. also lights in hall outside bathroom now does not turn on.

. Can a switch that goes out with broken wires (bathroom) also cause hall light not to work ?
. Checked the breaker, switch does not appear to have changed any; did not "trigger".

. Is this an electrician job, or just call a handyman to put in new switch in the bathroom ?

. If an electrician job, recommendations ? Have used Pike's for many years but they kept getting more and more expensive and in some cases did not even fix the problem ! (yard light only worked a few days and then back to no light after paying for some parts and labor) So would like reasonable and knowledgeable person if anyone knows one ???

. If a new switch would solve it, that much we can do.

The crackling sounds like a bad switch. I would replace it. But, are you sure the circuit breaker is not tripped? To reset it, you need to push all the way to the "off" position, and then all the way to the "on" position. Two directions. A bad switch should only affect the bathroom light.

Also, check all of the GFI outlets in the bathrooms. Push in the reset button if they are popped out.

What you described sounds like a loose wire nut or a loose wire connecting to the switch. I come to this conclusion because the hall light is also out. A bad switch would have no effect on the hall light. If you are not comfortable around electricity don't mess with it. A handyman or handy neighbor may be able to help.

Agreed, probably bad switch, if you have any basic knowledge the switch not that hard to replace. But, you HAVE to make sure the power to that circuit is off and verified with multimeter. Even then don’t touch any two wires Bare ends or allow them to touch on bare ends, some circuits wired can have bleed from another circuit. Watch Utube video on replacing light wall switch.

If you have ANY doubt pay someone. Better to safe than sorry. You will have to check for power on hallway Light. My first thought would be just replace the light bulb and see if that fixes it on hallway light?

I think the above hit the problems. Replacing the switch is not hard as long as your turn off the circuit breaker.

I agree, a bad switch, the decorator switches seem to make this noise if they are turned on or off slowly. When the light is on, make sure you have the correct circuit breaker OFF, then remove the old switch and install the new one. I always use the screws and not the holes for inserting the wires, had a bad experience with these.

Agreed! The comment about the screws.
Additionally, the comment about the hall light being affected. It all depends on how it was wired.

Two lights are out. One that is controlled by the switch and one that is not. I doubt the problem is the switch. I'm with elevatorman on this one. Check for a loose wire.

Agree - loose wire nut in the box behind the switch, and believe that the crackling sound you heard was arcing (between the loose wires). Standard on/off wall switches are pretty rugged and rarely go bad.

It may look like a simple job to replace a switch or check for loose wires under a compression fitting (wirenut), and it is if you know what your doing. If you have little or no experience with working on electrical DON'T DO IT :pray:...if you make a mistake there is a very real possibility burning your house down. As a master electrical for 30+ years I've seen some very dangerous home owner repairs.

And remember, when you hire a Master Electrician, you aren’t paying for an hour of time. You are paying for years of training as an apprentice at low wages, then years as a qualified journeyman electrician, and only then as a master electrician. How much does your proctologist charge for a ten minute colonoscopy? Do you want a surgeon who learned how on YouTube? Would you remove your own appendix? Electricians deserve what they are paid! Especially if they have to listen to people complaining about their bills.

The crackling sound is actually sparking within the switch and dangerous.
I have seen many switches and outlets falling apart due to either heat or poor quality.
It is possible that the bathroom switch may be in the same GFI circuit as your other light.
You do not need to call an electrician, a good knowledgeable handyman can fix the problem.
I am a handyman and do a lot of work in TV.
Manny The Handyman, LLC
352-530-2583 home/office
610-570-5303 cell

Light switch
 

My church does repairs of this nature for free to anyone that needs help, We let you purchase any needed parts and we troubleshoot and do the labor at no charge, If you need our help call jack at 330-461-3110.

When looking for a “Master Electrician”, what designates or how do you know he/she is actually a M E?

Very easy. Go to this website:

Licensing Portal - License Search

You can look up any contractor or other business that is required to have a Florida license. An electrician must have a Florida electrical contractor license. Sometimes they are listed by their name and sometimes by the name of the business. I always look up any contractor who claims to have a license.

Note: I think the term "master electrician" is a trade designation, not a legal term. I would be more concerned that they have the proper state license to perform the work they are doing.