Author Topic: WD40 and electricity (Read 3134 times)

Gingernutz · « **on:** 17 December 2014, 07:45:44 am »

Early morning daft question.......Our bathroom pull light switch is not working every time we pull it. I'm tempted to spray it with WD40 - won't do any harm will it??

lew600fazer · « **Reply #1 on:** 17 December 2014, 08:00:04 am »

if the switch is arcing inside yea it could cause a problem. Maybe isolate the breaker give it a spray a few times and see if any improvement. If it is sticking that badly new switch.

J_Dub · « **Reply #2 on:** 17 December 2014, 08:07:03 am »

Don't do it. Buy a new switch.

darrsi · « **Reply #3 on:** 17 December 2014, 08:48:08 am »

Buy a new bathroom, the missus will be ever so pleased with you.

Oldgit · « **Reply #4 on:** 17 December 2014, 09:44:59 am »

buy a new house the electrics are knackered

fazersharp · « **Reply #5 on:** 17 December 2014, 10:36:47 am »

New switch needed, I had one like this and after turning off the power I thought "i can fix this" but there is all kinds of springs and leavers and sutff in there which ended up all over the floor and after I found everything and put it back together it wouldnt work at all. It would of been much quicker to just swap it -- so do that.

esetest · « **Reply #6 on:** 17 December 2014, 05:58:22 pm »

Replace the switch , just remember to isolate at the breaker first .

red98 · « **Reply #7 on:** 17 December 2014, 06:33:47 pm »

Yep....new switch time...not expensive and a great prezzie for the mrs......two problems solved

YamFazFan · « **Reply #8 on:** 17 December 2014, 07:50:39 pm »

Just out of interest,is WD-40 a solvent or a lubricant?.It can't be both can it?.

BIG MAC · « **Reply #9 on:** 17 December 2014, 09:01:05 pm »

You will find that there's been an arc path in the switch (often caused by kids splashing water in the bathroom above if its a downstairs bog) five minute job to change it

chaz · « **Reply #10 on:** 17 December 2014, 10:18:17 pm »

don't DON'T use WD40 on electrics it's a conductor, I put an extention into a leanto thought it would be a good idea to spray the socket to stop the damp, it blew the fuse.

Fazafou · « **Reply #11 on:** 18 December 2014, 08:34:01 am »

WD40 and household electrics - close to being a Darwin award there

darrsi · « **Reply #12 on:** 18 December 2014, 09:16:10 am »

Just to throw a spanner in the works.

http://wd40specialist.com/products/contact-cleaner/

dazza · « **Reply #13 on:** 18 December 2014, 09:41:08 am »

I say, spray the shit out of it, get it out of your system, we know you're dying to. It's alright listening to sound advice but sometimes you've just got to see for yourself.

Oh, when you're finished, any chance of coming round mine to help me syphon the petrol out my bike with the Hoover.

darrsi · « **Reply #14 on:** 18 December 2014, 10:04:43 am »

Quote from: dazza on 18 December 2014, 09:41:08 am

I say, spray the shit out of it, get it out of your system, we know you're dying to. It's alright listening to sound advice but sometimes you've just got to see for yourself.
Oh, when you're finished, any chance of coming round mine to help me syphon the petrol out my bike with the Hoover.

No need for expensive electrical equipment, a short length of hose pipe, then a large exhale followed by an even bigger inhale using said pipe should more than suffice.

Probably best to extinguish your cigarette first though.

fazersharp · « **Reply #15 on:** 18 December 2014, 11:26:53 am »

Im a little worried because since he posted he hasn't come back, hope hes not blown his house up

Ebme Geek · « **Reply #16 on:** 18 December 2014, 11:39:07 am »

I actually know someone who used a lighter to warm up the end of a pipe to put it onto their fuel tap, in pushing it on shook a little bit of fuel out of the valve, then proceeded to warm up the other end to push it onto the carb, yep you've guessed it . .

Then the first liquid to hand to put out the burning pipe was a can of two stroke oil,
Yep he did

, just the thought makes me cringe, lucky enough I think the flame was by then just licking at the end of the tube and the oil smuthered it, but still ...

darrsi · « **Reply #17 on:** 18 December 2014, 02:21:06 pm »

bigralphie · « **Reply #18 on:** 18 December 2014, 03:41:46 pm »

Just crack on,as ginger people don't have souls they are in fact non conductive

BBROWN1664 · « **Reply #19 on:** 18 December 2014, 07:23:29 pm »

Just to be the awkward git, if its the bathroom switch, keep quite and change it quickly if your able to.

It is meant to be a certified job as its in a bathroom but who gives a foc.

fazersharp · « **Reply #20 on:** 18 December 2014, 07:25:37 pm »

I thought that a replacement is ok but not a new fit

red98 · « **Reply #21 on:** 18 December 2014, 09:07:40 pm »

+1........me too, I thought "like 4 like"was ok too.....

esetest · « **Reply #22 on:** 19 December 2014, 06:38:28 pm »

No need to notify Replacement accessories even in special locations . Although if your house burns down , and your asked if you have carried out any electrical work , deny it.

BIG MAC · « **Reply #23 on:** 21 December 2014, 03:24:17 pm »

No need to notify anything really as the tosser they send out wont have a clue what he is looking at