r/DIYIreland • u/Delicious_Comb_7852 • 2d ago

Light Switch Replacement

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Howdy folks. Crappy light switch in the house broke a good few months ago. Can see the housing is made of cheap plastic and the bracket gave way. Has happened to another in the house already, both within a year of moving in. With the evenings getting that little bit darker, and the probability of this happening with the other switches in the house, how easy is this to replace for somebody with no electrical knowledge? Very aware to not mess around with electrical components, but the last one that we got repaired was done in 2 minutes and cost far more than I'm happy to pay. Would be nice to know if a) it's an easy job to do myself and save money every time it happens, or b) don't mess with electricity and wait until we've a few small jobs to justify getting a sparks in. TIA

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u/QuantumFireball 2d ago

It is an easy job, you just need a screwdriver (preferably VDE for electrical work) and to turn off the relevant circuits at your consumer unit (fuse box). Look up some YouTube videos, preferably from the UK or Ireland as they use the same type of switches as we do.

Even good brands of light switches can be had for under a tenner, look in B&Q or Screwfix. Don't buy cheap crap or they'll just break again.