Switch – Why do the light bulbs glow when off and make noise when on

ledsocketswitch

The situation: I want to replace incandescant bulb in a ceiling socket with LED or CFL.

The conditions:

  1. When I plug in a CFL, it glows when the wall switch is in the off position, gets brighter when turned on, and makes ominous hissing / crackling sound.
  2. When I plug in an LED, it is on when the wall switch is in the off position, gets brighter when turned on, makes an ominous hissing / crackling sound, and flickers.
  3. Pre-existing condition: With incandescent, wall switch position doesn't always determine on/off status (i.e., sometimes have to toggle several times)
  4. The switch is not a dimmer switch and does not have a timer.

The questions:

  1. Does the hissing / crackling sound indicate danger?
  2. What accounts for the pre-existing condition? Is it simply a faulty switch?
  3. Does the pre-existing condition explain the CFL / LED issues?

and, of course

  1. Is there a solution?

Best Answer

You have problems,all right. Almost certainly your wall switch is broken, which is why you had to toggle it repeatedly w/ the incandescent bulb in place. Replace the switch first.

In all likelihood all the other problems resulted from your broken switch providing voltage but very little current when in a "not quite on OR off" state.

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